The 14th Lagos Book & Art Festival (LABAF) will hold from November 16 to 18, 2012 at Freedom Park, Lagos. The theme is “The Narrative of Conflict”. It will focus on written word and the literacy it engenders. The festival will be dedicated to veteran artist Bruce Onabrakpeya – who recently turned 80 – for his contribution to literary culture in Nigeria. The festival will feature workshops for children, book events, music concerts, theatre shows and visual art exhibitions.
Announcing the event, Secretary General of the CORA Art & Cultural Foundation, Toyin Akinosho said “LABAF is self-styled as Africa’s biggest culture picnic because we do not just put together a book fair, a performance concert, a literary festival or an art expo, what we do is a healthy fusion of all four in a festival atmosphere, and for the past 14 years, the festival has become an important destination for families, literary and art enthusiasts, culture producers, children and even lovers.”
“We have had people who came as children years ago still attending now as young adults. We have also had people who met at the festival grounds for the first time years ago, still attending as married couples. What keeps them coming back is the way the festival allows them to engage with culture in a fun atmosphere, that is why it is Africa’s biggest culture picnic.”
