Schedule

09:30 AM  •  OPENING
Welcome remarks from Eliot Borenstein, Interim Vice-Provost & Vice Chancellor, NYU Global Programs; Mariet Westerman, NYUAD Vice-Chancellor; Lisa Coleman, Senior Vice President, Global Inclusion and Strategic Innovation; Edmond Moukala, Head of UNESCO Ghana Office; H.E. Charles Abani, U.N. Resident Coordinator; Awam Amkpa, NYUAD Vice Provost & Global Network Professor to officially open the event.

SESSION 1 • 10:30 AM • CRIME & REPUTATION
LEYE ADENLE, FEMI KAYODE, TENDAI HUCHU discuss creating these narratives with ZUKISWA WANNER plus book signing. (45 mins)

SESSION 2 • 11:30 AM • WHICH WOMAN?
NANA DARKOA SEKYIAMAH, SULAIMAN ADDONIA, AYESHA HARUNA ATTAH, ABUBAKAR ADAM IBRAHIM, discuss depictions of today’s African Woman. Q&A plus book signing. (45 mins)

LUNCH BREAK/BOOK SALES/ MUSICAL INTERLUDE. 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

SESSION 3 • 1:45 PM • THE ANTHOLOGY: SHORT & SWEET
REMY NGAMIJE, DILMAN DILA discuss using shorts with NANA EKUA BREW HAMMOND, to shift the culture. Q&A plus book signing. (45 mins)

SESSION 4 • 2:45 PM • MUSIC AND THE NOVEL: TELLING OUR STORY IN VERSE TOO
KALAF EPALANGA & NII AYIKWEI PARKES plus book signing. (30 mins)

SESSION 5 • 4:30 PM • WELCOME KEYNOTE
AMINATTA FORNA (10 mins) Immediately followed by a conversation on creating a body of works through books with KINNA LIKIMANI. Brief Q&A (30 mins)

DINNER BREAK

9:00 AM - 9:50 AM
Labone Dialogues 'Breakfast Show' Livestream roundup and preview anchored by James Murua & Socrates Mbamalu with daily guests.

SESSION 1 • 10:00 AM • CHILDREN'S STORY BOOKS AS CHARACTER BUILDERS
ONDJAKI, NANA EKUA BREW HAMMOND, NII AYIKWEI PARKES in conversation with ZUKISWA WANNER.  Book Signing. (45 mins)

SESSION 2 • 11:00 AM • AFRICA TO THE WORLD (THE BUSINESS)
The role of the prizes in funding new work and the Windam-Campbell Legacy:  How our stories can break through. AMINATTA FORNA, JENNIFER MAKUMBI & ABUBAKAR ADAM IBRAHIM talk with MICHAEL KELLEHER. Q&A plus book signing.  (45 mins)

LUNCH BREAK: (BOOK SALES/ MUSICAL INTERLUDE.) 12:00 p.m. – 12:50 p.m.

SESSION 3 • 1:00 PM • THE OTHER SIDE OF AFRICAN SEXUALITY ON THE PAGE
TENDAI HUCHU, ZUKISWA WANNER & SULAIMAN ADDONIA. Q&A and book signing.  (45 mins)

SESSION 4 • 2:00 PM • FANTASY ISLAND OR REALITY MAINLAND
DILMAN DILA, MARTIN EGBLEWOGBE discuss fantasy writing with KINNA LIKIMANI, (40 mins) plus Q&A book signing.

SESSION 5 • 3:00 PM • CONNECTION DIASPORAS: RAPID FIRE SPOKEN WORD
SU’EDDIE AGEMA, WANA UDOBONG, DAMI AJAYI, FUI-CAN TAMAKLOE, SARPONG OSEI ASAMOAH & GREGORY PARDLO. (40 mins)

SESSION 6 • 4:00 PM • THE LEGEND DIALOGUE
Nobel Laureate WOLE SOYINKA in conversation ESI SUTHERLAND-ADDY  (30 mins)

BOOK SIGNINGS/ MUSICAL INTERLUDE

8:00 PM
'Christmas In May' - a theatrical performance by Globe Productions at the Accra International Conference Center (AICC)

10:00 AM - 10:50 AM
Labone Dialogues ‘Breakfast Show’ Livestream roundup and preview anchored by James Murua & Socrates Mbamalu with daily guests.

SESSION 1 • 11:00 AM • TRANSLATING US TO US
KALAF EPALANGA, ONDJAKI, REMY NGAMIJE, talk getting Lusophone and Francophone work to Anglophone readers and vice versa with ZUKISWA WANNER (45 mins) plus Q&A book signing.  

12:00 PM – 12:45 PM • LUNCH BREAK /BOOK SALES/MUSICAL INTERLUDE

SESSION 2 • 1:00 PM • WHOSE MEMORY IS IT?
CHIKE FRANKIE EDOZIEN discuss with KINNA LIKIMANI. (45 mins) plus Q&A book signing.

SESSION 3 • 2:00 PM • PAST IS NOW
AYESHA HARUNA ATTAH, JENNIFER MAKUMBI, discuss hidden figures and learning the lessons of the past with ABUBAKAR ADAM IBRAHIM (45 mins) plus Q&A book signing.  

SESSION 4 • 3:00 PM • AGENT READY
SHARON BOWERS discussing best strategies for getting an agent’s attention for African stories with AMINATTA FORNA (30 mins) plus Q &A.

SESSION 5 • 3:40 PM • FROM PAGE TO SCREEN
NOZIZWE CYNTHIA JELE, DILMAN DILA, & NICOLE AMARTEIFIO  (45 mins) plus Q&A book signing. 

SESSION 6 • 4:30 PM • FORWARD MARCH POETRY
JAY KOPHY, NIKITTA ADJIRAKOR, TAWIAH MENSAH. Introduction by Sarpong Osei Asamoah (30 mins)

SESSION 7 • 5:10 PM • CLOSING KEYNOTE
CHRIS ABANI on Writing and making change via books (15 mins). Immediately following a conversation with Wana Udobang (40 mins)

Closing Remarks from H.E. Harriet Thompson, British High Commissioner to Ghana

Remarks from H.E. Mrs Samira Bawumia the Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana, introduced by Chiké Frankie Edozien, NYU Accra Director

CLOSING STATEMENT
New York University (NYU) Leadership

THE GRATITUDE
Chiké Frankie Edozien, NYU Accra Director

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE BY LEGON PALM WINE BAND

DELEGATES THANK-YOU RECEPTION • 7:30 PM
Hosted by H.E. Ambassador Charles Abani, the United Nations Resident Coordinator at his residence.  Poetry with DAMI AJAYI, WANA UDOBANG, GREGORY PARDLO

 A musical performance by Wanlov the Kubolor

10:00 AM - 10:50 AM  
Labone Dialogues ‘Breakfast Show’ Livestream roundup anchored by James Murua & Socrates Mbamalu with daily guests.

(OPTION A) 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Accra City tour with Allotey Bruce-Konuah (Accra Lomi)

(OPTION B) 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Visit to Dikan Photo Center & Gallery Tour (Nii Korley Klottey)

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Lunchtime visit to underprivileged after-school program (BASICS INTERNATIONAL) in Chorkor, a low-income suburb of Accra to read, donate books and promote literacy.  

ALL DAY DEPARTURES