Returning for its 11th edition, LitFest Harare International Literature Festival is set to bring the city alive with the gift of storytelling. Running from November 27-30, 2024, the festival will once again celebrate spoken word, literature and the vibrancy of our culture.
“Stories: The Measure of Life” is the theme for this year’s edition, and this speaks to the power of storytelling in being a tools that keeps society way of life alive.
The 4 day festival will unfold at 3 venues across the capital: Nhaka Gallery, Alliance Française, and Harare City Library. The diverse program of activities, will range from thought-provoking discussions to highly anticipated poetry slam, immersive workshops, and vibrant cultural performances that include live music.
This year’s lineup will once again include South African poet Nomonde Sky (featured image) and Botswana’s celebrated artist Sidos, both favourites of the event and it’s audience. They’ll also be Dr. Lame Pusetso (Botswana), Thabang Shai (South Africa), and Tawona Sithole from the University of Glasgow. Alongside them will be a host of literary and artistic talents from Sierra Leone, Sweden, Zambia, the UK, the USA, Kenya, and Uganda.
The festival will feature two days of discussion sessions at Alliance Française, where creatives, academics, critics, and the general public will delve into the significance of storytelling in shaping identities.
They’ll also be a three-day pre-festival workshop for 12 children’s literature authors, led by Alison Ziki from “Room to Read” in South Africa, which will provide invaluable insights for emerging writers.
Young creatives can look forward to a workshop at Harare City Library, focusing on various topics to help them hone their craft, as well as a skills development workshop for schools.
The annual LitFest Harare poetry slam will return, showcasing 20 poets vying for top honours and fantastic prizes. The festival evenings of the festival will be a cultural feast, blending music, spoken word, comedy, and theatre to showcase Zimbabwean culture and celebrate the stories of guests from around the world.
Performers will include notable artists such as Sarungano, Ulethu, Victor Kunonga, Bantu Spaceship, Daves Guzha, and Bulawayo’s very own Mgcini Nyoni, who will present his one-man show, “Shuffle.”
The success of the LitFest Harare International Literature Festival 2024 is made possible through the generous support of various partners, including the CreativeActions2 grant from the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe, funded by the European Union, the Embassy of Ireland in South Africa, the British Council, the Embassy of Switzerland, and several local businesses and organisations.
