Macondo Literary Festival 2025 : Chronicles & Currents
Nairobi, Kenya – The Macondo Literary Festival proudly returned for its fifth edition that September, under the evocative theme “Chronicles & Currents.” That year’s festival cast its net wide across the Atlantic, spotlighting the literary, historical, and cultural ties between Africa, South America, and the Caribbean—regions deeply intertwined by histories of migration, resistance, and cultural resilience.
Held in Nairobi, the 2025 edition took place from 19th to 21st September 2025 at the Kenya Cultural Centre and hosted a rich program of panels, masterclasses, book signings, baraza sessions, and children’s activities, offering a literary experience that was both local and global in spirit.
Macondo 2025 featured an impressive line-up of acclaimed writers from Kenya and across the globe, including:
● Itamar Vieira Junior (Brazil)
● Daniel Hahn (UK)
● José Eduardo Agualusa (Angola)
● Cristina Bendek (Colombia)
● Priya Hein (Mauritius)
● Marcia Douglas (Jamaica)
● Joaquim Arena (Cape Verde)
● Kevin Jared Hosein (Trinidad & Tobago)
● Yamen Manai (Tunisia)
● Yewande Omotoso (Nigeria/South Africa)
● Karen Lord (Barbados)
“Chronicles & Currents spoke to the flow of stories across borders and generations,” said the Macondo team. “That year, we asked: What was carried in the stories we inherited? What was erased, what resurfaced, and how could literature act as both a ritual of remembrance and a compass for the future?”
In addition to its main stage events, Macondo 2025 also featured:
● A Kids’ Corner and youth-led sessions that sparked literary love early
● Macondo Baraza sessions that merged literature with dialogue on Kiswahili, history, and identity
● Masterclasses hosted by writers and other creatives
● A renewed focus on Global Africa, amplifying voices that challenged colonial narratives and celebrated diasporic connections
Rooted in Nairobi and reaching across oceans, the Macondo Literary Festival continued to build a global literary home that was bold, inclusive, and deeply human.
19th to 21st September 2025
