For the fourth successive year, Sterling Bank will be supporting the Ake Arts and Books Festival organized by writer Lola Shoneyin’s Book Buzz Foundation.
This year’s event themed ‘Generational Discordance’ will hold virtually from October 28 to 30. It will feature book chats, panel discussions and performances with African and international writers and thinkers.
Commenting on its support, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Bank Plc, Abubakar Suleiman said the bank has continued its partnership with the festival because it believes in the transformative power of education and the arts.
He added, “Education is one of the five major sectors of the Nigerian economy that the bank is presently focusing investment in under its HEART of Sterling programme. The other sectors are health, agriculture, renewable energy and transportation.”
Books that will be discussed at this year’s festival include ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ by Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson; ‘Lionheart Girl’ by Yaba Badoe; ‘His Only Wife’ by Peace Medie; ‘Formation: The Making of Nigeria from Jihad to Amalgamation by’ Fola Fagbule and Feyi Fawehinmi. Others are ‘Prince of Monkeys’ by Nnamdi Ehirim; ‘An Ordinary Wonder’ by Buki Papillon, ‘Butter Honey Pig Bread’ by Francesca Ekwuyasi; ‘Born in Blackness’ by NYT columnist Howard French, ‘When the Sky is Ready The Stars Will Appear’ by EC Osondu and ‘The Sex Lives of African Women by Nana Dorkoa Sekyiamah; and ‘The Teller of Secrets’ by Bisi Adjapon.
Attendees will also enjoy interviews with Denrele Sonariwo of Rele Gallery and Ade Bantu, the founder of Afropolitan Vibes. The Life and Times Series will feature Booker-Prize shortlisted author Maaza Mengiste in conversation with 2021 Nobel Prize winner Prof Abdulrazak Gurnah.
