Worldbuilding Africa’s Future: Exploring Science, Storytelling, and Imagination at the University of Lagos
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2025 Nommo Award Winners
London, UK – 10 November 2025
On November 19, 2025, the African Speculative Fiction Society (ASFS) as part of the Applied African SF programme and in partnership with the Aké Arts and Book Festival will host a one-day workshop titled “Worldbuilding Africa’s Future” at the Café One, University of Lagos Bookshop Building, Yaba, Lagos.
The event brings together writers, scientists, and creative thinkers to explore how imagination and research can work hand-in-hand to shape Africa’s future.
The workshop, part of the ongoing Applied African SF initiative with Imperial College London, the University of Nairobi, Vector and the International Black Speculative Writing Festival is designed to bridge creative storytelling and STEM disciplines, showing how science fiction can act as a powerful tool for education, research, and policymaking. Participants will learn practical frameworks for collaboration between authors and researchers, with hands-on sessions that produce story concepts rooted in real scientific challenges and opportunities.
Registration at: ASFS Events
Programme Highlights
Scientific Worldbuilding in Creative Writing – A 90-minute practical session exploring how STEM and creative writing intersect to produce grounded, forward-thinking speculative fiction.
Derisking Research through Fiction – A participatory workshop demonstrating how fiction can be used to critique and expand scientific inquiry, model ethical dilemmas, and inspire innovation in policy and research.
Applied African SF Toolkit Launch – Presentation of an open-access online resource for educators, writers, and researchers to integrate fiction into research and teaching.
Why It Matters
“Worldbuilding Africa’s Future” aims to deepen collaboration between science and storytelling. The day will showcase how African speculative fiction can help universities, policymakers, and creators imagine more just, sustainable, and locally relevant futures. Outcomes include the co-creation of story frameworks, expanded understanding of research through narrative, and a growing community of practice across disciplines.
Facilitators include acclaimed ASFS members and Nommo Award nominees, along with contributors to the Applied African SF project from Imperial College London.
The workshop serves as a lead-in to the Nommo Awards Ceremony and ASFS reception at the Aké Arts and Book Festival, celebrating African imagination at its most visionary.
About the Organisers
The African Speculative Fiction Society (ASFS) promotes writers, artists, and publishers of African speculative fiction and administers the annual Nommo Awards.
The Applied African SF programme explores the role of speculative storytelling in rethinking research, policy, and education across the continent.
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