In a fascinating two-part conversation, hear from the co-founder of Cassava Republic Press Bibi Bakare-Yusuf and one of Cassava Republic’s writers, Olumide Popoola.
In the young capital city of Nigeria, Cassava Republic Press has its finger on the pulse of Nigerian literature. Located in Abuja at the centre of it all, Cassava Republic strives to bring Nigerian literature to a global audience with works for all ages that ask readers to consider the past, present, and future of African writing. In the first half of this exciting event, we’ll sit down with co-founder Bibi Bakare-Yusuf to discuss the work being done by Cassava Republic to celebrate and support the written word and the city of Abuja’s goal of joining Dublin as a UNESCO designated City of Literature.
Following our conversation with Bibi, we’ll be joined by one of their writers, Olumide Popoola, whose publications with Cassava Republic include her debut novel When We Speak of Nothing and her most recent novel Like Water Like Sea, which explores themes of resilience, self-discovery, and life in the shadow of mental illness.
The event will be chaired by Rita Sakr, Lecturer in Postcolonial and Global Literatures at Maynooth University
Olumide Popoola is a London-based Nigerian German writer and speaker who presents internationally. Her debut novel When we Speak of Nothing was published in the UK & Nigeria in 2017; her other work includes the novella this is not about sadness, the play Also by Mail, and the short story collection breach, which she co-authored with Annie Holmes.
Bibi Bakare-Yusuf is Co-Founder and Publishing Director of one of Africa’s leading publishing houses, Cassava Republic Press, and is Co-Founder of Tapestry Consulting, a boutique research and training company based in Abuja focused on gender, sexuality, and transformational issues in Nigeria.
Presented in association with Dublin UNESCO City of Literature with kind support by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.