Asmara-Addis Literary Festival In Exile
Founded by Eritrean-Ethiopian-British author Sulaiman Addonia and launched in Brussels in 2019, the Asmara-Addis Literary Festival (In Exile) – AALFIE – emphasises its Pan-African roots and core feminist principles. Rooted locally yet globally represented in Brussels, it aims to champion ideas that traverse boundaries in bold, borderless landscapes. AALFIE’s vision reflects and celebrates societies not as censored but as they exist, with all their diversities, troubles, and beauty. The festival not only embraces multiple languages, featuring performances in diverse European tongues—including those of immigrant communities in Brussels and beyond – but also strives to present radical concepts and genre-bending acts. Since its first edition, the festival has grown exponentially, and in 2022, AALFIE hosted more than 60 national and international artists with performances in over 18 languages. In 2022, it was selected as one of the 40 best festivals in the world.
Edition 2024: The Body’s Language
The Body’s Languages explores the intimate connection between the body and language. It perceives various languages as a thread woven throughout the body, ready to be expressed in various colours and shapes. This edition features writers, poets, dancers, artists, and activists who express themselves through words, love, literature, and the creation of new languages using the body. Panel discussions and a read-a-thon featuring artists, mainly from diverse and marginalised backgrounds, will further explore the politics surrounding the body, its sensations, transformations, wounds, love, and desire, as well as the vital role of art and literature in showcasing the myriad languages the body holds.