Tag Archives: Writivism

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Writivism Festival 2015 set for June

Tsitsi Dangarembga

The Writivism Festival is set to happen at Makerere University and the National Theatre in Kampala, Uganda from 16th to 22nd June 2015. It is part of the annual Writivism cycle that includes workshops, mentoring, publishing, a short story prize and a schools programme.

This year the festival will be hosting some pretty cool people if the tentative program is to be believed. Some of the folks who will be giving Uganda their awesomeness include Mukoma wa Ngugi, Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, Mehul Gohil, Onyeka Nwelue, Shedrack Chikoti, Tsitsi Dangarembga, Karen Mukwasi and Timothy Kalyegira.

There will also be several book launches with A Nation In Labour by Harriet Anena already confirmed.

If you are in the Kampala vicinity I advice you not to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to meet in the flesh some of these great folks.

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A snap shot of the Uganda International Writers’ Conference 2015

The writers in a group shot

It was all going down in Kampala, Uganda as writers from around continent converged for the 2015 edition of the Uganda International Writers’ Conference.

There was a large number of events from 1st to 6th March with the theme some free and some paid with the theme, Memoir and Truth. Some of the highlights for visitors to the festival included Presentations from Successful Literary Initiatives in Africa with Timwa Lipenga of the Malawi Women Writers, Bwesigye Bwa Mwesigire of Writivism, Sahro Ahmed of the Putland Women Writers Association and Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva of the Babishai Niwe Poetry Foundation on the panel. This event was moderated by Mildred Barya.

Then there was a discussion on the African Literary Renaissance: Return to Glory or Superficial Gloss? This one had Dr Susan Kiguli (Uganda) as provocateur an and was chaired by Dr Danson Kahyana (Uganda).

Another of the was: Space and identity in African writing: Writing Beyond the West. In this panel four African writers living and working in the Diaspora will explore these intriguing questions. They were Jennifer Makumbi (Uganda/ UK), Noo Saro-Wiwa (Nigeria/UK), Chinelo Okparanta (Nigeria/ USA), Julianne Okot Bitek (Uganda/Cananda). Moderating was Goretti Kyomuhendo (Uganda/UK)

Then there was a personal favourite: The Rise of Digital Literature and Publishing: Re-examining the Book Business in the 21st Centur. This one had Dilman Dila (Uganda) Lawino Literary and Magazine Melissa Kyeyune ( Uganda) Khamel Publishers as panellists and it was moderated by Jackee Budesta Batanda (Uganda)

Then there was, The Shift from Journalism to Nonfiction: Challenges for African writers with Michela Wrong (UK) and Daniel Kalinaki (Uganda) as panellists.

Also top of the mind for many right now was: Literary Prizes and Contests for African writers Focus on: The Etisalat Prize for Literature and The Africa39 Project. These were discussed by Chinelo Okparanta (Nigeria), Jackee Budesta Batanda (Uganda), Glaydah Namukasa (Uganda), Songeziwe Mahlangu (South Africa), Emma D’Costa (Commonwealth Writers, UK) and moderated by Julianne Okot Bitek (Uganda/Canada)

The highlight had to be the keynote speech by Prof. Zakes Mda the writer of many novels. For purposes of this speech the book in focus was his 2011 book Sometimes There’s A Void. Yep. The presentation was called: Memoir as Remembered Narrative.

Away from the hardcore discussions there were also poetry and dance performances and reading galore. For the blow by account of the events I suggest you use the folloing links.

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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 Workshops 2015: Dar es Salaam 23-25 January (Images)

Jackie Kamau

While the folks in Johannesburg were living it up their workshop East Africa was busy doing the first of its workshops in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The three day workshop was being coordinated by Zukiswa Wanner and Ayeta Wangusa and the participants were Valerie Bah, Magunga Williams, Maimouna Jallow, Peter Ngila, Sima Mittal, Jacqueline Kamau, Wairimu Muriithi.

The workshoping was done both at CDEA and at the Mbalamwezi Beach Club and several writers were selected to be in the list of those in the running to win the big prize at the end. Fortunately for all involved you can read a full report from Magunga Williams on the Dar workshop.

With the work done then I hearby give you some images from the weekend in Dar.

Magunga Williams

Maimouna Jallow

Peter Ngila

Wairimu Muriithi

Sima Mittal

 

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Writivism Workshops 2015: Johannesburg 23-25 January

Then there was Johannesburg. This has been considered by many to be the richest city in Africa, especially those pesky economist types. The creative writing workshop in this town was being run by Yewande Omotoso and Saaleha Idrees Bamjee.

Omotoso is celebrating a “happy birthday” today (Happy Birthday to you!) but she isn’t just about being older. She has a book out called Bom Boy published by Modjadji Books that I really loved. And I wasn’t the only one as she was shortlisted for the Etisalat Prize last year narrowly losing out on the big prize. This year she was selected to be a Miles Morland Scholar proving that her writing is something serious.

Bamjee on the other hand is a poet and prose writer as well as a photograper who won last years Writivism short story competition. She was also kind enough, which I always appreciate, to share her pictorial experience of the whole thing.

Being mentored by these folks were Saaleha Bhamjee (another one go figure) Greta Schuler, Siyabonga Lerumo, Chivimbiso Gava, Chris Djuma, Hellen Herimbi, Jafta Odendaal, Khanyile Joseph Mlotshwa, Lerato Molisana, Michelle Ainsile and Chumisa Ndakisa.

Here is a sample of tweets from the event;

 

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Writivism 2015 kicks off with creative writing workshop in Botswana

Lauri Kubuitsile

Botswana writer Lauri Kubuitsile and actor Donald Molosi were the folks who started off the biggest edition of Writivism 2015 with a creative writing workshop at the National museum in Gaberone, Botswana.
Kenyans will fondly remember Lauri Kubuitsile for the period when she was in town for the 2012 of the Storymoja Hay Festival. Kubitsile who is published by Kwela has a large body of work including children’s books, detective novellas and collections of short stories for children. Molosi on the other hand is an official Ambassador for Brand Botswana and the youngest-ever recipient of the Khama Brilliant Spirit Award (2003), a prestigious Presidential award, for his contribution to the arts in Botswana.
The participants scheduled to be in the workshop included Gomolemo Morwa, Matlhogonolo Motshegwa, Sharon Tshipa, Janet Mudongo, Tshepo Bogatsu, Florence Phuti, Thato Chuma, Ofilwe Powe, Priscillar Matara and Katlego Kol-Les. According to a blog written by Lauri Kubistile after the fact only eight of these ten attended the workshop.
Here are some tweets from some of the participants from the event that was a three day affair;

The next #writivism2015 activity will be the Lagos workshop on Jan 16-18 facilitated by Dami Ajayi, Richard Ali and Ukamaka Olisakwe.

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Writivism Short Story Prize 2015 is coming

Tendai Huchu

The short story prizes are lining up with the latest one on the block being the Writivism Short Story Prize. The panel of judges for this year’s prize will be chaired by Chika Unigwe. The judges include Mukoma wa Ngugi, Ainehi Edoro, Tendai Huchu and Rachel Zadok. Entries for the short story prize will be open February 1st.
This prize winner will be announced at the Writivism Festival which will be held in Kampala, Uganda. There will be a lot more happening at the festival with the theme Engaging the Makerere Literary Tradition: Conversations across generations of African writers. There will be keynote addresses on the theme, panel discussions, conversations on sub-themes related to the over-arching theme. There will also be master classes, a stage play and book launches.
Bwesigye bwa Mwesigire, CACE co-founder, says “The 2015 program is exciting at many levels. We have three Caine Prize winners, Tope Folarin, Okwiri Oduor and Rotimi Babatunde as mentors, and will, during our annual festival make connections across generations of African writers, from the Ngugi wa Thiong’o generation to NoViolet Bulawayo’s. These conversations will also engage a cross-section of readers of African Literature. Indeed, it’s the best time to be a reader of African Literature.”
For more information on these activities, please contact the Writivism Team on [email protected]. The Writivism website is http://writivism.com/.

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Creative writing for 2015: Rhodes University and Writivism

Kgebetli Moele wrote the most awesome Room 207 Photo/Bookslive.co.za

You want be having dinners in your honour, mad change being tossed at you as you travel world capitals and all bow in your way? Creative writing might not be the best route for fame and fortune as we all know seeing as writing isn’t the most glamorous of jobs especially in this part of the world.

If you however insist on being a writer then I have a couple of opportunities for you. One of the better opportunities comes from South Africa’s Rhodes University which is currently accepting full time applications in an MA in Creative Writing for 2015 with the deadline date of 30 October 2014.

Some the teachers you will encounter will be Lesego Rampolokeng, Joan Metelerkamp, Mxolisi Nyezwa, Kgebetli Moele, Paul Wessels, Anton Krueger, Ingrid Winterbach, Rian Malan, Eben Venter, Vonani Bila, Stacy Hardy and Robert Berold. These lads and lasses are practicing writers.

To take part in this program you want to visit www.ru.ac.za/isea/maincreativewriting for more information and application forms.

Dilman Dila Photo/Wikipedia

If you are not up to going to South Africa another option is the recently announced Writivism 2015 workshops aim at identifying emerging African writers. Announced at the Storymoja Festival 2014 on Sunday they will be held in various dates in January 2015 in five different African cities. The three-day non-residential workshops are planned for Lagos, Gaborone, Kampala, Dar Es Salaam and Johannesburg. Applicants will attend workshops in the cities closest to their residence.
Dami Ajayi, (Lagos), Dilman Dila, (Kampala), Yewande Omotoso (Johannesburg), Donald Molosi (Gaborone) and Zukiswa Wanner (Dar es Salaam) and Ayeta Anne Wangusa alongside other writers. For all the details you want to visit the official Writivism website here though most basic guidelines that one must be a resident of the African continent and not have been published before. That’s a lot of you. Deadline for submission is 31st October 2014.

If you are selected among the 25 longlistees your name will be announced at the Ake Festival next month so you want to hurry hurry while stocks last.

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The 2014 Writivism Short Story Prize shortlist is here

Abubakar Adam Ibrahim is a judge

The shortlisted stories in the running to win the Writivism Short Story Prize 2014 are out. They were selected by team of five judges chaired by Ellen Banda-Aaku as well as Zukiswa Wanner, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, Emmanuel Sigauke and Glaydah Namukasa. The stories are;

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The 2014 Writivism Short Story Prize Longlist is here

Ellen Banda-Aaku

The longlist for the 2014 Writivism Short Story Prize is out. Selected by team of five judges chaired by Ellen Banda-Aaku from over 200 entries from 17 African countries. The other judges are Zukiswa Wanner, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, Emmanuel Sigauke and Glaydah Namukasa.

The 2014 longlist comprises:

  • “Day After Tomorrow” (Paul Ugbede – Nigeria)

  • “Devils”(Wise Nzikie Ngasa – Cameroon)

  • “Dr Lawanson” (Wale Lawal – Nigeria)

  • “Fire in the Night” (Myke Mwale – Zimbabwe)

  • “Friday Night” (Chumisa Paquita N)

  • “Inside Outside” (Nyachiro Lydia Kasese – Tanzania)

  • “Kawesa” (Arnold N. Musalia – Kenya)

  • “Lunatic” (Saaleha Bhamjee)

  • “My Breasts” (Nkiacha Atemnkeng – Cameroon)

  • “Out of the Blue” (Saaleha Idrees Bamjee)

  • “Survived by” (Kelechi Njoku – Nigeria)

  • “The Gift” (Michelle Preen – South Africa)

  • “The Wound of Shrinking” (Melissa Kiguwa – Uganda)

  • “Walls and Borders” (Ssekandi Ronald Sseguja – Uganda)

The longlisted writers will work with writer Sumayya Lee in the next few days, to prepare their stories for publication in The 2014 Writivism Annual Anthology, to be co-published by Kushinda and The Centre for African Cultural Excellence (CACE).

From the fourteen longlisted stories, a shortlist of five will be announced on the 1st of June 2014. All the shortlisted writers will travel to Kampala, for the 2014 Writivism Festival, where, on the evening of 21st June 2014, the winner of the $400 prize and other auxiliary prizes is to be announced.