Kinshasa's book festival returns from 14 to 21 November with Marie NDiaye as patron
Readings, theatre, Congolese poetry and comics: the 12th Fête du Livre de RDC brings more than 20 authors and artists to the capital.
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Kinshasa — The 12th Fête du Livre de RDC, the Democratic Republic of the Congo's book festival, will run in Kinshasa from 14 to 21 November, with more than 20 Congolese and international authors, artists and book professionals.
The festival is organised by the Institut français de RDC and EUNIC RDC, the network of European cultural institutes, with cultural and institutional partners. Its patron is the novelist and playwright Marie NDiaye.
Books beyond the page
Over eight days, the festival aims to take literature to new audiences, with novels, poetry, theatre, children's books and comics. There will be author talks, readings, performances, literary cafés, writing and illustration workshops, radio programmes, book signings and a pop-up bookshop, with events at the Institut français, in schools and at cultural venues around Kinshasa.
Three big evenings
The opening on Saturday, 14 November, at 6.30pm, features a staged reading of a text by Marie NDiaye. On Thursday, 19 November, an evening of Congolese poetry presents two new works by Michael Disanka and Amason Gaius based on the writing of Sony Labou Tansi and Valentin-Yves Mudimbe. The festival closes on Saturday, 21 November, with Mowuta, a play by Salva Safi Amisi, followed by a concert by Akitowa Mirhego.
Comics have a place this year, with a delegation from the Bilili BD Festival and a session on Congolese comics. A professional programme for the book trade runs from 17 to 19 November.
Source: Actualite.cd, November 2026.
