The Writers interactive network held its annual literary festival (WINLITFEST2) with the theme; Evolve at The Happiness Centre, Lagos on the 18th of November 2023.
The event which was hosted by WIN president Diplomat Abraham John Onoja FCIML, USA featured readers, authors, journalists, publishers, artists, writers others within the creative industry who came together to celebrate the importance of art and reemphasize its relevance in societal development. Onoja described the festival as an immersive experience that significantly contributes to the writer’s professional growth provides network opportunities for artists and inspires creativity in general.
The festival honoree Jude Idada, the 2019 NLNG prize winner shared a story about how he got opportunities from childhood which were opened to him because of how voraciously he read and how he has since evolved to become a world-renowned writer and inspired the students of Bola Ige Millennium Senior Secondary School who were newly inducted into the Young writers Interactive Network Club at the festival.
Several publishers and journalists present at the event include Chief Dele Momodu of Ovation International, Eghosa Imasuen of Narrative Landscape Press, Ibiso Graham-Douglas of Paperworth Books, Anthony Abraham of Silverbird Communications, Juliana Francis a renowned investigation journalist and author of the Novel “We are Priceless”.
The event also featured a fusion of arts between the Indian community and the Nigerian cultural community as diplomats were present to add colour and insights to the event. The Consular General, Shri Chandramouli Kumar Kern of the Indian Consulate, Kirti Sudhanshu founder of Kirti Kare Foundation and Rummy of The Happiness Centre, Lagos who were special guests at the festival represented the fusion of arts between the India -Nigeria cultural community.
A member and secretary of WIN Ololalde Ajayi also presented her new collection of poems titled the Rheavolution, described as a Bibliotherapy collection which is her style of launching rockets of hope into mental spaces already overcrowded with trauma, Ololade proceeded to serenade the audience with musical poems and poems written in her Ekiti dialect.
In addition to the fanfare, The festival had in attendance creative artists who treated the guests and the media to an arts showcase. some of the artists on the ground are; Lawal Habib Olanrewaju (IG: LH Olanrewaju), Folorunso Dideolu (IG: folorunsodideolu), Osaghae Emmanuel, Mercy Ima Eyit (IG: Mercy Ima Eyit) and
Adebayo Owolabi (IG: draw_with_adebayo).
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Also in attendance, we had notable names like; Segun Ozique, Tony Agenmonmen, Amb. Innocent Eneta, Tijjani Abdulsalam, Poets in Nigeria, Oma the Story Teller, Loudthotz Poetry, Nora Sanya, and Yomi Oyelami of SAMI amongst others.
WINLITFEST is an annual gathering of literary minds that encapsulates all literary genres and the creative industry.
