All eyes will be on Kenyan writer and literary activist, Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, in Lagos on Friday September 26 as the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA) will host her.
The event starting at 3pm will hold at the CORA Library & Resource Centre, Freedom Park, with the hosts saying admission is free and open to the public.
It will also be virtual.
The programme tagged “A Conversation with Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor” will be held under the auspices of CORA’s flagship literary campaign project, CORA BOOKTrek.
It is in collaboration with the AIESEC Alumni Nigeria – the global platform for young
people to develop their leadership potential through international internships and volunteer opportunities.
(https://aiesec.ng/).
It will feature the author reading from her award-winning book, DUST (pub. 2014), as well as engaging in conversation on literature, history and the fortune of the continent with a roomful of young literary activists and enthusiasts.
CORA noted in a statement by one of its officials, Olakunle Dairo: “The session, essentially exploring themes from her novels and essays, ranging from colonialism’s enduring shadows to Africa’s timeless storytelling traditions, will also spotlight Owuor’s profound reflections on history, memory, colonial legacies, and the haunting presence of the past in Africa’s present and future. It is part of the build-up to the CORA flagship programme, the Lagos Book & Art Festival, LABAF, holding November 10-16 at the Freedom Park, Lagos on the theme: “CHANGE: “Imagining Alternatives” (www.lagosbookandartsfestival.com).”
The event is part of the visit of Owuor to Nigeria on the invitation of Aiesec Alumni Nigeria, during which she will deliver the 2025 Omolayole Lecture OML Series, on the topic “Plotlines of Prosperity: African Stories, African Rights & African Returns” on Thursday, September 25 at the Metropolitan Club, 13 Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. Time 2pm.
Profile: Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor (born 1968) is the author of novels, short stories and essays. She won the 2003 Caine
Prize for African Writing for her story “Weight of Whispers”. She is the author of the critically acclaimed novels Dust (2014)
and The Dragonfly Sea (2019). Her works interrogate the intersections of family, history, trauma, and the resilience of African
stories in the global narrative. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yvonne_Adhiambo_Owuor)
Invitation: Join us for an unforgettable literary evening which promises to be a thought-provoking gathering for
writers, readers, scholars, and culture enthusiasts. This literary and conversational gathering continues CORA’s
tradition of fostering dialogue around the arts, identity, and history, creating a space where stories shape
understanding and inspire new generations.
The event enjoys the Support of Freedom Park and Hawthornden Foundation.
