The Book Walk is an advocacy event where we use an outrider truck with announcers and canvassers explaining to residents, passersby, and workers on the walk route why we are undertaking the walk: to solicit greater interest for the book and the reading culture in Nigeria
THE Lagos Book Walk is actually ‘three walks’ in one.
The principal walk is one where reading enthusiasts, stakeholders in the Nigerian book ecosystem drawn from their different associations (librarians, authors, booksellers, publishers, reading promoters, book clubs, advocates, and sundry individuals, partners, and allies) undertake the designated walk along it’s set course. In 2024, it would be from Falomo roundabout to Onikan where the after-walk reception is scheduled.
The Book Walk is an advocacy event where we use an outrider truck with announcers and canvassers explaining to residents, passersby, and workers on the walk route why we are undertaking the walk: to solicit greater interest for the book and the reading culture in Nigeria. We also produce and share walk leaflets that encourage people.to engage in life-long reading and also list libraries in the city that they can reach out to, and patronise.
Operational details
The entry age for participants here is 16 and we make arrangements for support security and ambulance services just in case any walkers would require assistance and water and energy drinks for those that require refreshing and did not come along with theirs.
We will stop briefly at the premises of any book organizations on the book walk route as a solidarity gesture.
Where the Children star!
The ‘second walk’ is a participatory reading promotions event for children in schools that will this year take place at Onikan and precisely in the same premises where the after-walk reception for adult walkers is to hold. The children’s event runs simultaneously with the adult walk so the children. can return to school.at noon.
Distant, Virtual walkers
The ‘third walk’ is a virtual one. Weeks before the event, we ran a social media campaign inviting those who could physically make the event to join us from across the country (This year, we had participants from as far as the Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State). But those who cannot do so are encouraged to join in virtually by undertaking a reading promotions activity wherever they may be, and promoting it on their social media handles and linking it with the main handles for the walk. In the 2023 edition, for example, Prof Chiji Akoma of Villanova University, USA posted a video of himself reading an Igbo language text.
We hope this helps. We also have some more helpful content on our website: www.nbrp.org.ng as well as pictures and media clips from the first edition (Arise TV and Channels TV for example).
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Shots from the past
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