Miami Book Fair opens with an Afrobeat block party

Miami Book Fair’s forty-second edition began with a November 16 block party at Wolfson Campus. The opening program brought Jump ’N Funk founder Rich Medina together with Kenny Dope and visuals by Mark Hines, connecting the literary week with an evening of music.

The event also complemented Fela: Music Is the Weapon, a graphic novel by Jibola Fagbamiye and Conor McCreery. That connection gave the music a place within the fair’s subject matter rather than treating it as entertainment unrelated to the books.

The format offered an accessible beginning for people who might not start with a traditional author session. A public literary event can make several kinds of invitation at once. This year’s opening used rhythm, images and a book to bring those possibilities together downtown.