The final event marking Wasafiri's 25th anniversary, 'Everything to Declare', took place at the Purcell Room, South Bank, London, in front of packed audiences on Saturday October 31. Ngugi declared the ceremonies open with a keynote speech stressing the importance of communicating between and across cultures. The event was chaired by Aminatta Forna, after which crowds queued to share their thoughts with Ngugi at his book signing.
After the announcement of the winners of the Wasafiri New Writing Prize, Anita and Kiran Desai took the stage to talk about their writing lives and influences with Maggie Gee. The event, which had virtually sold out, was a huge success and it is with great pleasure that Wasafiri was able to bring the mother-daughter duo together for this rare public conversation.
The grand finale, 'Back to the Beginning with the Word', featured renowned poets, Lizzy Dijeh, Nii Parkes, Sujata Bhatt, Fred D'Aguiar and Elaine Feinstein, and was expertly compered by Bernardine Evaristo. Musical due Sridhar/Thayil finished the evening with an electrifying performance, which was also their UK debut.
Wasafiri wishes to thank all the writers, poets and musicians who took part on Saturday 31 October at the Purcell Room, and all those who have offered their support throughout the year to make this 25th anniversary a year to remember.
Pictures by Graham Fudger
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