The 8th edition of Quramo Festival of Words (QFest), organised by the Festival Convener and CEO of Quramo Publishers, Mrs. Gbemi Shasore, is set to take place from October 2 – 6, 2024 at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. This year’s theme ‘The Shifting: Empowering Voices… Inspiring Minds’ reflects the changing tides in Africa’s creative landscape. It will bring together writers, filmmakers, and creatives from across the continent and beyond to celebrate the transformative power of storytelling. Festival Convener Shasore has promised a thrilling experience for guests at the 8th edition of the festival.
Among the line-up of cultural personalities expected to add spice QFEST 2024 are Lagos State’s Honorable Commissioner for Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka, who will declare the festival open while the British Deputy High Commissioner, Jonny Baxter, will deliver goodwill message to bring the QFEST 2024 to a close. The festival will conclude with remarks from renowned film producer Femi Odugbemi, who will underscore the importance of storytelling as a tool for social change.
Across five dynamic days, QFest 2024 will offer something for everyone — from panel discussions and masterclasses to film screenings, book presentations, and cultural exchanges. It’s a gathering for creatives and storytellers to learn, share, and connect in ways that inspire fresh perspectives.
On Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024, the festival will open with a focus on wellbeing, as Oyin Talabi leads a session on nurturing creative energy. The Masterclasses include Breaking Into Speculative Fiction with Mazi Nwonwu, Get That Grant! with Linda Bembatoum and Business Structure and Performance for Creatives with Sam Onyemelukwe. These sessions will equip participants with practical skills to help them thrive in the creative space.
Thursday, October 3, 2024 will start with a soul-refreshing Sound Healing for Creatives session, led by Ọbáfèyìkémi. The rest of the day is packed with engaging sessions like Copyright and IP for Creatives by Jumoke Coker and Writing Inspirational Stories and Films That Travel, led by Doris Ariole in partnership with White Harvest, Cinematography for emerging filmmakers with Akin Alabi will be in partnership with leading equipment manufacturer SONY. The day closes with a powerful documentary screening of Ebrohimie Road: A Museum of Memory, directed by Tunde Kelani that celebrates the legacy of Wole Soyinka.
Friday, October 4th, 2024 (Day 3) is the official opening ceremony featuring welcome remarks by Mrs. Gbemi Shasore and a keynote address by the Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka. The day’s sessions will feature a book presentation by Olúwalánú Agusto (The Peoples of Nigeria) and the QCommand Challenge, a lively literary debate between students from St. Greg’s, Dowen College and Methodist Boys. Book Chats for the day include Covik One Nine with Ibiso Graham-Douglas, QShorts Community Film Screening that will spotlight emerging filmmakers, followed by an insightful panel on the Nigerian Bestsellers List, with industry experts like Anwuli Ojogwu and Servio Gbadamosi featuring. The evening wraps up with an exciting Word Slam Contest offering N100,000 cash prize for the winner.
Day 4: Saturday, October 5th, 2024 will feature exciting panel sessions like The Shifting Landscape of Lagos, featuring Prince Abiola Kosoko and Lawon Adams, and Book Chats with The Parlour Wife by Foluso Agbaje and Musings by Nike Coker. Also of interest will be QSpeaks, where former Attorney General and historian Olasupo Shasore will discuss the soft power of creatives in driving social change. Also, don’t miss one of the most anticipated sessions, Lenses of Change: Harnessing the Power of Your Camera for Social Impact, with filmmakers Kagho Idhebor and Adolphus Opara. The evening wraps up with the screening of The Man Died, based on Wole Soyinka’s prison memoirs and snippets from other memoirs of his, followed by a Q&A with producer Femi Odugbemi, and closes with Siamsa, an enchanting Irish storytelling evening, hosted by Aduke Gomez and Ambassador of Ireland, Mr. Peter Ryan.
Day 5: Sunday, October 6th, 2024 QFEST’s grand closing ceremony which starts at 1:00pm, with Gbemi Shasore and Amb. Jonny Baxter making remarks. The highlight of the day will be an insightful and intimate Q Conversation with the Director-General of National Council for Arts and Culture, Obi Asika, followed by the much-anticipated unveiling of Quramo Writers’ Prize 2024 winner, with special remarks from Odugbemi.
Key sessions to look forward to at this year’s QFEST include ‘Business Structure and Performance for Creatives’ with Sam Onyemelukwe of Trace TV and ‘Writing Inspirational Stories and Films That Travel’ (Thursday, October 3rd) with Doris Ariole. Others are ‘Loving Lagos: The Shifting Landscape of Lagos’ (Friday, October 4th) with Prince Abiola Kosoko, ‘Q Conversation with Obi Asika’ (Sunday, October 6th), offering insights on his journey on becoming a creative industry leader and film screenings of Ebrohimie Road: A Museum of Memory and The Man Died, honoring Wole Soyinka.
QFest 2024 remains a hub for creatives to share, learn, and connect with like-minded individuals, while celebrating African storytelling in all its forms. With a packed schedule and stellar lineup, this year’s festival is sure to inspire and ignite new possibilities for the continent’s storytellers. For more details, visit www.quramo.com, or follow us on social mediahttps://www.instagram.com/quramoofficial/ for updates. And Register now: https://linktr.ee/QFEST2024 to register for sessions.
