Macondo Baraza

The Macondo Baraza is the festival’s open forum for dialogue and exchange. Rooted in the tradition of communal gatherings across Africa, it merges literature with conversations on Kiswahili, history, and identity, creating a space where writers, thinkers, artists, and audiences meet in dialogue.

Unlike the formal panels, the Baraza is open, participatory, and dynamic—inviting diverse voices to question, share, and challenge one another. It is here that Macondo’s spirit of Chronicles & Currents is most alive, as storytelling moves beyond the page to spark new ideas, cultural connections, and collective reflection.

What to expect

Saturday Schedule

Chronicles: Salvaging History

10:00 – 10:30: Taifa Leo Morning Readings, with spiced tea and coffee
The day begins with readings from the Kiswahili newspaper Taifa Leo, setting the tone with language, rhythm, and reflection.
10:30 – 12:00: Opening Baraza: Chronicles & Currents
A panel that introduces this year’s theme, exploring Swahili worlds, multipolarity, and untold stories.
12:00 – 12:45: Kiswahili Scholars’ Roundtable
Scholars present archival Swahili histories, bringing forward Kiswahili dialects and neglected chronicles that shape identity and memory.
13:45 – 15:00: Keynote Conversation: Dr. Caesar Bita
A deep dive into underwater archaeology and Africa’s first underwater museum. Dr. Bita explores the salvaging of submerged Swahili histories and their wider implications.
15:15 – 16:15: Dialogue: Chronicles as Memory and Archive
This session examines oceanic confluences, featuring (1) an East Africa–China conversation, and (2) the chronicles of the leso/kanga as vessels of memory.
16:15 – 17:30: Taifa Leo Lounge & Readings, Music
The day closes with Kiswahili short stories and poetry readings, accompanied by music in a relaxed lounge setting.

Sunday Schedule

Currents: Generations, Geographies & Poetics

10:00 – 10:45: Taifa Leo Morning Readings
Youth-focused readings in Kiswahili to open the day with fresh voices and perspectives.
11:00 – 12:00: Panel: Kenya’s Gen Z & The Future
Exploring Gen Z perspectives through literature and culture—touching on Kifo Kisimani, digital culture, and creative futures.
12:00 – 13:00: Kiswahili Scholars’ & Artists’ Meet-up
A meeting of minds focused on Swahili poetics and emerging works, asking how literature and tourism intersect—dreaming of Literary Lamu.
14:50 – 15:45: Omar Kibulanga: Film & Futures
A session on Kiwandeo in Lamu, reimagining cinematic futures for the coast through storytelling and film.
16:00 – 17:30: Stakeholder Roundtable
Writers, hoteliers, and county representatives come together to design strategies for literary and cultural tourism, mapping a plan for Coastal Literary recoveries.
17:30 – 18:00: Closing Baraza: The Multipolar Swahili Seas
A collective reflection on Swahili literature, culture, and futures in global conversation.