by Ifreke Inyang

This year’s edition of the Garden City Literary Festival (GCLF) starts on the 12^th of September. The excitement in Port Harcourt is reaching fever pitch as literary heads such as Chinua Achebe, Ama Atta Aidoo and Rev. Jesse Jackson have been confirmed as guests.

However, Chinua Achebe, most renowned for his novel, Things fall apart, will deliver the keynote address via satellite due to health reasons. The theme of this year’s book event is ‘Literature and Politics’. Jesse Jackson, who is a foremost human rights activist will give an address on ‘The African Struggle for Democracy: Lessons from the American Civil Rights Movement’, while Ama Atta Aidoo will speak on Gender Spaces in African Literature and Politics.

Other authors expected at the week long event include Lola Soneyin, Ken Wiwa, Ilyas Tunc, Chimeka Garricks, Michael Peel and Lisa Combrinck from South Africa.

There will also be the Garden City Book Fair and the writers’ workshop. Intending participants are free to register for both by visiting the website at gardencityfestival.com. The event will take place at the Atlantic Hall of the Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt. And the exhibition is open to all book sellers, bookshop owners, publishers, artists and gift shops.

Oluwapelumi