 In 2018 the festival was held for the first time in Lagos, from 24 October to 27 October, with the theme being "Fantastical Futures".The Aké Arts and Book Festival has been described as the African continent's biggest annual gathering of literary writers, editors, critics and readers.Shoneyin started the festival because, according to her, she "wanted a place where intellectuals and thinkers can come together and talk about African issues on African soil."