AYOADE Zariat Yetunde reports,
The Sokoto Book and Arts Foundation led by three Creative Platforms, Book O’clock, Caliphate Arts and Literary Forum, and Poetry Club of UDUS, is set to hold its second edition of the Book and Arts Festival on the 4th, 5th, and 6th November 2022. The event is set to be held in Sokoto state with the theme: “A Returning”.
Recall that the foundation in 2021, held its first edition of this festival last year and was themed: “Changing The Narrative”. The 2022 edition, however, promises to be more intriguing and exciting as it would be graced by numerous dignitaries across the country.
This year's festival hopes to spark conversations that would spur a need for a return to arts and reconnect to the artistic nature of the states in Northern Nigeria.
The theme concept note reads: "A returning to yourself; your origin. To search within yourself for what you may have forgotten. To revive, to create. What have you lost? And what will you find? Buried literature? Unremembered art? Deferred inventions? Obliterated cultural acts?
This edition of Sokoto Book and Arts Festival aims at sparking conversations on the need to search introspectively and bare the art and culture the Caliphate is known for. What have we subconsciously consigned to oblivion? It's time to return and to remember. To bring the past to the present."
According to Uchenna Emelife, the co-founder of the Book O'clock and one of the curators asserted that the event would be days to celebrate books and arts in Sokoto state.
“It would cut across varieties of creative programmes like book chats, panel discussions, art exhibitions, film screenings, plays, poetry, music and dance performances, awards, art contests, and much more. Also, the winners of the SOBAFest x Isele Prize and Queen Amina Short Story Prize will be awarded at the festival,” he said.
The key sponsors of the programme include Almara Publishers, Konya Shams Rumi, and Isele Magazine while the partners are: Teach for Change Nigeria, 21st Century Entrepreneurs Hub, NTA Sokoto, Open Arts, Beulah Tech, Dreams Imagery, Jikan Babi Productions, Poetic Wednesdays, Daily Star NG, ICT Directorate Sokoto and National Troupe of Nigeria.
Uchenna also gave a comprehensive analysis of why SOBAFest22 must be attended by book lovers. He said that the second edition of the Sokoto Book and Arts Festival coming up this November would feature important and timely conversations surrounding arts, literature, culture, and history.
“There will be book chats with writers whom we only hear of and have never met, writers like the 2022 Winner of the Nigeria Prize for Literature, Romeo Oriogun, panel discussions that would aim at sparking further conversations and facilitated by authorities on various fields, a walk-in art gallery featuring artworks by indigenous artists, a book stand with books of various genres, film screenings, poetry and drama performances, a fiery arts and performance contest for the coveted SOBAFest × Isele Prize, etc. These and many more are why this edition shouldn't be missed.
“Arts and literature have never been celebrated this way in Sokoto before and at SOBAFest, we take pride in that we are finally doing this,” he added.
Registration for the event which requires one thousand naira (#1000) is ongoing. Interested persons are advised to visit
Register for SOBAFest22 here
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