While many book events globally have been cancelled or postponed, Afrolit Sans Frontieres is still connecting writers inspite of the coronavirus crisis. They have been using social media to host intimate discussions on writing, creativity, sex and violence.
This series of long hours reading and questions/answers sessions, which held on Facebook and Instagram, started in March 23. It returned with the second edition in April. The third edition is scheduled for May 25, which is also Africa Day.
Award-winning South African writer of nine books, Zukiswa Wanner was inspired to create the book festival after watching John Legend’s at-home concert on Instagram. According to her, she is using the book festival to bring the work of African writers into the spotlight.
She said: “It’s like a writing master class and a festival in one”
Last week, Wanner announced that Afrolit’s third edition will run under the title “Future. Present. Past.” The fourth, she said, will have the theme of “Long Story Short” and will exclusively feature poets and short story writers.
Afrolit is free platform, and Wanner is not generating income from it. However, she hopes to get funding so that she would be able to pay the writers, especially the upcoming ones who might be working without the safety net of unemployment benefits or health insurance. She plans to continue regardless of funding or not.
“This is something that we love and it’s important that people get to realize there is all this African literature,” she said. “Africa is writing. Africa is thriving.”