For two days, Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, transformed into a meeting point for storytellers, poets, filmmakers, musicians and book lovers as the third edition of the Boldoz Book and Arts Festival brought conversations on literature, culture and creative expression to the forefront.
Held on 19 and 20 June, the festival was themed “Sio Uyo: Speak Out,” a rallying call encouraging writers, artists and other creatives to express themselves boldly through literature, art and culture.
A call to ‘Speak Out’
According to the organisers, “Sio Uyo: Speak Out” is a call to be loud and expressive through individual creative expressions.” The theme encouraged participants to embrace their voices through literature, art and other creative disciplines.
The festival, curated by Enobong Etuk, founder of Boldoz Bookstores, featured authors including Nkereuwem Albert (The Bone River), Oreva Ode-Irri (This Thing Called Love), Tomilola Coco Adeyemo (A Very Gidi Christmas), Rosemary Okafor, Emediong Edem, Nestor Udoh, Aidi Basi and Utibe Hanson.
Beyond literature, panel discussions explored topics including Creative Arts and the Prospect of Sustainability; Prompts and Chatbots: Who Speaks Now?; Cuisine as Story; Photography and Cultural Representation; Ibibio Representation in Cinema; and Indigenous Expressions: Bringing Home to the World.
Book chats, a writing workshop, poetry performances, music, games, live interviews, and a debate titled “Why Do Men Dislike Fiction?” also featured during the event.
Promoting culture and new voices
Organisers said this year’s edition placed stronger emphasis on Ibibio cultural identity, describing the festival as “a call for creatives to speak up and show up without doubt, fear or compromise”.
They added that the festival sought to encourage “a rising generation of artistes who are not just exceptional, but grounded in their identities.”
The organisers said discussions on artificial intelligence, local cuisine and cultural representation broadened conversations on creativity while giving participants fresh perspectives on artistic expression.
Growing literary platform in Uyo
Uyo’s emergence as a literary hub predates the Boldoz Book and Arts Festival. Over the past six years, the city has witnessed a steady rise in reading culture, driven largely by the Uyo Book Club, a literacy initiative dedicated to promoting reading, writing, and intellectual discourse.
In 2021, Uyo hosted Nigeria’s maiden National Conference of Book Clubs, attracting more than 40 book clubs and about 700 delegates from across the country, reinforcing its reputation as a centre for literary engagement.
The club has also championed initiatives to encourage reading, including a challenge offering members N100,000 for reading 100 books in a year, while providing platforms for emerging writers, such as the launch of a novel by 16-year-old author Maadiah Johnson in Uyo.
According to its organisers, the club seeks to “re-awaken the reading culture” and build a community of readers, writers and thinkers.
Building on this growing literary ecosystem, the Boldoz Book and Arts Festival was launched in 2024 to spotlight emerging voices in literature and the arts while creating opportunities for readers, writers and creatives to connect.
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Organisers said the festival has inspired more than 200 students in public schools and universities through its writing masterclasses and has hosted notable personalities, including Betty Irabor, Ibukun Awosika, Arese Ugwu and Victor Ekpuk.
They said the festival remains committed to “creating a space for the promotion and sustenance of literature in the South-South”.
