Kolwezi, Lualaba — Democratic Republic of the Congo

SILAC-KOLWEZI

Kolwezi International Book, Arts and Culture Fair — the fourth strand of the network, alongside SOILACC AFRICA (Côte d'Ivoire), the Togo Book Fair and FILCP-D (Cameroon).

Dates

18 – 22 November 2026

Venue

Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Status

Registration open

A cultural, educational and economic platform

About SILAC-Kolwezi

The Kolwezi International Book, Arts and Culture Fair (SILAC-Kolwezi) is a cultural, educational, artistic, economic and tourism platform designed to bring together, in the heart of Lualaba, the players of the book chain, artists, public institutions, schools and universities, businesses, local communities and international partners.

The event will combine book exhibitions and sales, author encounters, conferences, performances, cinema, visual arts, crafts, fashion, gastronomy, heritage, national languages and digital innovation. Congolese creation, the memory of Lualaba and young people will hold centre stage.

Overall goal

Promoting reading, the arts, Congolese culture and the creative industries

As levers for education, social cohesion, employment, regional standing and sustainable development in Kolwezi and across Lualaba.

Specific objectives

18 to 22 November

Programme

Five days shaped by highlights, in the heart of Lualaba. The full detail will be published closer to the event — here is the provisional outline.

Day 1

18 Nov.

09:00
Official openingOpening ceremony of the fair
11:00
Inaugural panelBooks, creation and the memory of Lualaba
15:00
Bookshop area opensBook exhibition and sales

Day 2

19 Nov.

10:00
Author encountersConversations with Congolese and guest authors
14:00
Youth workshopsReading and creating for children and young people
18:00
Cultural performanceMusic and live arts of Lualaba

Day 3

20 Nov.

09:30
Conferences & master classesSkills building for cultural players
13:00
Visual arts exhibitionCrafts, fashion and heritage
19:00
Film screeningsCongolese films and documentaries

Day 4

21 Nov.

09:30
Business & partners forumProfessional meetings, mining sector and international cooperation
15:00
Gastronomy & national languagesDiscovering culinary and linguistic heritage

Day 5

22 Nov.

10:00
Book donation handoverLaunch of the donation scheme for school libraries
12:00
Closing ceremonyReview and outlook for the next edition

What you need to know

Practical information

Dates

18 – 22 November 2026

Five days, open to all audiences.

Venue

Kolwezi

Democratic Republic of the Congo — exact venue to be confirmed.

Contact

contact@soilaac.com

or leiter@e-verlag.com — for any question or partnership proposal.

Join SILAC-KOLWEZI as a partner

Partners & advertisers, come on board

Publishing house, company, NGO, institution, media outlet, mining company or advertiser: associate your brand with SILAC-Kolwezi and gain visibility — communication materials, website, catalogue and dedicated spaces on site — with an audience passionate about books, the arts and culture.

Join us

Register for SILAC-Kolwezi

Visitors, authors, artists, exhibitors or partners: download the registration pack or write to us to receive the full programme.