KABAFEST 2019: ‘Where art, ideas, merge’

The young men and women in black and yellow T-shirts led by Lola Shoneyin, Director of the Book Buzz Foundation brought the Kaduna Book and Arts Festival (KABAFEST), for the third time, to the city of Kaduna. Flagging off from September 11 and ending on the 14th, the festival provided a platform for creatives to […]

The young men and women in black and yellow T-shirts led by Lola Shoneyin, Director of the Book Buzz Foundation brought the Kaduna Book and Arts Festival (KABAFEST), for the third time, to the city of Kaduna. Flagging off from September 11 and ending on the 14th, the festival provided a platform for creatives to showcase their work and also for discussions on pressing issues that affect Nigeria, and its north in particular.

The festival began on a Wednesday, so, in order not to miss the opening ceremony which was for 10am, I set out on Tuesday. Earlier, I had looked up the guest profiles and knew exactly those I was going to listen to discuss or read from their books, and also those who would perform on stage.

I have listened to some of the poets before, like Bash Amuneni, Maryam Bukar Hassan, and Wana Udobang, all exceptional artists. But there were others I wasn’t familiar with, like Hauwa Saleh Abubakar, Hassana Umoru Maina, South Africa’s Natalia Molebatsi and several more. When they occupied the stage, one after the other, I was spellbound and could literally feel Abubakar’s emotion as she recited a melancholic piece in a trembling voice that stilled the auditorium.

From the onset, the governor of Kaduna State, represented by his deputy, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, set the tone when he said “Kaduna State embraces its diversity as a blessing, and it views literature as one of the most important channels for explaining ourselves to each other and the world, building a sense of common community and challenging us to build a better society.”

This year, discussions on rape, banditry, kidnappings, feminism, religious extremism, objective reporting and more, were at the centre of the festival. Before these, the event kicked off with a writing workshop hosted by Zukiswa Wanner, a South African author of four novels, two nonfiction and three children’s books.

There were discussions on the role of women as leaders in northern Nigeria, developing the arts in the region, objective reporting and its impact on security and more. One of the ‘hottest’ panels was on banditry, kidnapping and the psychological impact of violence where Folarin Banigbe, author of ‘Abduction Chronicles’ explained that there are different categories of kidnapping. There is the kind where “somebody profiles you are you get targeted and when you are seen driving a nice car.” He added that kidnappings aren’t straightforward and security operatives who are supposed to investigate are sometimes a part of the system.

Banigbe, who was kidnapped in Port Harcourt, recalled that a young man in charge of taking care of him was preparing to write his Senior School Certificate examination at the time. They had a discussion and Banigbe realised how everyday people were actually involved with the kidnappers and were fully aware of their presence in a certain area.

“If they are called for dialogue, it encourages them. If the fighting continues, they may decide to die trying,” he said.

Another panel member, Bukky Shonibare, pointed out that the poverty has eaten deep into Nigeria so much that some criminals prefer to remain in prison. “I met someone who said he would return to prison because that is where he gets food to eat and a place to sleep. If there is development outside people will not opt for prison,” she said.

A consultant psychiatrist in-charge of the clinic at the Jos Maximum Security Prison, Plateau State, Dr. Aishatu Yusha’u Armiya’u, said mental issues are always ignored in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps where food is provided for them without considering the fact that health does not just involve the physical and social wellbeing, but also the mental health of an individual.

Tope Folarin, the 2013 winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing, Oyinkan Braithwaite, author of ‘My Sister, The Serial Killer,’ which won the 2019 LA Times Award for Best Crime Thriller, Nnamdi Oguike, author of ‘Do Not Say It’s Not Your Country,’ among others, read from their books.

Folarin’s debut novel ‘A Particular Kind of Black Man,’ published in August this year, is about a Nigerian family living in Utah, United States of America, and their uncomfortable assimilation to life there.

In an interview with Bookshelf, Folarin revealed that after winning the Caine Prize and travelling across Africa, Europe and America, he wanted to do something he hadn’t seen before. “I know there is an expectation about the novel some of us are meant to produce, and I was keenly aware of that and didn’t want to produce that kind of novel.”

Braithwaite’s novel, like Folarin’s, also a debut, drew a lot of attention for its exceptional storyline centred around a woman who killed every man she befriended. But everything changed when her sister, who was a passive accomplice, was interested in a would-be victim.

At a time when Africa is struggling to come to terms with the Xenophobic attacks in South Africa, Oguike offers an intriguing collection of short stories about different countries, employed, according to him, “to get people to go to these countries and be friends with them.”

In a discussion alongside Oguike, Wanner, talking about the Xenophobic attacks in South Africa, pointed out that “we need to unlearn a lot of biases towards each other,” and added that there is a place in Johannesburg were there are European drug dealers, but they are never attacked. “Sometimes people need someone weaker to step on.”

Aside the discussions, book chats and poetry, music and dance performances, one place to always remember is the Festival Bookstore. Here, there were books not easily found anywhere. A typical example is George R.R. Martin’s bestseller, ‘A Game of Thrones,’ from book one to seven, which has since become one of the most popular TV series of all time. There were also books like Nnedi Okorafor’s ‘Binti,’ Helen Oyeyemi’s ‘Ginger Bread,’ Logan February’s ‘In the Nude,’ and Toni Morrisons books which were swept off the shelf from the very first day of the festival.

People who registered for this year’s KABAFEST were over a thousand, the largest number compared to the first and second edition. Debuting in 2017, the event has continued to grow and gain a wider following. The Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, represented by his deputy, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, said in his speech during the opening on September 11: “With this third edition, our aspiration to institutionalise KABAFEST is being attained,” and on the last day made a sweeping statement that “in Kaduna State we do not have indigenes but citizens.” Indeed, KABAFEST has come to stay.

The festival, curated by Lola Shoneyin, Director of Book Buzz Foundation, was supported by the Kaduna State government, Sterling Bank, Peugeot, among several others. Creatives from within and outside the country were given a platform to showcase their talents, share from and sell their works and also contribute on diverse issues affecting Nigeria and the north in particular.