Read this post to the end. I’ll be giving away the book, Guardians of the Seal by Tunde Leye at the end of this post.

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On Saturday, August 27, 2016, I attended the first #GrillandRead event in Lagos. #GrillandRead is a literary event and it held at the RoofTop of CCHub, Yaba, Lagos (yes, the very same CCHub that Mark Zuckerberg visited on Tuesday August 30, 2016). I could have sworn I stood on the exact spot Mark stood on (when I excused myself from the #GrillandRead event to enter CCHub work space on Saturday). I guess great minds stand alike.

Anyway, back to the gist of this post. #GrillandRead was a very fun event. The gate fee was a meagre N1,500 per person and N6,000 for a group of 5 people. I hope the organisers  don’t read this post and be like, “Oh, meagre N1,500? We’re making it N50,000 next time”. Mba, you guys should not even “thunk” it.

So as I was saying…There were performances by poets and spoken word artists, critiquing of books and movie adaptation of those books, meet and greet with authors, book auctions, networking with strange and familiar faces, consumption of grilled turkey and yes, dance! Dance!! Dance!!!

I particularly loved the book auctioning process. I actually won the first auction. If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram , you may have known that by now. The books are Daughters Who Walk This Path by Yejide Kilanko; Sector IV by Abigail Anaba; June 12, 1993: Annulment by Abraham Oshoko; Promise of The Future by Towunmi Coker and Guardians of the Seal by Tunde Leye.

I loved the concept of the book, June 12, 1993: Annulment by Abraham Oshoko. It is the first graphic novel by a Nigerian that I would ever come across. And it is really beautiful too and well bound! Kudos to Farafina!

I can’t wait to read Tunde Leye’s Guardians of the seal. Nigeria has been waiting for that book like since forever. I hear it will be officially launched on September 25, 2016 (I hope I heard right). Watch out for that one. I’m glad to have won this book during the auction but since Tunde Leye had prior to now, promised to give me an advanced copy of the book, I want to give away the copy I won.

Another reason I enjoyed #GrillandRead was because I was able to put a face (and voice) to some people I have come across (who I may not even be following) on Twitter. It was good to know how they look and sound in person. Tonypox did a good job Emceeing.

There was also books sale at the event.

The highlight of the event for nightcrawlers (unfortunately for me, I am not that type), was the after party at night. Come and see groove on a Rooftop! Blazing music, dark clouds with spots of shiny stars above your head, trail of red lights in Yaba traffic below, the feel of cool breeze against your body, and the feel of another sweaty human body against yours. Literati folks sure know how to have fun.

Here are a few pictures I took at the event. Sorry they aren’t that much.

From L – R: Oge,Harold, Toperants, Seun Odukoya

Slaying the dragon

With the GodFather, Tunde Leye

Books I won at the auction.

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GUARDIANS OF THE SEAL GIVEAWAY

I have decided to give away a copy of Tunde Leye’s Guardians of the Seal. Answer these two simple questions for a chance to win the book.

1. Why have I decided to giveaway Tunde Leye’s book?
2. Why should I give you the book?

I have no particular format for choosing the winner of this giveaway. Just let me know your answers in the comments section below and I’ll randomly pick a winner on Friday, September 2^nd, 2016, on or before 3:00pm Nigerian time. Also include your contact email after your answer.

You can share this post and ask your friends to participate. That way, if you don’t win it, one of your friends just might win it. And you guys will read the book one after the other. *wink*