CULTURE & SOCIETY

For the first time, a literary festival devoted to the work of African writers will hold in Germany. From 26-28 April, more than 35 African writers will gather in Berlin for the African Book Festival, featuring readings, poetry, spoken word and theatre performances, panel discussions, book signings and networking events. Among the writers expected in the German capital city are …

The BBC today officially opened its new bureau in Lagos, home to three new services in Igbo, Pidgin, and Yoruba. The bureau boasts a new state-of-the-art TV studio and two radio studios and can house up to 200 people. The BBC’s investment in Nigeria has created over 100 new jobs in Lagos and means that BBC News is now available in five …

Founding Women is a collection of the inspirational, first-hand accounts of 20 African women who are defying the odds to build successful businesses in technology on the continent. Among the successful entrepreneurs interviewed in the book are Rebecca Enonchong – CEO of AppsTech ( Forbes 10 Female Tech Founders To Watch In Africa) and Hilda Moraa – Founder & CEO …

Digitalback Books has announced that it has signed a digital license agreement with the African Writers Series publisher, Pearson. The agreement will allow readers from participating institutions to access and download the African Writers Series titles from the innovative Africa focused digital platform. The iconic Heinemann African Writers Series was launched in 1962 and played a crucial role in publishing …

Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi is the latest recipient of the US$165,000 Windham Campbell Prize. The Prize is awarded every year to eight artists. Makumbi – who’s from Uganda and moved to the UK 17 years ago – is the author of Kintu, a novel based on Buganda oral history and myth. The African writer also won the Commonwealth Short Story Prize …

The BBC has launched its new Igbo and Yoruba services, as part of an expansion in local languages aimed at more in-depth reporting of countries around the world. The digital-only services went live online and on social media on Monday (19 February), joining a platform for Pidgin speakers that was launched last year and has attracted widespread interest. The Igbo …

A monument will be erected in honour of Bob Marley in Harare, Zimbabwe. In 1980, the world-renowned reggae icon performed during the Independence Day celebrations of the country. On 17 April 1980, Marley took to the stage and launched the young country of Zimbabwe into revolutionary reggae songs. For many Zimbabweans, it’s a night they still reflect on with much …

A Black themed carpet was laid out for the star at the European premiere of “Black Panther” in London on Friday. British Oscar nominee Daniel Kaluuya was in attendance, saying the film turns Western colonialism on its head. The film is reported to have already broken records – with more pre-sales of tickets than any other Marvel movie. The cast …

The popular dancehall singer Priscilla Opoku-Kwarteng, popularly known as Ebony Reigns, died after her car collided with a bus. She would have been 21 in a week’s time. According to police, the 20-year-old singer and two military officers were on board a Jeep from Sunyani heading towards Kumasi when it collided head-on with a VIP bus heading towards Sunyani from …

The 68th Berlin International Film Festival – Berlinale – kicks off on 15 February in the German capital city. The Berlinale is one of the biggest international film festivals alongside the Cannes and Toronto film festivals. Up to 400 films are shown every year, mostly international or European premieres, and the festival, the world’s second largest audiovisual event, sells more …

South Africa’s male choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo won a Grammy award at Sunday’s ceremony. Their album “Shaka Zulu Revisited: 30th Anniversary Celebration” won in the Best World Music Album category. The album is a tribute to the group’s founder, Joseph Shabalala. With their soulful voices and traditional Zulu dance moves, Ladysmith Black Mambazo has sold millions of albums worldwide …

South African jazz legend and anti-apartheid activist Hugh Masekela has died, aged 78. Masekela “passed peacefully” in the country’s commercial capital, Johannesburg “after a protracted and courageous battle with prostate cancer,” his family said in a statement on Tuesday. “It is with profound sorrow that the family of Ramapolo Hugh Masekela announce his passing. After a protracted and courageous battle …

The second edition of Queen of Nollywood Awards Germany took place recently. The event, which honoured practitioners of the Nigerian home-grown movie industry, was attended by hundreds of fans of the African movie industry, including a sister of former President Barack Obama. The presence of Dr Auma Obama, from Kenya, in the south-western German city of Ludwigshafen on 2 December …

In a bold initiative, a group has started a school in Germany to teach an African language to children of African origin in the Diaspora. Saturday (20 January) witnessed the official opening of the Igbo Language School in Frankfurt. Igbo is the language of the Igbo people, one of Nigeria’s three biggest ethno-national groups. Attended by members of the Nigerian …

Deutsche Welle’s new series “African Roots” uses online comics and radio broadcasts to highlight 25 important African personalities. The project, funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation, is aimed at young audiences. Vera Tellmann reports. The portraits cover a long period of time, ranging from Dinknesh, the “Mother of Mankind” in present-day Ethiopia, to legendary rulers of the Middle Ages such …

In a bid to promote African languages in the diaspora, an organisation will open a school where children can learn Igbo in the German city of Frankfurt. Igbo is the language of the Igbo people, one of the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria. Founded by the Christian Igbo Professionals Network (CIPN), the official opening ceremony of the Igbo Language …

A great year deserves a brilliant ending! If you want to celebrate New Year's Eve in a cosy atmosphere and want to dance to great African and Caribbean music with great drinks and delicious food........

Superstition, defined as “irrational belief usually founded on ignorance or fear and characterized by obsessive reverence for omens, charms, etc”, is a phenomenon that is as old as humanity and it occurs in all cultures. Normal natural phenomena such as thunders and heavy rains used to be interpreted as the result of the actions of gods. With the increasing influence …

Nothing in life was given to her. Instead, Nneka Egbuna had to fight for it — a struggle which her gripping songs reflect. The German-Nigerian musician granted the German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) a glimpse into how her life and music span continents. “Wake up Africa, wake up and stop blaming / Open your eyes, eyes, stand up and …

The BBC World Service has appointed Rachel Akidi Okwir and Toyosi Ogunseye as heads of language services for East and West Africa respectively.  The appointments are part of the BBC World Service’s continuing expansion in Africa. Rachel Akidi Okwir, Head of East Africa Languages, is based in Nairobi, Kenya and oversees services in Afaan Oromo, Amharic, Somali, Swahili and Tigrinya. …