Author Irenosen Okojie has launched a new arts festival, Black to the Future (BTTF), billed as “an Afro-Futurist celebration of outstanding Black artists, a space for visionary imaginings to thrive”.
The hybrid biennial event is in partnership with the British Library and the Royal Society of Literature, to accompany the British Library’s upcoming major exhibition “Fantasy: Realms of Imagination”.
It will run from 24th October 2023 to 24th February 2024, launching as British Black History month ends until the US version runs next year. The British Library is BTTF’s hub with additional events at venues around London, including The Standard Hotel and The Garden Cinema.
The first iteration of BTTF is themed “Black Phantasmagoria”, with a focus on invigorating dialogues and genres within which Black literature and art is flourishing, featuring storytellers working in books, video games, comics, theatre, film and music.
The festival offers live-streamed talks, readings, performances, films and workshops by local and international creators, combined with a technological strand featuring thought leaders, entrepreneurs and cross-disciplinary innovators.
Headliners include authors such as N K Jemisin, Victor LaValle, Ken Liu, Leone Ross, Sunny Singh, Natasha Bowen, Tade Thompson along with producer Alby James, narrative designer Chella Ramanan, electronic music duo Dopplereffekt, DJ Josey Rebelle and visual artist Abdul Qadim Haqq.
On 3rd November, the British Library will host “Genre Maurauders”, demystifying genre writing across books and games in a panel event chaired by Okojie and featuring author Tade Thompson and narrative designer Chella Ramanan, followed by Late at the Library: Drexciyan Realms, a night of electronic music, art and fantasy inspired by the work of Drexciya.
The film programming kicks off at The Garden Cinema on 24th October with a screening of Saul Williams’ science fiction romantic musical “Neptune Frost” and The Standard Hotel will host a series of “Kinetic Discourses” in which creators from different industries explore each other’s realms of expertise, in their Library Lounge, formerly the Camden Council Library annex.
Alongside Okojie, the core team includes creative director Sara Veal, formerly of Clean Prose, Harlequin and Atlantic Books, and events promoter and producer Elliott Jack, who runs literary cabaret Book Slam, which has featured the likes of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Adele.
Okojie said: “I’m delighted to launch this project that celebrates a constellation of superb voices while encapsulating the innovation, creativity and breadth of black artistry.”
The Nigerian-born short story and novel writer is based in London and recently judged this year’s Women’s Prize for Fiction.
Events will continue to be announced ahead of BTTF’s launch. For more information, visit blacktothefuture.space.
