Women celebrating literature

Two women who set up book festivals that have gone on to become hugely successful in their own countries and beyond tell Kim Chakanetsa about the importance of women having space to talk about their writing with an audience that understands.

Namita Gokhale directs the Jaipur Literature Festival with the British author William Dalrymple. The Festival has hosted nearly 2000 speakers and welcomed over a million book lovers from across India and the globe since its inception. Bringing together authors of books in India's 22 languages, it's a magnet for writers and readers alike. Namita Gokhale explains how it's developed over the years.

Lola Shoneyin is a Nigerian literary powerhouse. She founded the Ake Festival in 2013. It's now a leading cultural event and attracts writers from around the world, as well as Africa's finest literary stars like Temi Oh and Ayobami Adebayo. A former teacher and prize-winning author, Lola says that African writers need to be able to talk about their books on African soil.

Image:
(L) Lola Shoneyin [credit Niyi Okeowo]
(R) Namita Gokhale [credit Teamwork Arts]