*Guido Melo facilitates a panel discussion with acclaimed author Maxine Beneba. Image credit: MAV*

Abbotsford Convent was the backdrop to Australia’s very first African Literature festival, AFRO (LIT)ERATURE at AFRO-FUTURE by Yo CiTY Connect. It was a day of celebrating the African diaspora through art, music, food and literature.

Come rain or shine, families and people gathered to support AFRO-FUTURE to celebrate what it means to belong and connect, in a space dedicated to the shared diasporic experience.

Speaking to Guido Melo, who curated AFRO (LIT)ERATURE’s panellist discussions and performances of award-winning writers and authors; Maxine Beneba Clarke, Cath Moore, Denise Chapman, Thabani Tshuma, Sisonke Msimang and Effie Nkrumah, Guido discusses the significance of the event and what it means for African Australians everywhere. With such an accomplished panel Guido states, “We are us, level and the same.”

We are united in the shared experience as diasporic Africans and not operating within a hierarchy as spaces often look to do, when engaging with African diasporic artists. We are counted despite the uniqueness of an African diasporic literature event, in a country home to 400,000 African migrants.

Despite indifference and, at times, resentment towards the often overlooked need for such a space, Guido has curated AFRO (LIT)ERATURE—a space where contributors exist outside the monolith of the literary world, revelling in differences and being recognised for their talents and significant contributions to African diasporic literature.

Guyanese born writer and filmmaker, Cath Moore spoke of an “audacity to exist” within spaces that overlook Black, African, migrant and marginalised voices, encouraging us all to “keep showing up and claiming ownership.” Whilst claiming space and ownership on lands that do not belong to you is difficult, Cath insists it can be done in our own unique ways, rather than on the terms and conditions of any settler colonialist mentality.

The Black Experience is one that is needed within literary spaces and one that Maxine Beneba Clarke saw was missing for her daughter and sought to rectify. It began with a visit to the library, where they failed to locate a single character in a single book that looked like them, or reflected Maxine’s life. So she began writing one, “I’ve got access to a publisher… so why don’t I just do it?”

Since then, she has forged a literary space for young Black children where they could begin to see their lives illustrated in books and voices represented in schools and libraries across the world. The children in attendance received free copies of her book ‘Wide Big World’ thus beginning their own journey to self-discovery and the power of their own voices. For the emerging writers and fellow artists in attendance, they were given the opportunity to share and ask questions to panellists of their experiences and lean on the breadth of knowledge they’ve had navigating the literary world.

The first AFRO(LIT)ERATURE festival is a testament to the immense talent and resilience of the African Diaspora to carve a space where their voices can flourish. Creating a safe space to be Black, African and being from everywhere and yet feeling as though you belong nowhere. AFRO-FUTURE captured the African spirit in a day; just being, existing, enjoying and celebrating where we all are today and where we are yet to go.

AFRO(LIT)ERATURE was featured as part of Yo-CiTY’s inaugural AFRO-FUTURE festival held at the Abbotsford Convent on Saturday 4 December, 2023. The event was supported by MAV, Yarra City Council, PBS, Abbotsford Convent, Bodriggy and OZ AFRICAN TV.