Writers, translators, publishers, and scholars from Nigeria and the United Kingdom will gather in Abuja next Friday, March 27, 2026, for a public forum exploring the role of literary translation in expanding Nigeria’s creative economy and strengthening the global visibility of African-language literature.
In a press release, the organisers said the event, titled, “Building Networks, Partnerships, and Infrastructure for Literary Translation Between the UK and Nigeria”, will take place at the Mamman Vatsa Writers Village, Mpape, Abuja.
It is sponsored by the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and the International Science Partnerships (ISPF) ODA fund in collaboration with the Kaduna-based Open Arts Development Foundation.
The statement said the forum brings together leading figures from Nigeria’s literary and publishing communities alongside international scholars to discuss how translation can help Nigerian writers reach wider audiences while creating new professional opportunities for translators, editors, and publishers.
The Abuja gathering is a collaboration between Nigerian cultural organisations and SOAS, designed to strengthen networks for translating Nigerian-language literature and to develop sustainable pathways for literary translation in Nigeria.
A keynote lecture will be delivered by literary translator Ida Hadjivayanis of SOAS, who has translated two novels by Nobel literature laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah into Swahili and will speak on the role of translation in connecting African literary markets and supporting creative industries.
Panel discussions will explore practical issues, including publishing translated African literature, developing sustainable translation careers, and expanding the circulation of literature written in Nigerian languages such as Hausa.
The event will feature contributions from Nigerian writers, translators, publishers, and cultural organisations, including representatives from independent publishing houses and literary initiatives working to expand opportunities for Nigerian literature both locally and internationally.
According to the project organiser, Dr. Carmen McCain, the forum aims to strengthen collaboration between translators and publishers while highlighting the importance of translation as both cultural work and professional practice.
She said: “Nigeria has one of the most vibrant literary cultures in Africa. While Nigeria is most known internationally for its English language literature, there are tens of thousands of novels in Hausa, and yet fewer than ten of them have been translated into English.
“Other Nigerian language literatures are also rarely translated or circulated internationally.
“By bringing together writers, translators, and publishers, we hope to build stronger networks that can support translation and help Nigerian stories reach wider audiences, while also following Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o to encourage writers to “enrich” Nigerian languages by translating other African and world literatures into those languages.”
Writer and cultural organiser Sada Malumfashi, founder of the Open Arts Foundation, emphasised the importance of building translation infrastructure within Nigeria itself.
He said: “Nigeria has a vast literary tradition in languages such as Hausa, yet many of these works remain inaccessible to wider audiences.
“Strengthening literary translation will create opportunities for writers, translators, publishers, and readers. By building stronger networks, we can ensure that stories written in our languages travel further and reach new generations of readers.”
The statement said the public forum is open to writers, students, translators, publishers, and anyone interested in Nigerian literature and the future of translation in Africa.
Attendance is free and open to the public.
Event Details:
Event: Building Translation Bridges – Public Forum
Date: 27 March 2026
Venue: Mamman Vatsa Writers Village, Mpape, Abuja
Host: Association of Nigerian Authors
Time: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Media Contact:
1. Sada Malumfashi
Curator, Open Arts Development Foundation/Hausa International Book and Arts Festival
sada@openartsworld.org
07038570607
2. Carmen McCain, PhD
Lecturer, School of Languages, Cultures, and Linguistics, Africa Section
SOAS, University of London
