Tag Archives: Dilman Dila

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A snapshot of the Time of the Writer 2015

All the writers Photo/Gerald Mthembu

It was all happening at the from when a whole bunch of writers converged at Durban, South Africa on 16-21 March. This bunch of writers or is it gaggle of writers or a bar of writers or wit of writers or a… Anyway these writers from all corners of the continent were joined by a few from around the world for one of the most highly respected literature festival s on our rock; Time of the Writer 2015.

The festival now in its 18th year is brought to you by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal) and made possible by the National Department of Arts and Culture, the City of Durban, the French Institute (IFAS) and the Goethe-Institut. Completely off topic but I’m starting to see a pattern where Goethe always seems to be popping up where literature is happening on the continent.

Sorry I keep digressing. Now these authors were, in no particular order, NoViolet Bulawayo (Zimbabwe) , Carol Campbell (South Africa) , Imraan Coovadia (South Africa) , ZP Dala (South Africa) , Ousmane Diarra (Mali) , Dilman Dila (Uganda) , Jacob Dlamini (South Africa), Ekow Duker (South Africa) , Craig Higginson (South Africa) , Mandla Langa (South Africa) , Thando Mgqolozana (South Africa) , Kirsten Miller (South Africa) , MJ Mngadi (South Africa) , Nthikeng Mohlele (South Africa) , Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho (South Africa) , Futhi Ntshingila (South Africa) , Sue Nyathi (Zimbabwe) , Charlotte Otter (South Africa) , Margaret Von Klemperer (South Africa) and Mzilikazi wa Afrika (South Africa) . The majority of the authors participating are South African which makes sense seeing as they are the country hosting the festival.

Noviolet Bulawayo with students. Photo/Gerald Mthembu

So what were they up to? Its a literary conferences you know that there were panels and panels for you to select from. Panels on topics such as “Shapeshifting – Form and the Modern Writer,” The Writer is the Witness, Writing Without Permission and Female Narratives. Then there were the readings. All these were happening at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre (Howard College Campus).

Apart from the panels and readings (and drinking; these are writers after all) they got to go for school visits, a publishing forum and a range of seminars and workshops so that the next generation of writers came to the fore.

All images in this post were taken by Gerald Mthembu.

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‘Terra Incognita’ and ‘Follow The Road’ launch in Cape Town

Rachel Zadok

Short Story Day Africa (SSDA) first came to the attention to some of us when it was won by Kenyan writer Okwiri Oduor in 2013. She went on to be shortlisted for the Caine Prize with fellow SSDA Efemia Chela(Zambia) and she won. With such a glorious starting it became quickly evident that you wanted to take whatever the folks from SSDA brought out seriously.

SSDA, a brainchild of South African Rachel Zadok, ran another competition in 2014 and from the nineteen best stories they fashioned an anthology they called Terra Incognita edited by Nerine Dorman and published by Modjaji Books. It encompasses all forms of speculative fiction, from literary magical realism to science fiction to dark horror and pulsing through each is a new African paradigm. They include vampires, tokoloshi, ghosts, unnatural obsessions and the unspeakable things that lurk beneath land and in the water. It included contributions from folks like Caine Prize nominated writer Diane Awerbuck, Toby Bennett, Tiah Beautement, Gail Dendy, Dilman Dila, Nick Mulgrew, Chinelo Onwualu and Phillip Steyn.

Tiah Beautement

The book make a world debut at the Book Lounge in Cape Town, South Africa on Thursday evening. The evening was a double launch as it was joined in the African Literary scene by Follow The Road. This anthology also published by Modjaji Books edited by Marie Fischer and Tiah Beautement is a collection of stories by Africa’s younger writers pushing against the grain of right vs wrong.

The two books were unveiled with featuring readings from Toby Bennett, Tiah Beautement, Diane Awerbuck, Cat Hellisen, Nick Mulgrew, Phillip Steyn and Jason Mykl Snyman – as well as many of our younger writers. Here are a few images from the launch in Africa’s most Southernmost city.
P.S Terra Incognita is available in all good bookstores now and on Amazon. Follow the Road is now in good stores and Amazon as well. If you can please get yourself a copy.

Crowd at the launch

Diane Awerbuck

Amy Uzzell and Jennifer Jacobs

Jason Mykl Snyman

Phillip Steyn

Toby Bennett

Nick Mulgrew

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Weekend Reads: Lawino 3 and Terra Incognita

So we are going into a weekend and if you like me are looking for something cool to read then I have two publications you want to check out.

You can check out an anthology of new speculative fiction from Africa called Terra Incognita edited by Nerine Dorman. This is Short Story Day Africa‘s second collection of short stories featuring the top nineteen stories from SSDA’s 2014 competition.

The stories in the collection encompass all forms of speculative fiction, from literary magical realism to science fiction to dark horror, and pulsing through each is a new African paradigm. Here be vampires, tokoloshi, ghosts, unnatural obsessions and the unspeakable things that lurk beneath land and in the water.

The collection includes stories from Cat Hellisen, Gail Dendy, Dilman Dila, Nick Mulgrew and Chinelo Onwaulu. It also has “Leatherman” by Diane Awerbuck, with an introduction from Rachel Zadok. This is a product to be bought on Amazon.

If you can’t buy an Amazon product them I suggest that you try the third edition of the Lawino Magazine. Lawino was named in honor of the most famous Ugandan writer, Okot p’Bitek, who wrote the poem ‘Song of Lawino, Song of Ocol’. It is an electronic magazine started by writers, to promote writing from Africa, with particular focus on Uganda. This edition of Lawino includes short fiction, poetry and spoken word. There is also a special interview with Tom Jalio a winner of BN Poetry Award. The contributors for this edition include Lauri Kubuitsile, Hannah Onoguwe, Mulumba Ivan Mathias and Yazele Dezele.

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Dilman Dila meets Napo Masheane at Goethe-Institut Johannesburg

Napo Masheane Photo/afridiziak.com

I’m starting to notice a pattern with these folks from Germany’s Goethe Institut. Its looking like these fellows are the one’s hosting a lot of the really cool literary events on the African continent be it Authors talk in Nigeria or Conversations with African Authors in Kenya. This month alone there shall be one event in Lagos and one in Nairobi.

And now it looks like there will be one happening in Johannesburg this Thursday evening at the resident Goethe at 7pm. The event will a meeting of Ugandan Dilman Dila writer, film maker and all around great guy and South Africa Napo Masheane.

Dilman Dila Photo/Wikipedia

Dila has written short story collection A Killing in the Sun and romance novel Cranes Crest at Sunset while Napo has just published her poetry and essay anthology Caves Speak In Metaphors.

Because this isn’t an episode of Tujuane, they will be moderated by Niq Mhlongo who readers of this blog are quite familiar with.

If you are in town, please check it out.

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Writivism Workshops 2015: Kampala 28th-31st January

Class is in Session

Then there was Kampala, Uganda. Kampala is very important to the Writivism narrative as this was the country where the initiative was first implemented. The workshop at the biggest city in Uganda was at the Uganda Museum and facilitated by Nyana Kakoma and Dilman Dila.

Nyana Kakoma is blogger in the dark art of the literary type with her blog So Many Stories and is a fiction writer in her own. Then there was Dilman Dila who is a writer with the short story collection A Killing in the Sun and other titles as well as a film maker; read his interview here.

The list of participants included Sydney Mugerwa, Saba El Lazim, Margaret Muthee, Lilian Akampurira Aujo, Harriet Anena, Anne Kirya, Emily Achieng, Charlotte Bossa, Nabimanya Praise, Emmanuel Ssebagala, Jacky Kemigisa, Paul Kisakye and Emmanuel Anyole.

Here is a sample of tweets from the event;

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Writivism Creative Writing Workshop 2015 attendees announced

Dilman Dila facilitates in Kampala

It’s all happening at the Ake Festival today. Our friends from Writivism have announced the writers who will be attending the Writivism 2015 workshops in cities around the continent. The writers who were shortlisted will attend workshops led by Dilman Dila (Kampala), Zukiswa Wanner and Anne Ayeta Wangusa (Dar es Salaam), Yewande Omotoso and Saaleha Idrees Bamjee (Johannesburg), Dami Ajayi (Lagos) and Donald Molosi and Lauri Kubuitsile (Gaborone). They will then be assigned mentors from a 32-strong list of established African writers who have donated their time and skill to guide and support emerging writers based on the continent. The next generation of writers from the continent, names that will be ruling the roost for years to come include:

Kampala
1. Sydney Mugerwa
2. Saba El Lazim
3. Margaret Muthee
4. Lilian Akampurira Aujo
5. Harriet Anena
6. Anne Kirya
7. Emily Achieng
8. Charlotte Bossa
9. Nabimanya Praise
10. Emmanuel Ssebagala
11. Jacky Kemigisa
12. Paul Kisakye
13. Emmanuel Anyole

Dar es Salaam
1. Jacqueline Njambi
2. Maimouna Jallow
3. Sima Mitta
4. Emma Kimani
5. Sarah Bonareri
6. Wairimu Muriithi
7. Valerie Bah
8. Regina Asinde
9. Magunga Williams
10. Robert Munuku
11. Peter Ngila

Johannesburg
1. Saaleha Bhamjee
2. Greta Schuler
3. Siyabonga Lerumo
4. Chivimbiso Gava
5. Chris Djuma
6. Hellen Herimbi
7. Jafta Odendaal
8. Khanyile Joseph Mlotshwa
9. Lerato Molisana
10. Michelle Ainsile
11. Chumisa Ndakisa

Lagos
1. Basit Jamiu
2.Chidinma Ogarama
3. Chika Chimezie
4. Gbolahan Badmus
5. Kate Ekanem
6. Tolu Daniel
7. Ronke Adeleke
8. Salau Adeola
9. Uzome Ihejirika
10. Vivian Uchechi Ogbonna
11. Socrates Mbamalu

Gaborone
1. Gomolemo Morwa
2. Matlhogonolo Motshegwa
3. Sharon Tshipa
4. Janet Mudongo
5. Tshepo Bogatsu
6. Florence Phuti
7. Thato Chuma
8. Ofilwe Powe
9. Priscillar Matara
10. Katlego Kol-Les

All the best newbies. We shall be following your careers keenly from now on.

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Bwesigye Bwa Mwesigire interviews African authors on This is Africa

Bwesigye Bwa Mwesigire

Bwesigye Bwa Mwesigire will be familiar to readers of this blog as one of the driving forces behind the Writivism initiative. The Writivism initiative aims at mentoring the next generation of writers in conjunction with the current writers on the continent.

Bwesigye will be hosting a series of interviews of nine African authors that will be running over at African friendly website This Is Africa. The authors who will be interviewed include;

1. Abubakar Adam Ibrahim (The Whispering Trees)

2. Chika Unigwe (Night Dancer)

3. Dilman Dila (A Killing in the Sun)

4. Emmanuel Sigauke (Mukoma’s Marriage and other stories)

5. Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi (Kintu)

6. Melissa Kiguwa (Reveries of Longing)

7. Novuyo Rosa Tshuma (Shadows)

8. Yewande Omotoso (Bom Boy)

9. Zukiswa Wanner (London Cape Town Joburg)

For more information on the interviews you want to visit This Is Africa.