Macondo Literary Festival 2025

The Macondo Book Society, based in Nairobi, Kenya, is at the forefront of organizing literary festivals and events that transcend linguistic barriers to promote literature and authors of and from (the Global) Africa. Founded by journalist Anja Bengelstorff and award-winning Kenyan author Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, the non-profit organization aims to amplify the rich diversity of literature from Africa and provide a platform for engaging the public with the continent’s histories and future. By bringing together authors and artists from the Global Africa who work in Arabic, English, French, and Portuguese/Spanish, Macondo Book Society strives to initiate conversations that challenge stereotypical perspectives and profile energizing ideas, visions, and senses of the world.

The society explores the role of literature in envisioning past, present, and future societies, with a focus on stimulating and motivating Africa’s future crafting and world-making. Inspired by the energies of Nairobi, a pluralistic Pan- and Trans-African realm, Macondo Book Society seeks to facilitate creative exchanges, conversations, and collaborations, ultimately re-encountering and navigating the continent and its diverse worlds.

The name “Macondo” is drawn from the fictional place in the novel “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Colombian Nobel Laureate Gabriel Garcia Márquez, symbolizing a place where magical things happen. Through their initiatives, Macondo Book Society aims to promote literature as a powerful medium for challenging limitations, celebrating diversity, and shaping the narrative of Africa’s past, present, and future.