Ouahigouya Hosts Inaugural Edition of the Book and Arts Festival

OUAHIGOYA, Burkina Faso — The first edition of the Book and Arts Festival (FELIART) was launched in Ouahigouya on January 21, 2024, by the Sportive Academy Omnisports association (ASAO). The event, aiming to promote literacy and artistic appreciation among youth, began with Olympic-style qualifiers at Lycée Yamwaya.

According to Burkina Information Agency, Hyppolite Ouédraogo, who inaugurated the qualifiers, the festival saw the participation of 428 students, including 209 girls and 219 boys, from 20 high schools and colleges. Results of these qualifiers are expected on February 4, 2024. Ouédraogo commended the organizers and emphasized the importance of reading to the students, stating, “If you don’t read, it’s those who read who will dictate their laws to you.”

The president of the organizing committee, Souleymane Ouermi, expressed satisfaction with the turnout and enthusiasm surrounding the event. Highlighting the significance of literary activities for children, Ouermi stressed the importance of encouraging them to engage with books. The festival, reimagined from the Ouahigouya Literary Olympics, will feature diverse activities such as culinary art, book sales exhibitions, conferences, meetings with authors, and solidarity actions.

Youssouf Barro, the President of ASAO, outlined multiple objectives for FELIART. He mentioned that the festival aims to familiarize children in the Northern region with books and enhance their oral and written expression skills. “We noticed that the children’s analyses lack depth,” he stated, underscoring the need for such initiatives. Barro also drew parallels between FELIART and the well-known Ouagadougou Book Fair (FILO), expressing a desire to fill the cultural gap in the Northern region with a comparable event.

FELIART aspires to provide a platform for the youth of the Northern region to interact with writers and develop a passion for reading, bridging the literary gap in the area.