Quiet 2025 African Writers Day in Congo
On 7 November 2025, the thirty-third International African Writer’s Day unfolded under the banner “Literature and plural writings”. Yet, in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, the usually vibrant cultural avenues stayed calm, with no official readings, panels or social-media hashtags marking the continental rendez-vous.
For many young Congolese bibliophiles, the silence felt surprising. “I checked every bookshop and nothing was planned,” says student Natacha Mouebara, who runs a WhatsApp reading club in Mpila. “We wanted to celebrate our authors.” Her group finally shared poems in a café, unadvertised.
Congo’s main writer associations also kept quiet. The Youth Writers and Artists Association, the National Union led by novelist-minister Henri Djombo, and PEN Centre Congo offered no press release. Some members mention scheduling conflicts; others point to limited funding cycles aligned with school holidays.
Meaning of the ‘plural writings’ theme
The low-key posture contrasts with the core mission of the Day, created in 1992 by the Pan African Writers’ Association to boost reading, defend freedom of expression and push African literature into global catalogues (PAWA). Each edition is meant to spark grassroots encounters.
This year’s theme, chosen during PAWA’s spring board in Accra, urges writers to explore multilingual storytelling, hybrid formats and digital mash-ups offering fresh mirrors to contemporary lives. Critics say plural writings capture the polyphonic reality of cities like Brazzaville where Lingala meets French.
Dakar’s vibrant celebration sets the tone
Senegal seized the concept. In Dakar’s Place du Souvenir, white tents turned into pop-up libraries, and twenty delegations traded books under kora music. The Association of Senegalese Writers, steered by Abdoulaye Fodé Ndione, hosted a keynote on Amadou Hampâté Bâ’s legacy delivered by his daughter Roukiatou.
The Democratic Republic of Congo carried the title of guest of honour. Publishers from Kinshasa presented graphic novels tackling climate resilience on the Congo River, while performance poet Freddy Tsimba staged an improvised slam in Lingala, earning standing applause from university students present.
Congolese writers speak about the silence
Why, then, the radio silence in Congo-Brazzaville? Cultural journalist Rodrigue Moukassa cites a packed national calendar dominated by COP Dairy Africa Week and regional football qualifiers. “Budgets are finite,” he notes. “When two events clash, literature often loses.” Still, he concedes planning could improve.
Government officials remain optimistic. A Culture Ministry source says a roadmap with city halls will “amplify literary celebrations in schools”. Draft ideas include mobile libraries on the Corniche and reading corners in bus terminals.
Local authors welcome the hint of structure. “Visibility is everything. If young readers don’t meet writers, the chain breaks,” argues novelist Julie Kemby, shortlisted for the Makomi Prize. She proposes pairing hip-hop concerts with book signings to turn cultural outings into “one shared playlist”.
Beyond parties and hashtags lies the bigger concern: readership. A 2024 survey by the University of Marien-Ngouabi found that sixty-five percent of final-year pupils read fewer than two non-school books per year, citing cost and lack of nearby libraries as main barriers.
Booksellers feel the pinch. At the roundabout by Total Forescue, vendor Arsène Diangala shows thin sales notebooks. “A paperback imported from France costs 8,000 FCFA; students prefer phone data,” he sighs. Events like International Writers’ Day, he believes, can revive interest if accompanied by discounts.
Technology may offer shortcuts. Congolese start-up Nze-Read recently launched an Android app hosting public-domain classics in Lingala, Kituba and French. Chief developer Juste Loubaki says downloads triple during themed campaigns. “When a hashtag trends, people look for links immediately,” he explains, urging coordinated digital pushes.
Ways forward toward a louder 2026 edition
The Pan African Writers’ Association insists that each member country can shape the Day to local realities. Its secretary general, Dr. Wale Okediran, reached by phone, applauds Senegal’s showcase but stresses “smaller, community-driven circles are equally valid, as long as they put books into hands”.
Meanwhile, teacher Jacqueline Massanga improvises. She plans a December class on plural writing with a trilingual short story and invites parents to read in their mother tongues. “Even without big banners, we can embody the theme,” she smiles.
Civic groups are also planning ahead. The association “Livre Et Moi” has reserved the central hall of Pointe-Noire station for 2026 readings, targeting commuters who wait for suburban trains. Coordinator Théo Ngwassi hopes partners such as the municipal youth council will offset logistical costs.
Looking at the regional map, Congo’s missed opportunity appears fixable. Rwanda turned a modest 2019 edition into today’s Kigali Lit Fest, now attracting tourism revenue. Analysts say early cross-ministry coordination, corporate sponsorship and social media challenges like “post your shelfie” drove that growth.
For now, Brazzaville nights remain quiet. But if planners lock dates early and tap the creative energy already humming online, the 2026 International African Writer’s Day could transform cafés, bus shelters and stadium forecourts into living libraries, letting plural writings finally resonate home.
