from left: faith adiele, adewale maja-pearce, njabulo ndabele, tash aw, chimamanda ngozi adichie
attended a wonderful night of literature, music and conversation at the farafina trust literary evening at lagos's eko hotel, culminating the ten-day writers workshop taught by chimamanda ngozi adichie and co-facilitators binyavanga wainaina, tash aw, adewale maja-pearce, and faith adiele.

i had a wonderful time. a wonderful time. most of all because i got to spend some down time with the workshop participants--including a dear friend, elnathan john, and caine prize shortlister lauri kubuitsile--and sample the wonderful camaraderie that has made the group one of the finest in the workshop's history.

after cocktails, opening remarks from farafina's muhtar bakare, and an address from the managing director of sponsor nigerian breweries, workshop participants received certificates at center stage and took their seats. up next were readings from the facilitators and guest writers eghosa imasuen, jumoke verrissimmo, odia ofeimun, and professor njabulo ndabele.

i have too many favorite lines to quote them here, but i loved hearing from: binyavanga wainaina's upcoming memoir, one day i will write about this place, about coming of age in kenya; an unrequited love story from eghosa imasuen's upcoming fine boys, due out from farafina this year; odia ofeimun's pidgin poem; and another love story, this one from tash aw's map of the invisible world.

the evening ended with a panel discussion, book signings, music, and mingling with one of the finest crowds ever--shout out to tosin, wana, and okey adichie, chimamanda's brother and able workshop organizer to whom kudos are much deserved.

i'm looking forward to reading more from the facilitators and the participants in the future. so excited for writing, for literature, for nigeria and the world of african writing. in fact, i am thoroughly smitten. --AL.

farafina trust creative writing workshop participants
alligator legs (l.) with participant gimba kakanda