Book Bunk and Hay Festival Global have concluded the 2026 edition of Nairobi Litfest, held in Nairobi from May 8 to May 10 across McMillan Memorial Library, Kaloleni Library and Eastlands Library, according to a statement dated May 25, 2026. The organisers said the festival’s fifth edition brought together writers, artists, educators and audiences for more than 25 sessions over three days.
The event took place inside public libraries that Book Bunk has been restoring through a partnership with Nairobi City County, positioning the festival within a broader push to revive public cultural infrastructure. In its programme summary, the organisers cited masterclasses, panel discussions, performances and a children’s festival among the key formats used to engage audiences.
Organisers said highlights included a screening of the documentary How to Build a Library, which they said follows Book Bunk’s work in restoring public libraries, and a live performance by Kenyan artist Mutoriah on the second day of the festival.
The festival’s 2026 theme focused on “speculative cartography and South-to-South connections,” which the organisers said was intended to encourage audiences to rethink boundaries, imagine alternative futures and engage across disciplines and geographies.
Wanjiru Koinange, Book Bunk Co-Founder and Nairobi Litfest Co-Director, said the festival depends on collaborative effort and sustained participation. “Nairobi Litfest is a festival built by many hands and sustained by a shared belief in the power of sharing ideas. Each successful edition is a result of our guests, audiences and partners showing up for each other, for their communities and for storytelling,” Koinange said.
The organisers said Book Bunk and Hay Festival Global have partnered since 2024 to co-present Nairobi Litfest. Over the past three editions, the partners said they have hosted more than 120 writers and artists across 75 events, reaching an audience of more than 3,000 in person and online.
Julie Finch, CEO of Hay Festival Global, said the organisation intends to continue the partnership. “We are delighted with the success of Nairobi Litfest 2026 and proud to continue our partnership with Book Bunk. Together, we are creating meaningful spaces for dialogue, imagination and exchange for audiences in Nairobi and around the world,” Finch said.
Angela Wachuka, Book Bunk Co-Founder and Nairobi Litfest Co-Director, said the festival’s positioning in public libraries remains central to its identity. “Five editions in, Nairobi Litfest continues to be a place where urgent conversations about literature, art and ideas find a home inside public libraries that belong to everyone,” Wachuka said.
In its programme recap, the organisers said the 2026 edition included masterclasses in fiction writing, autobiography, poetry, curatorial practice and indie publishing led by Lina Meruane, Dr. Nick Makoha, Ellah Wakatama OBE, Ciku Kimeria, Richard Oduor Oduku and Dr. Portia Malatjie. They also cited children’s sessions featuring storytelling, music and movement, chess, puppetry and painting with Muthoni Maina, Orpah Agunda, Tunde Onakoya, Michael Mutahi and Prisca Ojwang.
The organisers said panel discussions addressed imagination, identity and social change, featuring speakers including Alain Mabanckou, Yvonne Owuor, Natasha Brown, Lesley Nneka Arimah, Safiya Sinclair, Inua Ellams and Nanjala Nyabola, alongside film and curatorial conversations with Moussa Sene Absa, Maia Lekow, Chris King, Dr. Portia Malatjie and Lola Shoneyin.
Cristina Fuentes La Roche, International Director at Hay Festival Global, said the partners view the festival as a platform connecting local and international voices. “Nairobi Litfest continues to celebrate the best of local and global literature, bringing together artists, writers and audiences in meaningful exchange,” Fuentes La Roche said.
For Kenya’s cultural and creative economy, the festival’s continued use of public libraries as venues underscores a growing business and policy conversation about investing in community-based cultural infrastructure, programming and skills development. Book Bunk’s model links restoration to programming and digitisation, which can expand access to content and create new opportunities for creators, educators and cultural organisations.
In “notes to editors,” the organisers said the 2026 collaboration between Hay Festival Global and Book Bunk was supported by the British Council as part of the UK/Kenya Season 2025, with additional main support from Open Society Foundations and Hawthornden Foundation. They also cited programming partnerships with Amnesty International Kenya, The Caine Prize for African Writing, Acción Cultural Española (AC/E), the Ramón Llull Institut and Indus Conclave.
Looking ahead, the partners indicated the collaboration will continue, building on the past three editions’ scale and international mix of participants. The organisers did not announce dates for the next edition in the statement.