The 2023 Quramo Festival of Words (QFEST) has come and gone, but the issues, thoughts, fondness and sentiments raised will linger on. In fact, these elements have opened another vista in the arts space of the country.
Held at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, the five-day event, the seventh edition of the yearly festival, featured diverse genres of artistic expression as well as other presentation that included 10 creative workshops, six panel discussions, four book chats, two film screenings, a stage play, an Irish Siamsa, Word Slam contest, the Quramo Writers’ Prize winner unveiling, among others.
The over 30 sessions were led by renowned creative experts and thought leaders who delved into different issues from fintech, culinary exports, African art history to intellectual rights, entertainment and artificial intelligence. The diversity of topics further provided valuable insights and sparked meaningful conversations.
Disclosing that the festival was created to celebrate and spark conversation around issues that enrich creativity, make room for fresh talent and foster culture and community, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Quramo, Gbemi Shasore, said: “We believe this is how to reshape how the world sees Nigeria and Africa — through the appeal and attraction of what we create. We do this primarily through books and film, and our initiatives and events.
“Through the Quramo Festival of Words, we work to celebrate and explore deeper, the arts and culture of literature as a broad field of creativity and tool for societal development.”
With Connecting The Dots, as theme of this year’s festival, organisers harped on the importance of building bridges within the nation and Africa, and as well across the globe.
Highlighting the essence of the theme, the CEO said in a world that could often feel divided; it is the people’s connection, shared stories and mutual understanding that could bring people of diverse interests and nationalities closer, adding that the theme is the festival’s way of underscoring the importance of fostering connections within Nigeria and across Africa.
“Information travels at the speed of light, and so, it is crucial that we initiate and strengthen communication, travel and distribution networks within our country and continent. Only through these connections can our products truly shine on their own merit.”
In one of the panels titled, “Nigeria and Ireland: Commonalities Amongst Former Colonies?” Curated by the Irish Embassy with panelists that included the Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, Peter Ryan; a Federal University Birnin-Kebbi history lecturer, Dr. Oriyomi Jimoh; the former Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Olasupo Shasore; and Quest 2023 festival curator, Aduke Gomez, moderating, Ambassador Ryan disclosed that Nigeria and Ireland share a lot of things in common.
He noted that Nigeria and Ireland negotiated their independence through constitutionalism, and shared a common history of civil wars and nationals living in the Diaspora (Japa syndrome).
The Ambassador called on educators to revisit the teaching of history right from the primary school to the university, saying this will help affirm who we are and make the coming generation to understand each countries’ nationhood and know how to chart for unity.
The panelist connected the dots with the didacticism that Ireland and Nigeria are connected in terms of multiethnic groupings, historical past, street culture, but divide by geography.
Another exciting evening was the Siamsa X Tales by Moonlight, curated by the Irish Embassy.
With Ambassador Ryan and the festival curator, Gomez, as hosts, the session reignited different experiences, either from their childhood, first day in another country, culture shock, to the good and bad of the various cities, showcasing encounters that depict oneness and the humanity in man.
The duo of Ryan and Gomez did not just showcase their dancing steps, but serenade the audience with their songs in Irish.
Then came the highpoint of the evening, where the Quramo Writers’ Prize (QWP) jury comprising, Dr. Eghosa Imasuen, Lechi Eke and Anote Ajeluorou, listed what they looked out for in selecting the top five books that was later narrowed to one, the winner — “Dear Zini” by Chiziterem Chijioke.
Aside receiving the prize money of one million naira; Chijioke will get a publishing deal for her winning manuscript.
Those included in the victory train included Afolabi Olayinka-Bello (Bespoke) who won the Quramo Poetry Slam festival contest. He became N100,000 richer, while Saheed Sunday came second and went home with
N50,000.
To spice up the evening, the Crown Troupe thrilled the audience with a stage play titled, “Our Story, Our Area,” directed by Segun Adefila, while Yinka Davies drew down the curtain with doses of old school music.
