tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71870364744106260082024-03-18T08:03:11.123+02:00Babishai Niwe Poetry FoundationUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger322125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-33150079241619943392020-08-22T06:30:00.001+02:002020-08-22T06:30:06.353+02:00BEVERLEY SHARES INSIGHTS INTO CREATIVE WRITING AND STORYTELLING<p> Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva, ran a creative writing and storytelling workshop, hosted by The US Embassy in Kampala, Amongst the insightful advice, Beverley mentioned how important it is to start with why, knowing the overall purpose for your writing, the essence of credible characters, and a story so powerful that even the creator wishes to dive into the book, and live side by side the complex characters lives.</p><p>Below is a link to the entire recording.</p><p><a href="https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=425949715030849&id=121384077911109&sfnsn=wa&extid=19wsQn40Z7dGMGZn&d=w&vh=e">https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=425949715030849&id=121384077911109&sfnsn=wa&extid=19wsQn40Z7dGMGZn&d=w&vh=e</a></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiveEH1bvXwd-kkGmBgC16t1884vNpQAhdkHpxSQaaOWYz4Yr7nUNV37lSERE_sJ0LaRkCphfDHIzfH1qR0N49JOhsWehzEfMZvUHRvZ7B9i-MvJ7bPWCUEASCEHK22RI8V7hVoF67M70Y/s1747/BEV+NAMBOZO+NSENGIYUNVA+2020+CHOICES.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="1747" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiveEH1bvXwd-kkGmBgC16t1884vNpQAhdkHpxSQaaOWYz4Yr7nUNV37lSERE_sJ0LaRkCphfDHIzfH1qR0N49JOhsWehzEfMZvUHRvZ7B9i-MvJ7bPWCUEASCEHK22RI8V7hVoF67M70Y/s640/BEV+NAMBOZO+NSENGIYUNVA+2020+CHOICES.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-62543458869893989852020-08-22T06:19:00.003+02:002020-08-22T06:19:30.221+02:00BEVERLEY SHARES HER POETRY JOURNEY, IN THE FULL WOMAN MAGAZINE<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;">Poetry is an unparalleled form of communication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p>You may say, ‘It’s a nice day today.’ Or you may say,</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">‘Today, the sky smiled at me, and my heart escaped into the sun’s warm embrace.’<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">Both sentences describe the day; but the second is more memorable.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAdRIysy5MwQJ_hGyivIaWwNzXik3ebf88k0aWeJXGmX0Xj4hEz1uSVPxCG8HPuEcczGgwywIOr-AoCg6Bt5qZLLldBPuFBrExZt5MNJhewzrqiRYyZc6VrhfTbN-wdMqusBrzAoctb7U/s623/full+woman+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #898989; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="623" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAdRIysy5MwQJ_hGyivIaWwNzXik3ebf88k0aWeJXGmX0Xj4hEz1uSVPxCG8HPuEcczGgwywIOr-AoCg6Bt5qZLLldBPuFBrExZt5MNJhewzrqiRYyZc6VrhfTbN-wdMqusBrzAoctb7U/s0/full+woman+5.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKhGz91pX7qvfBfnqSJyX5r0YwucYlAYgJ1n1dXzcjXD6y9GMQGow9yRowfWC0mjRKX4mA_8PXaAw28317MO50DjMBIEvj-KWDHbPMU3WRT_k8KQiEhqHmlii-QY_GiGlBbW5AmIKT_gg/s960/full+woman+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #898989; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKhGz91pX7qvfBfnqSJyX5r0YwucYlAYgJ1n1dXzcjXD6y9GMQGow9yRowfWC0mjRKX4mA_8PXaAw28317MO50DjMBIEvj-KWDHbPMU3WRT_k8KQiEhqHmlii-QY_GiGlBbW5AmIKT_gg/s640/full+woman+2.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></div><br style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">I’ve always been fascinated by the musicality of words. Music in itself, is my happy place. I listen to rap, love songs from the eighties and gospel music, while I’m in the bathroom. And I often follow leading poets and speakers on YouTube. I’m restless, when it comes to immersing myself in poetry. I take risks when it comes to speaking and creating. From working on radio, where I felt at home, from 6:00am to 10:00am every weekday, I woke up Kampala City.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p>The term, ‘Morning Person,’ suited me, and I have since then relished waking up from 3am to 5am, starting the day with verve and prayer. There are countless reasons I could complain; aren’t there always. Truthfully though, the lockdown has placed my mind into a space where I am only able to receive abundance. Starting with videos posted on my growing YouTube channel (35 subscribers, as of 15 August 2020), then growing clientele for my public speaking training sessions, and above all, a heightened sense of purpose. By purpose, I don’t mean that short-lived superficial fuzzy feeling when you’re walking in a daze. I mean the grounded and consistent meaningful purpose, which despite what life may throw, I keep going. I could never have learned this on my own. Gratitude goes to individual advisors; those living across the ocean, and those nearby. There are a handful, but the calls, messages, and emails, are a constant motivation and blessing.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJk71Zywsz3Ha1INnA6FJjpUipp1GYnKy9v-d3mAothTwPU1CKEZasraJsa1onSnkP9P3fZ7x1KFoveIEAHa0kVoGF1b-kKy0fiGtLNywNb_tlbSVlTVYlQ6E-bzWANYqeDFRujUR0i1Q/s960/full+woman+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #898989; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJk71Zywsz3Ha1INnA6FJjpUipp1GYnKy9v-d3mAothTwPU1CKEZasraJsa1onSnkP9P3fZ7x1KFoveIEAHa0kVoGF1b-kKy0fiGtLNywNb_tlbSVlTVYlQ6E-bzWANYqeDFRujUR0i1Q/s640/full+woman+4.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" width="640" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">I pray too; not as often as I used to, because I want to do more receiving of the things I’ve been praying for, over the decades. I do pray, though and read the bible, at least three times a week. Listening to audio-visual sermons are important, too.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">The lockdown has been my ultimate happy place, over the past few months. Saying that with the knowledge of the devastation it has caused businesses, I’d be frugal not to share how I’ve been blessed. I don’t mean the kind of blessing that undermines others’ challenges, or undermines others’ struggles and honest hard work. I mean the blessing that keeps on appearing, as a reminder that God is actually in my life.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">It’s been a life of hills and valleys, the past 44 years; but during the lockdown, I had to kick the consistent roller-coaster of highs and endless lows, in the groin. I had had enough. Just as one challenge was closed, another fifteen would reappear, and some so subtle, like a dormant volcano, erupting in the most unusual of places, disrupting my short-lived bliss.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p>I’ve been blessed towards a sharp sense of realization. I had been missing it all along. There have been warning signs blaring red; for so long, but can’t be ignored.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p>Amongst them are:-</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">I need to follow my gut; always. This could be the prompting of the Holy Spirit, God’s leading, but ALWAYS. Whenever I haven’t, it’s been disastrous.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">God, first thing when I wake up; no matter the deadlines.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">Small things like someone arriving late for a meeting continuously; I should never ever work with them, since they have no respect for time, or work ethic.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p>If someone constantly talks about themselves and never acknowledges my own story, or voice, that is a clear sign that they have no interest in me.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">If someone shares my ideas on social media; with no explanation from where it originated, it reflects a level of narcissism and lack of originality that should be avoided like a plague.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">If someone keeps complaining about others; both online and offline, then they’ll complain, whine and gossip about me too.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p>If someone uses friendship or sisterhood, to get out of payment for my professional services, then that sisterhood may as well turn into nothinghood.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">If someone uses Christianity to perpetuate misogyny and sexual abuse, then I need to flee, and warn all the people within a 1,000 mile radius.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">Don’t chase people. Don’t put them on a pedestal Challenge them. If you place someone on a pedestal and show them you’re in constant awe, they will hardly respect you and only see you as a fan.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p>These are just a few.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">Being in lockdown has given me significant time to reflect, and introspection is something I never shy from. I have diaries full of my thoughts and lessons learned, in quiet moments.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYc4kyuQalrx4SF203DpCuJY83qVMA9NQB7mbPBFQLyOpR23wYFlDDDyuxuN4_T0y3-mAjyz1grnT1ndl5qygrb1ouy238Wfb3np_CuZpF3crco1JLcpB7aRaS0sB9kI8eJ-kpQXqIkro/s960/full+woman+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #898989; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYc4kyuQalrx4SF203DpCuJY83qVMA9NQB7mbPBFQLyOpR23wYFlDDDyuxuN4_T0y3-mAjyz1grnT1ndl5qygrb1ouy238Wfb3np_CuZpF3crco1JLcpB7aRaS0sB9kI8eJ-kpQXqIkro/s640/full+woman+3.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">The spread in The Full Monitor, Saturday 15 August 2020, is part of the story, and part of the promise from God. He and I spent copious amounts of time talking, or maybe I did more of the talking. He knows I need this, and more. I know it’s time for change. I’m enjoying the process.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-45257635602717205032020-08-20T06:22:00.001+02:002020-08-20T06:22:04.648+02:00BEVERLEY RUNS WRITING WORKSHOP; IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE US EMBASSY<p> Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva, Director of the Babishai Niwe Poetry Foundation, will be delivering a creative writing and storytelling webinar, for young writers.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwH0WvhThjvb9wkoiPwSWVytB3v9f7aK8LLYt5wUcmZikLNFC5LwxnwLx9J_6IdeP3rkGqwsx4SugcB6fnPq8SdI4TKnsvCwWKDIrhcYd5xAQ1ghd8-y2oGzAIppbvzLG6db_74Q4Fy0A/s772/US+EMBASSY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="772" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwH0WvhThjvb9wkoiPwSWVytB3v9f7aK8LLYt5wUcmZikLNFC5LwxnwLx9J_6IdeP3rkGqwsx4SugcB6fnPq8SdI4TKnsvCwWKDIrhcYd5xAQ1ghd8-y2oGzAIppbvzLG6db_74Q4Fy0A/s640/US+EMBASSY.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-90459534898413521492020-08-03T04:20:00.001+02:002020-08-03T04:20:07.077+02:00ADIPO SIDANG FROM KENYA; POET, PLAYWRIGHT, AUTHOR, AND MORE<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">ADIPO SIDANG FROM KENYA; AUTHOR, POET,
PLAYWRIGHT, AND MORE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQHi5zaBAAywJls37-qvRDpJjFb1KyTiQzl6860yqMBKyUF6QIf1knpQP8v3v-WcF0TjgSdbJdRm3aQV8P2VwEpMpsCVP3tAa1L76WulrP3UwWuWg50qQXKg6tm1KLra-bISvSXC7zjM/s1080/ADIPO+KENYA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQQHi5zaBAAywJls37-qvRDpJjFb1KyTiQzl6860yqMBKyUF6QIf1knpQP8v3v-WcF0TjgSdbJdRm3aQV8P2VwEpMpsCVP3tAa1L76WulrP3UwWuWg50qQXKg6tm1KLra-bISvSXC7zjM/s640/ADIPO+KENYA.jpg" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">First, really
excited about making it to the long-list. I’m an award-winning author, poet,
playwright, culture exponent and governance consultant. I’ve got two books to
my name – a collection of poems titled Parliament of Owls published by Native
Intelligence under the Contact Zone Series with Goethe Institut (2016), and the
2017 Burt Award winning novella “A Boy Named Koko” published by Longhorn Publishers
(2017). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">I write for fun,
for money, but I also write to cause fury and make us angry with ourselves and
the world around us, so that we can change it. Writing is my form of advocacy. I
tend to see myself as a gadfly that goads the steed of society out of slumber (to
quote Socrates). I think that’s what every artist should consider themselves to
be, or should at least strive to become. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Why
were you inclined to submit for the #Babishai2020 haiku award?</span><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I love haikus – the form, the invisible force that lingers on
despite the brevity of haikus. It’s a way of saying poetry can be short and
sweet without necessarily being caged in rhyme.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What was your process in
writing this particular haiku below?</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br />
<br />
</span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ringed with its papers</span><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">and tracked like jailbird on bail</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">the immigrant lands...</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I don’t really think about this poetry like that; but I can say my
process was chaos, anarchy, mental stampede, ideas colliding, moments of
silence, questioning, doubts, literary pangs of pain, and the birth of a 5-7-5
haiku; all in under 3 minutes. I remember writing the third line first and the
poem fell in place, in reverse. The poem was triggered by the arrival of a
migratory Osprey bird in Kenya that flew over 6,000 kilometers from Finland. The
interesting thing is that it had a reference ring on its leg; and it got me
thinking about the fate of migratory birds, and that of immigrants, what
freedom to them looks beyond the borders that chain them, and the illusion of
freedom. The bird died a few days later.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">your opinion, what is
the future of African haiku?<span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Well, hard to tell but it definitely looks promising;
poetry in general is increasingly becoming more appreciated in Africa and the
world. For a long time, poetry has been confined to the lowest rung of the
literary ladder. It’s changing – shrubs are becoming trees, and trees – a
forest; and haikus are somewhere in this fecund literary forest.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">How are we able to share
about this haiku experience, with Kenya, and the world? <span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The BN experience? It’s been great. Well, I’ve never
been long-listed for writing a three line 17 syllable poem; if it happens –
like in this case, it means there is some truth that won’t go away, that makes
a reader question or wonder. Besides that, being long listed alongside other
poets means there is something that is both common to us and to the literary
community. I cherish this experience because you hardly come by it; I mean
poetry awards in this part of the world are few, not to mention poetry awards
for haikus. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">….<o:p></o:p></span></p><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-19785427046947617472020-08-02T04:53:00.003+02:002020-08-02T04:53:33.171+02:00ANDREW OMUNA FROM UGANDA; TAKING NO PRISONERS<p>I am Andrew Herbert Omuna, a teacher by profession. My passion about arts has been evolving with changing times or state of mind at the time. I love film, writing, art and travelling. One of my poems; <em>Ode to the yellow party</em>, was published in the <strong>Best New African Poets 2016</strong> anthology. I write most of the time when I feel there is some idea that sparks my desire to put something down on paper. And although these don’t come that often, when one comes, even the other ideas that have been kept in the back do come up during this creative moment. I also write as a way of speaking my mind on paper, given that most of the time is spent on observing what is around me. These moments help me create some path for hopefully publishing a collection one day.</p><p><a href="http://babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/WEBSITE-OMUNA.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-8860" height="300" src="http://babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/WEBSITE-OMUNA-300x300.jpg" width="300" /></a></p><p>My inclination to submit to the #Babishai2020 haiku award wasn’t abrupt. I had one time applied with a full poem, although it didn’t make it anywhere that time. When this opportunity availed itself again, I thought it better to try out with the haiku. I had never written any haiku before, but with the basics of a 5-7-5 format, I decided to take on the challenge. And because I first saw the call for submission on the night of 31<sup>st</sup> Dec 2019 – 1<sup>st</sup> Jan 2020, I knew I had to try something new and make this a year for writing more often, and if possible, compete.</p><p>After seeing the call for submission for the haiku, it was then about doing some research into what made a piece be called a haiku. Although there are regular and irregular forms of haikus, I stuck to the regular form of 5-7-5. On the days I saw the call (night of New Year 2019-2020) and when I wrote the haikus (night of 1<sup>st</sup> March 2020), it was about what I loved most and what I was going through at the moment. I was doing the night shift on those days and yet I also loved my sleep. This was the first haiku I actually wrote that night. It had to be something about sleep and the many pieces of advice I had heard about too much sleep. With the idea sorted, the rest was about making choice of words fit within the 5-7-5 format.</p><p>the morning rain falls</p><p>endlessly hugging thy sleep</p><p>frozen ideas die</p><p>by Andrew Omuna</p><p>The African haiku, as is with many other forms and genres of writing, might get swallowed up by the generalization of academic theories often formed for other kinds of “reading.” If the future for the African haiku is to blossom, I would like to see content revolving around our community. Relatability is very important. Although the origin might not be African, the uniqueness of our experiences, adaptability to the form, having more calls for haikus, could help create a role within the vast free form of poetry generally known by the greater African population.</p><p>I would think of creating an awareness drive with other poets, performers and writers, to challenge themselves by creating haikus as part of their works. Since majority of creative writers are more familiar with free verse poetry, getting into this space will create an extra experience of brief poetic forms. Publication of these haikus, whether in paper print or online would help push this experience to a global milestone. Lastly, since the haikus are brief, the chances of them accompanying other forms of media is great. Art pieces, outdoor displays, creative art classes can all lend a hand in pushing this experience to more people in Uganda and around the world.</p><p>.....</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-20885588958638405072020-08-01T06:11:00.003+02:002020-08-01T06:11:21.290+02:00AHMAD HOLDERNESS FROM NIGERIA; POET, FATHER, AND DOCTOR<header class="entry-header " style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 146px; position: relative; z-index: 1;"><h1 class="entry-title" style="border: 0px; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Oswald, sans-serif; font-size: 2.4rem; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: 2px; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px 0px 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">ADMAD HOLDERNESS; NIGERIAN POET</h1></header><div class="entry-body" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 146px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="entry-content" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 3em; min-height: 4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://i2.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/AHMAD-.jpg" style="border: 0px; color: #e1122a; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-8833" data-attachment-id="8833" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="AHMAD" data-large-file="https://i2.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/AHMAD-.jpg?fit=620%2C620" data-medium-file="https://i2.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/AHMAD-.jpg?fit=300%2C300" data-orig-file="https://i2.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/AHMAD-.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080" data-orig-size="1080,1080" data-permalink="http://babishainiwe.com/2020/08/01/ahmad-holderness-from-nigeria-poet-father-and-doctor/ahmad/#main" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" src="https://i2.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/AHMAD-.jpg?resize=300%2C300" srcset="https://i2.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/AHMAD-.jpg?resize=300%2C300 300w, https://i2.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/AHMAD-.jpg?resize=1024%2C1024 1024w, https://i2.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/AHMAD-.jpg?resize=150%2C150 150w, https://i2.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/AHMAD-.jpg?resize=768%2C768 768w, https://i2.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/AHMAD-.jpg?resize=90%2C90 90w, https://i2.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/AHMAD-.jpg?resize=380%2C380 380w, https://i2.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/AHMAD-.jpg?w=1080 1080w" style="border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="300" /></a></p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I am a medical doctor, a husband and a father amongst other things. I write long-form and short-form poems (haiku) and some of my haiku can be found in journals such as on Frogpond, Chrysanthemum, The Mamba, Creatrix, Acorn, and Haiku Presence. Also, I was shortlisted for this award in 2017 Haiku Awards and have some works in Africa Meets Vienna Afriku Anthologies. I nurture a dream to prescribe my poems as pills<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </em>and this influences my writing. Beyond this influence, I write mainly because writing is a gateway to all the identities I have become. I am a man and in addition to how I have described myself earlier, I am a Muslim, an African, and many other subtle identities that must find balance within the package I consider as myself. As you can perceive, I am trying to simplify myself, thus it can be said that I am a complex man who writes to simplify himself.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Why were you inclined to submit for the #Babishai2020 haiku award?</em></strong></p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I was inclined to submit for this award because I was certain that it would be competitive. For the past few years, Babishai has been a platform that has greatly contributed to showcasing the talents of African poets, especially in the Haiku genre and I am proud to be associated with this progress.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What was your process in writing this particular haiku below?</em></strong><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></em></p><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></em><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></em>bitter kola<br />grandpa breaks into<br />a new tale</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As simple as this haiku looks, it packs a punch. I started writing it in my mind, drawing from the sights of what I see the African society becoming. The elders in African culture are considered wise men and the tales they tell are known to guide/admonish the youngsters about the moral codes as well as the needs of the African society. The process of writing this haiku evolved just as the reality of the evolving cultures around me. So, what came to me first was a common retort I use when I am slightly surprised and unprepared for something and I simply utter; snap. Next, I asked myself what snaps? The first picture that came to my head was the error message you get when you can’t access a webpage. I played around this idea and this launched my mind to search for deeper meanings from exploring my thoughts and my experience and I think I came up with my first draft when I had a cough/cold and recalled how orogbo (bitter-kola) was considered a good remedy for it and how it snaps into two when you break it. This moment was the key element in writing this haiku as it juxtaposed all my memories/experience relating to the key elements of the haiku, so I took out my phone and typed my thoughts in the Notes app.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Once the draft was written, I revisited it every night; I do this usually with all the other poems in my notes app and review and amend them accordingly. Once I made a mental note that the poem has reached the state of perfection of what I needed it to express, about metamorphosis, I just knew I would be submitting the poem for the Babishaiku Haiku awards. I finished writing the poem perhaps six months before the call for submission for the Babashaiku awards. To describe the process in one word, I would say it was empirical.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In your opinion, what is the future of African haiku?</em></strong></p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Permit me to unsheathe a philosophical response to this question;</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">When is a door not a door?</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The answer to this riddle and the riddle itself is how I see the future of African Haiku. While some may consider growth as linear, I tend to see it as cyclical. What is clear is that what many perceive to be walls or barriers to their growth are actually doors. Once an African poet realizes this, the door is no longer a door and the influx of talents into what is behind the door (the future) is an exciting adventure that promises if not guarantees excellence. In other words, the future of African Haiku depends on those who realize the potential use of Haiku, the brevity it offers, the emotion it packs and moment in time it captures as a form of portal into a multiverse that documents and celebrates the African tradition and its people in a form that is elegant and reminiscent of the hopes of our forefathers.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How are we able to share about this haiku experience, with Nigeria, and the world?</strong></em><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </strong></p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The easiest way to share this experience is to gift it. The foundation has done well by positioning itself as a platform that identifies talents and sharing this haiku experience can be done through haiku workshops and also by supporting/creating journals where Nigerians and the world at large can explore this unique art. There still a long way to go but it is very exciting and creating a viable network of artisans and administrators for this purpose will surely reap immense benefits. We need to design and enrich a museum where these works can be appreciated.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-63386768439687205852020-07-31T05:54:00.001+02:002020-07-31T05:54:26.059+02:00AKELLO CHARLOTTE FROM UGANDA; WRITING IS LIKE BREATHING EXERCISES<header class="entry-header " style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 146px; position: relative; z-index: 1;"><h1 class="entry-title" style="border: 0px; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Oswald, sans-serif; font-size: 2.4rem; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: 2px; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px 0px 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">KELLO CHARLOTTE FROM UGANDA; WRITING IS LIKE A BREATHING EXERCISE</h1></header><div class="entry-body" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 1.5em 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 146px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="entry-meta" style="border: 0px; font-family: "Droid Serif", Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.2rem; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; left: 0px; line-height: 2; margin: 0px 0px 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-align: right; vertical-align: baseline; width: 111px;"><span class="date" style="border: 0px; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span><span class="edit-link" style="border: 0px; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></div><div class="entry-content" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 3em; min-height: 4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I’m Akello Charlotte. A student at Makerere University, a Ugandan writer and poet. I first got ‘serious’ with writing poetry while at Nabisunsa girls and since then I’ve never looked back. Otherwise, I’ve been a writer since childhood.</div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div></div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/AKELLO.jpg" style="border: 0px; color: #e1122a; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-8818" data-attachment-id="8818" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="AKELLO" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/AKELLO.jpg?fit=620%2C620" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/AKELLO.jpg?fit=300%2C300" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/AKELLO.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080" data-orig-size="1080,1080" data-permalink="http://babishainiwe.com/2020/07/31/akello-charlotte-fro-uganda-writing-is-like-a-breathing-exercise/akello/#main" height="300" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" src="https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/AKELLO.jpg?resize=300%2C300" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/AKELLO.jpg?resize=300%2C300 300w, https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/AKELLO.jpg?resize=1024%2C1024 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/AKELLO.jpg?resize=150%2C150 150w, https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/AKELLO.jpg?resize=768%2C768 768w, https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/AKELLO.jpg?resize=90%2C90 90w, https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/AKELLO.jpg?resize=380%2C380 380w, https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/AKELLO.jpg?w=1080 1080w" style="border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="300" /></a></div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I write to take the weight off my chest, to me, writing is like breathing exercises. It takes writing to calm me when I’m in distress. Above all, writing comes to me so naturally that I feel clogged when I don’t write for a few weeks. I also think poetry is beautiful.</div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I submitted for the Babishai haiku award 2017 and I was shortlisted so I gained some following. Many friends asked me to help them with the ‘trick’ of the haiku. I taught so many people the basics of haiku in the process. I didn’t want to submit this year since most of my students were interested, but most of them encouraged me to. I chose my best from the haikus I’d written, hoping that this time, maybe I will win.</div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></strong></div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What was your process in writing this particular haiku below?</strong></div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">delicate mounds</div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">parting soil in the night</div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">to die out soon</div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One thing I didn’t want to do was to be inclined to the rules of the haiku(5/7/5 syllable count). I wanted to be free and free I was. I drew my inspiration from mushrooms, I love mushrooms but they come overnight and wither the next day.</div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In your opinion, what is the future of African haiku?</strong></div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There’s so much poetry in Africa as a whole. The late buses, the bleating animals, the shameless acts of corruption, the trees that look like humans in the night. The haiku in particular, a special poem, is allover. I believe we can use the haiku to capture images that cameras can’t. However, many young poets think the haiku is too complex and believe they can’t write it but what I’ve learnt during haiku lessons I teach, once one masters the haiku, it’s very easy.</div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How are we able to share about this haiku experience, with Uganda,</strong></div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and the world?</strong></div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I think we just need to write more, and promote the haiku more, like this kind of competition is a good start. If someone sees a haiku, they will be inclined to see more haikus in places they go.</div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Many Thanks.</div></div></div><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-91558740428836061822020-07-30T04:04:00.002+02:002020-07-30T04:04:46.167+02:00JUSTICE JOSEPH PRAH; HAIKU ESSAYIST AND CRITIC FROM GHANA<p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Justice Joseph Prah</em></strong>, is the name I am known by friends and all. I was born on September 2, 1985 and hail from the South-western part of Ghana, Volta Region, specifically Hohoe. I am an educator, who has since 2005 been teaching African and Western Literature in high school. In 2015, I joined African Haiku Network and become a haiku essayist and critic. I have the penchant for researching about other poets in general and lurching into the void to find their disclosed and undisclosed motivations as well as other reflective reasons.</p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/WEBSITE-JUSTICE.png" style="border: 0px; color: #e1122a; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-8786" data-attachment-id="8786" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="WEBSITE JUSTICE" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/WEBSITE-JUSTICE.png?fit=620%2C620" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/WEBSITE-JUSTICE.png?fit=300%2C300" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/WEBSITE-JUSTICE.png?fit=1080%2C1080" data-orig-size="1080,1080" data-permalink="http://babishainiwe.com/2020/07/30/justice-joseph-prah-essayist-and-critic-from-ghana/website-justice/#main" height="300" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" src="https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/WEBSITE-JUSTICE.png?resize=300%2C300" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/WEBSITE-JUSTICE.png?resize=300%2C300 300w, https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/WEBSITE-JUSTICE.png?resize=1024%2C1024 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/WEBSITE-JUSTICE.png?resize=150%2C150 150w, https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/WEBSITE-JUSTICE.png?resize=768%2C768 768w, https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/WEBSITE-JUSTICE.png?resize=90%2C90 90w, https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/WEBSITE-JUSTICE.png?resize=380%2C380 380w, https://i0.wp.com/babishainiwe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/WEBSITE-JUSTICE.png?w=1080 1080w" style="border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="300" /></a></p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">To me, writing literary or any scholarly material is much like time-travelling into the future to successfully connect with our up and waiting generation while adding your creative mileage to the present achievements chalked by writers. The subject matters we explore subtly today are just not in themselves mere fictionalization of 21<span style="border: 0px; bottom: 1ex; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 0px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">st</span> century problems, but throve of information waiting to be accessed by tomorrow’s writers. Look at the tedious duty of the archaeologists and Egyptologists today; what do they do in their quest to reconstruct thousands of indigenous history lost to time and age? They invest billions of dollars year in year out to dig, scratch and surf through tough rocks and drought-ridden territories. They have got one self-tasked assignment; that is, the search for yesterday’s lost literary materials and information! Just like the hieroglyphics, some of us are also quite pleasured to leave traces of our existence here and forever. I equally write to concretely define my environment, its re-occurring problems and beautiful stories worth appreciating especially in academic circles or discourse.</p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Why were you inclined to submit for the Babishai 2020 haiku award?</em></strong></p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">I should say in a matter-of-fact tone that I personally did see entering this year’s haiku contest as an inclination to keep exploring my artistic skills in practicing the haiku art. This has been the moving strength behind all contests I participated in even outside Africa. This year’s contest is yet another evidence in itself haiku is no longer a bona fide “<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">poetriculture</em></strong>” of Japanese alone. The evidence is further clear! Look at how haiku poets have in recent year doubled-up all over African continent.</p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> </p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What was your process in writing this particular haiku below?</em></strong></p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">garden opera</p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">in the moon’s spotlight</p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">a frog leads chorus</p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> </p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">Well, let us say I am inwardly a conservatist-poet still in tuned with the past-but-not-almost-gone good old days that got wrecked in the daunting task of bringing the swift urbanization into our humble continent by the West. A system neo-cultural theorist brought to Africa and put into force to pillage away the green hills, lakes, rivers and our pleasantly idyllic settings. My search for those out-of-sight nature’s influences over our ordinary life is a sacred duty I still hold very nobly. Every year, when the long-in-coming rains start refilling emptied out ponds, wetlands and guttered rivers, I take a pleasure-stroll around just to record in time exciting sceneries into my journal; great experiences that could possibly inspire most of my haiku including this simple one above. One graceful evening (<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a.i 21st June 2019</em></strong>), after two successive rounds of downpour, the expected ‘froggy’ choral croak came this thick and awful from a neighbor’s garden ; such a deafening sound! I came out, braved up and tiptoed so close. Truth be told, I have had countless encounters of this moment before, but this was out-rightly fascinating. Just at where the darkness colored the pond, I spotted a meaty but lone frog in the fallen shadow of the moon’s circle, croaking along with others. Bingo! A haiku moment materialized out of something mercurial. But it is the fine- tuning of the recorded experience into the three-minted lines that brings the awe. . Let me pull off the hook loosely and say the poetic arrangement of the clustered moment into the 15 syllabic fragment and phrase-based sentence did come with a slight toughness as I overly kept revising every line to get the haiku come alive for the contest. Currently, the rains are still pattering and tapping and I am still collecting moments for my next ku.</p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In your opinion, what is the future of African haiku</em></strong>?</p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">This is the most appropriate question of all. Honestly. ‘<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Afriku</em></strong>” started not too long ago. In fact, many practitioners of the Basho-art would recall gladly the watershed moment is still a new-comer to some African poets including the old. It has not truthfully gone up the waistline measurement literally. We are still making surprising inroads into the art. Presently, only a fraction of us write and capture the moments right and genuinely believe it is contently different from other forms of poems like ballad, sonnet, limerick, satire, ode etc. Let me add, without guilt that writing a wonderful haiku is not that easy like a leisure walk in a park; it is not an imaginative outcome. It is an experiential write-down of a glamorous moment that turns imaginative in John Keats’ ode. The future for African haiku looks bleak unless we adopt ‘<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">poetricultural’</em></strong> attitude of repeatedly organizing contests like this to wake ourselves up to keep the art alive. I am so disappointed at a University professor (In one of our leading African Universities) who willingly talked an undergraduate out from writing a whole content of his researched paper on the practice of haiku in Africa some years ago. You are utterly surprised right? Well, that’s the kind of fear I have. But I must take off my cap for Professor Wole Soyinka who undoubtedly praised the new haiku practitioners in Africa a year ago.</p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </em></strong></p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How are we able to share this haiku experience, with Ghana and the world?</em></strong></p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">The practice of haiku is highly ubiquitous. When one captures that frozen moment into a three-lined stanza then the whole outcome is no longer a poem but a golden meaning for literary appreciation. Every haiku is expertly written to wake some moments up in us and all the 10 ku selected are not an exception. Rainfall pattern, though slightly variant at all belts of Africa swells up rivers, lakes, puddles as it ushers in frogs that almost look extinct during the dry season. This is a scene everyone from Timbuktu to Zululand is in sync with. Haven’t we all at a point in our growing-up moments enjoyed the discordant “opera’ show of this nocturnal creatures? In one African folktale, the story sits in that the frogs were once rain-makers in the animal kingdom. They croak on unend to charm the rain god. In this haiku how ever, I share with all the power in unification. The dressed up rhythmic sound comes in unison and it expresses a unique theater of people recognizing their togetherness and what it can do for them. As the frogs croak on relentlessly, they consciously inspire humans to take pride in reaching for their collective aspirations, even as different continents, in a pluralistic way. The concepts of individualism, racism and <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">‘mono-familism’ </em></strong>are unhealthy for the progress of humanity. Again, these amazing creatures exemplify the lingering truth that one cannot easily define what an actual music is. Perhaps, it may be the reason Keats says <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“heard melodies are sweet, but unheard melodies are the sweetest”</em></strong></p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">Thank you.</p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">...</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-73236917590206531422020-07-29T05:17:00.000+02:002020-07-29T05:17:58.124+02:00ALI ZNAIDI FROM TUNISIA; EXCHANGED SCIENCE FOR ART<p class="gmail-MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> ALI ZNAIDI; EXCHANGING SCIENCE FOR ART.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25JjvESrzIkMrfyNy101jIa5TGO_CK2P36-jzLuBDIU0-3n7wpvTA4GgdMD6RVsCvyXauipJWTfoLF1SJx8iPMB2gih_BDgyollqF4SG-JZBlFejqZ-1oPXJzseqxEeosuaFXnUFjleg/s1080/Will+You+Be+My+Valentine_+Instagram+Post+%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25JjvESrzIkMrfyNy101jIa5TGO_CK2P36-jzLuBDIU0-3n7wpvTA4GgdMD6RVsCvyXauipJWTfoLF1SJx8iPMB2gih_BDgyollqF4SG-JZBlFejqZ-1oPXJzseqxEeosuaFXnUFjleg/s320/Will+You+Be+My+Valentine_+Instagram+Post+%25282%2529.png" /></a></div><p class="gmail-MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="gmail-MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Having developed and cultivated a passion for literature, writing, and arts from a young age, I sacrificed medical and scientific studies to get involved in literary studies. I studied English at the university and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Anglo-American Studies in 2002. There is nothing here, in Tunisia, concerning creative writing in the English language. Tunisian publishing houses and magazines publish creative writings either in Arabic or in French. By the way, although it is humble, my experience is unique as I am among a couple of names (which are counted on the fingers) who originally write poetry in English in Tunisia. (Writers here write either in Arabic or in French). Besides, I am the only Tunisian, writing in English language and residing in Tunisia, who is widely published in international literary magazines. Thanks to the Internet and small presses, I have the opportunity to be published in more than 350 international magazines since I have been submitting, which is in itself a great accomplishment, especially in my case as a nonnative speaker of English. For instance, my poem “Curvaceous Black Sappho in White Shoes” was published in the<span> </span><i style="font-style: italic;">Aké Review</i><span> </span>in 2019 alongside the work of Nobel Prize Laureate for Literature Prof. Wole Soyinka. This is extremely humbling and exciting all at the same time.</p><p class="gmail-MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Talking about my poems and my use of the English language, Annie Avery editor of<span> </span><span style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://heardmagzine.blogspot.com/2014/01/ali-znaidi_28.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Heard Magzine</a></i> said, </span></p><blockquote style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(242, 242, 242); border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 0px 2px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; quotes: "" ""; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><p class="gmail-MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Tunisian poet Ali Znaidi’s poems rise up like flowers from the challenges he has faced as a writer. Now in full bloom, his work has been published numerous times with a new chapbook forthcoming. His craft is skillful and inventive and I sense a philosopher peeking out from behind his words. He writes in English as if it was his mother tongue, but the mystical voice of his ancestral gift cannot be hidden.”</p></blockquote><p class="gmail-MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">I always consider poetry as a kind of a panacea. So I write to heal my wounds. Every word in a poem or haiku functions as an aspirin or a pill. I strongly believe in the healing power of the poetic word. Without poetry, I would lose my self-control. Poetry is my presence in this world. The sheer joy of being published has always its own charm. Reaching the reader makes the day of the poet. That’s why procrastination makes me very anxious and perplexed. Without writing, I feel invisible. I also love writing because it changes raw and ordinary language into something sublime. I always strive to do so.</p><p class="gmail-MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b style="font-weight: bold;">Why were you inclined to submit for the #Babishai2020 haiku award?</b></p><p class="gmail-MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">I submitted 3 haiku poems for the #Babishai2017 haiku award. As I didn’t make it to the longlist, I wanted to give myself another chance by submitting for the #Babishai2020 haiku award . I also love entering writing competitions especially those of high caliber like yours hoping to reach global readership. Well, here I am on the longlist alongside talented writers. Whether we like it or not winning a prize gives the writer exposure and recognition.</p><p class="gmail-MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b style="font-weight: bold;">What was your process in writing this particular haiku below?</b></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b style="font-weight: bold;">total blackout…<br />street lamps glow with<br />mating fireflies<br /></b><br />I have always pondered on dichotomies because of the contradictory human nature and the paradoxes available in the environment. I live in Redeyef; a mining town in the south west of Tunisia where from time to time all lights are turned out or extinguished due to a storm, intense heat, or maintenance. So I always wonder what if there is total blackout. Hence the only solace I could imagine is some mating fireflies bestowing their light upon the dimmed or extinguished street lamps. I wanted to create a seemingly picture of hope—mating fireflies and the promise of light multiplication. I tried to capture that light at the end of the tunnel in a country suffering from agents of darkness.</p><p class="gmail-MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b style="font-weight: bold;"> In your opinion, what is the future of African haiku?</b></p><p class="gmail-MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Answering this question about the future of African haiku brings to mind one and only one word, that is promising. With a burgeoning community of such African haiku poets as Adjei Agyei-Baah, Emmanuel Jessie Kalusian, Kariuki wa Nyamu, Anthony Itopa Obaro, Kuadegbeku Pamela, Celestine Nudanu, Blessmond Alebna Ayinbire, Kwaku Feni Adow, and, humbly, myself, just to name a few, the future could only be bright..</p><p class="gmail-MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b style="font-weight: bold;">How are we able to share about this haiku experience, with Tunisia,<br />and the world? </b></p><p class="gmail-MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Writing haiku is really an enriching experience. But being a poet who writes in another language rather than Arabic or French in Tunisia is very depressing because of lack of support and audience. The funny side is that, for now, I am more known in the world than in my homeland. Anyway, despite health issues, lack of support, and other hurdles, I’m striving to achieve success.</p><p class="gmail-MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to express myself and for your unflinching zeal in the promotion of haiku in Africa. I am very grateful to the Babishai Poetry Foundation, you (Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva), and the Babishai team for giving African poets and haikuists this opportunity to showcase their work. I also want to congratulate all the longlisted poets and wish them good luck</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-78361628954094523022020-07-28T01:01:00.000+02:002020-07-28T01:01:02.271+02:00OSHO TUNDE; POET, ACCOUNTANT AND NIGHTINGALE, FROM NIGERIA<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Osho Tunde Matthew is a Poet, Accountant, and Nightingale; from Nigeria</div>
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First, I will like to express my joy and gratitude for making the prestigious #Babishai2020 haiku long list.<br />I am a fresh graduate of Accounting and poet resident in Lagos state, Nigeria. I am a Nigerian Nightingale whose works have appeared in a number of poetry anthologies. Aside from books, I love coffee and nature.<br />About why I write; I write to break the silence of my body, to convey its discontents, joy and other activities. And poetry is my tool.</div>
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I was inclined to submit for the Babishai2020 haiku award mainly because I was searching for growth. I have always seen Babishai Niwe foundation as one of the indispensable literary platforms in Africa to raise my voice in such a very noisy world.<br />Also, the amazing works of Marial Awendit, Kariuki wa Nyamu and other past winners on this platform woke my inclination. Here I am, jumping for the joy of growing and belonging.</div>
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The process of writing this haiku was quite taxing and exciting at the same time. It was my first time. Cramming a story in three lines could take a degree of diligence and patience. I allowed the poem to speak to me in many ways– for instance, how broken places could still be home.</div>
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I wanted to bear witness for nature existing under my feet without any alteration or misrepresentation of reality. I was deliberate. I took risks of words and form to cut a haiku that could simply tend imagination to accessible experience.</div>
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in the wall</div>
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deep opening abandoned</div>
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geckoes’ room</div>
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The future of African haiku in my opinion is glorious. You will be thrilled by the miracles, the various revelations these young poets are making regarding our shared experience as Africans and as humans. Beautiful voices like Ali Znaidi, Kariuki wa Nyamu, Andrew Herbert, Praise Osawaru, Justice Joseph, Ahmad Holderness, Rose Wangari, to mention a few are on the rise with what the foundation is doing. Thumbs up!</div>
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Thank you</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-11864983315066300602020-07-27T06:28:00.000+02:002020-07-27T06:28:38.504+02:00PRAISE OSAWARU FROM NIGERIA, ESCAPES SOLACE THROUGH WRITING<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Praise writes because it instills calmness and confidence.</div>
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Praise Osawaru, 20, is a Nigerian writer and (performance) poet of Bini Descent. He's currently an undergrad at the University of Benin, Nigeria. He's mostly fascinated by things atypical and/or containing speculative elements, but also dabbles in realism. Most of his works are inspired or drawn from his personal experiences, often mixed with some lies or altered truth. As the only boy child of his parents, he found solace in penning his thoughts and emotions, and it evolved into</div>
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something stunning. His works (poetry and prose) have appeared or are forthcoming in _African Writer, Afritondo, Analogies & Allegories Literary Magazine, EroGospel, Feral, Kalahari Review, Perhappened Mag, Praxis Magazine, Serotonin,_ and elsewhere. He was also longlisted for _African Writers Award 2019_ and shortlisted in the _2019 Kreative Diadem Writing Contest_. He spends his time reading, binge-watching, writing, overthinking, or admiring nature. You can find him on</div>
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Instagram/Twitter: @wordsmithpraise.</div>
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<b>Why do I write?</b></div>
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That question always frightens me, because people expect a profound reason as to why a person writes. I write for myself and anyone who finds solace in words. I write because it's a medium in which I contentedly express and can be myself. I write because it helps unload my prickling thoughts and instills in me calmness and confidence. I write because I've experienced something, and sharing it could help others deal with their current situation and the unpredictability of life. I write because the voyage of life can be gloomy and writing is my torch with which I banish the flirtatious darkness. I write because it keeps me, my thoughts, and my memories alive.</div>
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<b>Why was I inclined to submit to Babishai?</b></div>
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I'd heard about the Award from a friend, so when I saw the call for submission for this year, I asked myself, why not? I love to experiment with my writing; always looking to try new styles and forms. And I also love nature, so I decided to submit to _Babishai__ 2020 Haiku Award.</div>
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_I'm glad I did, and that I made the longlist.</div>
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<b>My Process in Writing My Haiku?</b></div>
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Firstly, I read previously shortlisted works on _Babishai Haiku Award_, then I found an African Haiku Journal, _The Mamba_. I downloaded some issues and also read, to acquaint myself fully with Haiku (I previously thought it was just 5, 7, 5 but I learned it was beyond that). Then I</div>
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meditated.</div>
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Where I live in Ikorodu, Lagos, Nigeria, there are grasses in the environment. We even have some banana trees in our compound. And I often like to come out of my home, stare at the surrounding, and gaze at the sky when I'm ruminating. Mostly to get some air from excessive indoor</div>
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time.</div>
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So, I was outside on the porch, and it was windy. I saw the trees subjected to the blowing wind, and the idea was birthed. But I was also faced with not sounding cliché because a number of people have written about how the wind makes the tree dance. So I decided to use a different and unique language. "Song and musical" came to mind as a result of a musical I'd just watched. When you think about it; the trees reacting to the wind, it's nature's musical. It's all about seeing things</div>
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atypically.</div>
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the wind plays</div>
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every tree sways to its song-</div>
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nature's musical</div>
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<b>What's the future of African Haiku?</b></div>
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Looking at the history of the _Babishai Haiku Award_ and the shortlisted works, I can say that Haiku has a place in Africa. Also, when I googled African Haiku and came across _The Mamba Journal_ I was amused. I mean, there are a lot of Haiku writers in Africa. And I believe we will keep</div>
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carrying the torch, and people will disbelieve that you can't tell so much in little words. Eventually, this 'traditional form' will sound not-so-traditional.</div>
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<b>How are we able to share this Haiku Experience with Nigeria and with</b></div>
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<b>the world?</b></div>
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Well, there's little motivation for Nigerian writers to engage in Haikus. I believe if there were more platforms and literary bodies and contests promoting Haiku in Nigeria, we would be able to share the</div>
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experience with everyone.</div>
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But, for now, social media is a tool with which we can reach thousands of people, and share our Haikus with the world.</div>
<br /><br /><br />Thanks.<br /><br /></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-62573091173619037742020-07-26T04:33:00.000+02:002020-07-26T04:33:25.230+02:00ROSE KINYANJUI: POET, AUTHOR, TEACHER, FROM KENYA<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt;">My name is Rose Wangari
Kinyanjui. I am a married mother of two girls. I was born and brought up in
Kenya by Kenyan parents. I am a teacher by profession, having studied the
mainstream Kenya curriculum and The Waldorf Education system and have been a
teacher under the teacher's service commission and later in the private sector.
I love writing because I find it the best way to express my thoughts and ideas.
There is a story in everything I see, people, animals, vegetation, name it. I
have authored a book, MY FATHER MY HERO, a girl’s celebration of her father
living with a disability.</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt;">I had heard about
babishainiwe about two years ago via social media. I began my year 2020 with a
renewed mind and wanted to venture into what I had always sat back and let
others do. The renewed mind drove me to take part in the Haiku award 2020
because I believed I had a story to share.</span></strong><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt;">I have a great concern
over the depreciating environment. Cryptically, I look at the moral decay that
suffocates, justice, upholds impunity and embraces the "NEW NORMAL"
of oppressing the poor, the orphan and the window. Truth has been choked
beneath the garbage of those with bulging pockets. You breathe when they
decide.</span></strong><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt;">Africa is full of
poetry. Haiku style is what needs to be embraced and encouraged. It can be
taught alongside literature in school. I believe Haikus have a big place in the
heart of Africa only if we get to hear them more, understand them more and
embrace them as a way of expression and a form of writing.</span></strong><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt;">For us to share this
experience with Kenya and the world, we will need to have the experience first
as writers/poets. I believe writing is not only geared towards making awards
but also being educative and improving self-confidence in freedom of
expression. Like an artist behind an easel with paint and brush, so is a poet
with a haiku on their lips. We can also have forums to sensitise people through
teaching workshops, open cafe entertainment/festivals for the young and old.
Perhaps, stakeholders can convince the educationists to consider incorporating
this in the curriculum.</span></strong><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-125352324131162862020-07-26T04:29:00.000+02:002020-07-26T04:34:09.946+02:00DEVIS THE TRANDFORMATIONAL POET, FROM UGANDA<br />
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Devis
the poet is a Poet, playwright born and raised in Makindye, Kampala.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He
started poetry with Milege Uganda, and later joined a poetry community in
Makerere University called Kelele @ Makerere. Following that, he founded a
group of Poets with his friends, Wake and Kira Waibi, called POTTERS CLAY. He
has performed on all major poetry platforms and major arts festivals around the
country like KITF, BAYIMBA FESTIVAL OF ARTS, MILEGE WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL, among
others. He is a member the pioneer Tebere arts lab (class 2019)<o:p></o:p></div>
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As a
solo act now, he has held two one-man shows in one weekend called the 2018
LINES AND RHYMES, and he is an author of a chapbook titled, DOOMED KIDS.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This
is why he writes:<o:p></o:p></div>
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The
transformation from wanting to be the best poet there is to wanting to be a
great leader in my poetry community. To inspire the poets that look up to me by
giving them an example that hard work and moving out of comfort zone, is key to
every poet's/artist's success. In this particular case, it was "you cannot
win, unless you are you are part of the game."<o:p></o:p></div>
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When
I saw the call for the #Babishai2020 haiku award, I knew I had to submit, but
with new work. Every morning, after reading all sorts of haikus, I would go for
a run or walk, hoping to find something to write to about, then I would head
home to freshen and go pick my little nephew to take him to his grandmother's then
I would return to settle and write. In the taxis back to baby's grandmother (my
mother) we would sit next to the window, when there was traffic we would watch
everything steadily because the taxi would be moving slowly, but when it was
moving fast, it was a tug of war trying to make him sit properly. The day I
wrote the haiku, the old lady seated next to us asked why I can't hold the baby
properly because he was making her uncomfortable, and I told her I am doing my
best but the trees cannot stop running past us, and am I scared there is
nothing I can do to stop them. When I got back home, it’s the haiku I wrote.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In
the future, as long as competitions and awards like Babishai keep happening and
having continental dialogues about the works, we as Africa are going to have a
common understanding of an African Haiku.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In
the future, Babishai can take it beyond the award, extending it in schools, performance
spaces, having working workshops and having winners as Ambassadors for the
movement.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-31649479831339960442020-07-14T08:06:00.001+02:002020-07-14T13:52:02.608+02:00#BABISHAI2020 HAIKU LONGLIST<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><o:p>It is with great pleasure that we announce our #Babishai2020 haiku longlist. The Chief Judge, Kariuki wa Nyamu, who also won the 2017 haiku prize, agrees that it was with careful deliberation that the list was made, with such astounding and unparalleled talent. He shall share more, in an extended interview.</o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GPWQQDYSPysBqfXT4Hu1-RGyacZosLEYJe2nVxDIBdI2GXCag0xuOkxgWWd8InDwyrK1efQ7coWr79ehIfX8dgN094GXZGKYbC1n6ivFg90mxtqQ4UgVjcYy7C4wq_wgDL4ZOYo1EI4/s1600/BABISHAI+2020+LONGLIST.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GPWQQDYSPysBqfXT4Hu1-RGyacZosLEYJe2nVxDIBdI2GXCag0xuOkxgWWd8InDwyrK1efQ7coWr79ehIfX8dgN094GXZGKYbC1n6ivFg90mxtqQ4UgVjcYy7C4wq_wgDL4ZOYo1EI4/s400/BABISHAI+2020+LONGLIST.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To all the poets on the longlist, warm congratulations. It's always a pleasure and paradise, to read from such highly imaginative work, and again, thanks for bearing with us as we navigate how to excel and make positive impact, in online spaces. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let's continue to extend out creativity from within, to spaces where we can make a difference.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Below are the top ten haiku winners, of the #Babishai2020 haiku prize.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">total blackout...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">street lamps glow with<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">mating fireflies<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Name: Ali Znaidi</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Country: Tunisia</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.......................................</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">the morning rain falls<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">endlessly hugging thy sleep<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">frozen ideas die<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">NAME: Andrew Herbert
Omuna<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Country: Uganda<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.......................................</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">the wind plays<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">every tree sways to its song–<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">nature's musical <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Name: Praise Osawaru<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Country: Nigeria<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">.......................................</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">my child's eyes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">can still see trees run past<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">our small moving car.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">Name: DEVIS THE POET</span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<span style="background: white; mso-highlight: white;">Country: UGANDA</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.......................................</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">bitter kola<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">grandpa breaks into<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">a new tale<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">Name:
Ahmad Holderness</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Country of origin:
Nigeria<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Country of residence:
Nigeria and United Kingdom<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: black;">.......................................</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">delicate mounds<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">parting soil in the night<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">to die out soon<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">Name:
Akello Charlotte</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Country: Uganda<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.......................................</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">garden opera<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">in the moon's spotlight<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">a frog leads chorus<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Name: Justice Joseph
Prah<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Country: Ghana<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">where is fresh air?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Name: Rose
Wangari Kinyanjui<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Country: Kenya<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">ringed with its papers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">and tracked like jailbird on bail<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">the immigrant lands...<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">Name:
Adipo Sidang'</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Country: Kenya<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">in the wall<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">geckoes' room<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Name: Osho Tunde
Matthew<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Country: Nigeria<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Details of award-giving shall be shared in due course.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-43579203279472169722020-07-12T16:37:00.000+02:002020-07-12T16:43:25.489+02:00 LESSONS FROM MONKEYS; AND HOW MABIRA FOREST IS A MARVEL: POETRY AT MABIRA FOREST.<br />
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<o:p> </o:p>LESSONS FROM MONKEYS; AND HOW MABIRA FOREST IS A MARVEL: POETRY AT MABIRA FOREST.</div>
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Written by Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4rXI6mZH5arbF46XWPypjfnWLMoLzcdZKKZMzOJ_EcIQLI-blKG6XB9iJbn1_wW0VGm_1c9-SJY2ciuXwP3jubGwEFBBt3WUbyEDb9Wxt9AwCKQ4qDGDxnk-aqbu_RxYjNu6RE_hyphenhyphenzA/s1600/LYZBET+AT+MABIRA+FOREST%252C+BABISHAI+2017.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1132" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4rXI6mZH5arbF46XWPypjfnWLMoLzcdZKKZMzOJ_EcIQLI-blKG6XB9iJbn1_wW0VGm_1c9-SJY2ciuXwP3jubGwEFBBt3WUbyEDb9Wxt9AwCKQ4qDGDxnk-aqbu_RxYjNu6RE_hyphenhyphenzA/s400/LYZBET+AT+MABIRA+FOREST%252C+BABISHAI+2017.png" width="282" /></a></div>
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A half-bitten mango, still wet,
from the saliva of a monkey, lies on the ground. A half-eaten fig, with
particles of dust and stones sticking to it, lies on the ground. Interdependence.
Kindness. Lessons from monkeys. In 2017, The Babishai Niwe Poetry Foundation organized
its second poetry-nature trip. This particular adventure, titled, ‘Poetry at
Mabira Forest,’ opened an entirely new understanding of how social economies
are built. The forest walk guide, Hussein emptied himself heaps of knowledge
about medicinal trees, Musamya River, and the marvel of the 306 sq km, covered
by Uganda’s largest tropical rain forest.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPUhg8P_K26CohUIqAGGJqidpfz1aqy2P9jDNZOkmDI67OrGn5RRWoaUa_S3B7DxwKLliP6JMTSF1fZqnphkfBtrTWf5VzHC5-05jlCc8g7YUJpl2YOKSgAm8QDJzxE2OxYrL0M1GzSY/s1600/BABISHAI+2017+AT+MABIRA+FOREST.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1136" data-original-width="1600" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPUhg8P_K26CohUIqAGGJqidpfz1aqy2P9jDNZOkmDI67OrGn5RRWoaUa_S3B7DxwKLliP6JMTSF1fZqnphkfBtrTWf5VzHC5-05jlCc8g7YUJpl2YOKSgAm8QDJzxE2OxYrL0M1GzSY/s400/BABISHAI+2017+AT+MABIRA+FOREST.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Safari ants, Hussein duly warned,
were a constant menace, and he advised extra caution. There were about twenty
poets, academics, journalists and well-wishers in total, who set off on Friday
4 August, from Kampala City, for the launch of the #Babishai2017 Poetry
Festival at Mabira Forest. Situated in Najjembe in Buikwe District, Eastern
Uganda, between Lugazi and Jinja, the forest boasts of 312 types of trees, and
315 bird species. Covered by such a green density, the forest, for some parts,
blocked out the sky and was replaced by an eerie yet welcoming canopy of
leaves. There are tropical trees standing at heights of 197 feet, with buttress
roots, and one remarkably powerful tree was the Prunus Africana, known to have
the medicinal ability to heal prostate cancer and malaria. How empowering to
know of the healing nature of trees, and to be honoured with such vastness of
miracles. Why then would we intentionally destroy it? Are we oblivious to
nature’s healing influence? Mabira Forest’s unmistakable clout continues
towards the Musamya River.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBg2ANxODMOtjIE6wXk_ddaiza9bifEwHKTE6DnN_dp5mT_q6bxzsceJBdtOZmtmd8iptPN5vhd5opt87IFZmhWp47MVuEBQwZ55kfwICiIOmG6mK5qfZ2vwiuw0iwiQWYBB3xE0Bb8k/s1600/BABISHAI+GRIFFIN+FALLS.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBg2ANxODMOtjIE6wXk_ddaiza9bifEwHKTE6DnN_dp5mT_q6bxzsceJBdtOZmtmd8iptPN5vhd5opt87IFZmhWp47MVuEBQwZ55kfwICiIOmG6mK5qfZ2vwiuw0iwiQWYBB3xE0Bb8k/s400/BABISHAI+GRIFFIN+FALLS.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Musamya River flows earnestly in
the Western and Northern part of the forest, joining Sezibwa Falls, and
eventually flowing into the River Nile. Musamya Falls, also named Griffin
Falls, is a major site, which unfortunately has been partly ruined by the
continued burning of sugarcane and dumping of waste, in the surrounding areas.
Apart from promoting poetry, and performing witty and unconventional verse,
across Uganda’s breathtaking landscapes, the Babishai poetry-nature series is
intent on promoting environmental conservation. This trip identified several
areas that were disconcerting, and that hopefully would alert all Ugandans and
stakeholders as gatekeepers and stewards of the environment that we have been
lavished with. The environment includes both the flora and the fauna. These
include the often misunderstood nature of the monkeys.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A half-bitten mango, still wet,
from the saliva of a monkey, lies on the ground. A half-eaten fig, with
particles of dust and stones sticking to it, lies on the ground. Interdependence.
Kindness. Lessons from monkeys. These primates leave the forest bed littered
with half eaten fruit; for the sole purpose of ensuring that there is food for
other animals that mostly crawl or scamper on the ground. Amongst these that
benefit from the fruit, are millipedes, snails, squirrels and porcupines.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Having first taken a tour of
Mabira Forest myself, in 2005, during the heavy protests over the deforestation
of large parts, for sugarcane planting, I was enamoured then just as I was
enamoured eleven years later. With the notes taken by the poets who travelled
and the footage sponsored by the Babishai team, I was able to capture the
essence again. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As a risk-taker, with a
fascination for heights, Hussein who also managed my zip lining expedition,
explained about the thrill of the one-hour adrenaline-pumping ride. Cruising
over, while hanging on for dear life, is as daunting as it is exhilarating.
There are six zip lining ‘flight’, in total, the last covering 87 metres across
River Musamya, leading to the final descent. Some more avant-garde couples,
decide to ride together, leaving onlookers in awe.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Babishai 2017 Mabira Forest
nature trip, was, all in all, a once-in-a-lifetime delight, with the promise of
subsequent poetry excursions across Uganda. <o:p></o:p></div>
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…………………………………………………………………<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.babishainiwe.com/">www.babishainiwe.com</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Email: babishainiwe@babishainiwe.com<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-10481918974484315992020-07-04T10:50:00.000+02:002020-07-04T11:02:25.727+02:00BABISHAI AND BUTTERFLIES: ICONIC MOMENTS<br />
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BABISHAI AND BUTTERFLIES: ICONIC MOMENTS</div>
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By Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva<o:p></o:p></div>
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They are diurnal; active during
the day, like most humans have been trained to be. With large activity during
the day time, they act as agents of pollination, laying a copious number of
eggs, for their own life insurance. Their eggs are often eaten by all types of
predators, from spiders, ants and a few birds, therefore reducing the risk of
predation, by increasing the number of eggs that they lay. While butterflies
come in about fifteen thousand types of species and vary in their lifestyle,
after exploring for a while, not as an entomologist, but as someone who’s
fascinated by their curious nature, I unearthed (pun intended), a few images of
butterflies, taken in 2014.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFkwL7j2M2vC6E96irV0gWBmz3ixygmOMIFDem7sjV5hDjn6O2_HkzOzJtesZ8kYLbU3XKhBU-u6doxfCU8OlO08CWtr_ioTShwrhHI7fdBbkRFmQpUUpRINOhpPDb1k4OCraNMWqVpE/s1600/BABISHAI+BUTTERFLY+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1136" data-original-width="1600" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFkwL7j2M2vC6E96irV0gWBmz3ixygmOMIFDem7sjV5hDjn6O2_HkzOzJtesZ8kYLbU3XKhBU-u6doxfCU8OlO08CWtr_ioTShwrhHI7fdBbkRFmQpUUpRINOhpPDb1k4OCraNMWqVpE/s400/BABISHAI+BUTTERFLY+1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Babishai Niwe Poetry Foundation,
which promotes African poetry coordinated an East Africa poetry exchange
programme, with a Kenyan poet, Michael Onsando, who visited Kampala for a few
days. During his visit, he led discussions on the politics and aesthetics of
poetry, during an evening hosted by Femrite, where the discussion varied from
the potency of East African poets, to the validation sought by African literary
gatekeepers, to sustainable livelihoods in poetry. It was a vibrant evening,
laced with intellectual and creative discourse.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Babishai and the butterflies.
Getting to that. A friend of Babishai’s and a personal friend of mine too, Tom
Forrest, a retired British Diplomat, who has lived in Uganda for decades of
years, with a house on Buziga Hill, overlooking one of the most breathtaking
views in Uganda, invited us to a brunch. Together with Jackee Batanda, a writer
and entrepreneur, and Sophie Alal, writer and winner of the 2010 BN Poetry
Award, we had a remarkable time. Tom is a nature enthusiast, whose garden
boasts of such a wide variety of plants and flowers, that we were immersed in
it for a while. My mother, who runs a successful landscaping business,
introduced me to the magnanimity of plants and flowers, and I’m always
enamoured by the experience. It was here while we chatted and walked in the garden,
which a few butterflies kept flitting around us. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0NXs0lY3NKxmKJYUj8yfnSpP3LaiBddZSBMWHZqywGDHWPDrx2pETcxZnHon3O8yay2fvvyuIjBKl7Ke7agwFW-f9vIT3RLt9roARknGupIdpbgk2TrxOWG8Wmp5PffCAyuXZDLsKWY/s1600/SOPHIE%252C+BEV%252C+JACKEE.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1136" data-original-width="1600" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0NXs0lY3NKxmKJYUj8yfnSpP3LaiBddZSBMWHZqywGDHWPDrx2pETcxZnHon3O8yay2fvvyuIjBKl7Ke7agwFW-f9vIT3RLt9roARknGupIdpbgk2TrxOWG8Wmp5PffCAyuXZDLsKWY/s400/SOPHIE%252C+BEV%252C+JACKEE.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Like any human with fairly good
eyesight, we were drawn to their essence. With Jackee’s camera, thanks to her
photography skills, we were able to capture some iconic moments of this
butterfly. One black and yellow species was by the window sill, stately and
striking. How do you capture such beauty in just a photograph? How do you sip
enough of it, to quench your insatiable need for nature’s grandeur! It’s
impossible. We tried, though. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It was later that I discovered
butterflies never fly in straight lines, to confuse their predators. They do
not want to leave obvious flight paths, as that would make them easy prey. On
reading Robert Greene’s ’48 Laws of Power,’ he too recommends that we should
leave a little mystery to our habits and schedules. A change in routine, puts
people off-guard and you not only brighten your vibe, but also heighten your
security. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve seen photos and videos of
heavy set adults chasing butterflies down across miles, with butterfly nets.
Their indirect flight confuses the butterfly catchers, and it’s quite a sight
to watch.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6VKh8jp9A6VybXeTGIwy7Pce3W5sEC7k29WGVPioTHuNfqOgvI2af1KUp54T4J_UETxUMXiPC38R5soYnVsfENblllPHRmr4IhTeLLuSYTOegT5oHMwgRyuiIJ-Y0qbt0a62kiBLdOs/s1600/Onsando.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1136" data-original-width="1600" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6VKh8jp9A6VybXeTGIwy7Pce3W5sEC7k29WGVPioTHuNfqOgvI2af1KUp54T4J_UETxUMXiPC38R5soYnVsfENblllPHRmr4IhTeLLuSYTOegT5oHMwgRyuiIJ-Y0qbt0a62kiBLdOs/s400/Onsando.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Lessons from butterflies: We must
lay a large number of eggs; because that raises the assurance of survival. Live
in such a way that even with half of your ideas, plans, or activities failed,
there is assurance that your legacy will remain intact. Not because you had a
million ideas, but because the predators could not reach them, or destroy them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lessons from butterflies: Be
unpredictable. Don’t live such a monotonous and regular life, which leaves no
surprises. If you’re a dancer, change the music. If you write, change the
characters, and if you’re a parent, change your style.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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There are hundreds of iconic
moments with Babishai, which were captured in photos. I’ll be sharing more.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Thanks
for reading. The various lifestyles of butterflies was information gathered from discussions with friends who love to travel around Uganda, and an article in The Eye Magazine.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Babishai edits poetry, and if you
have a collection of fifty poems or more that you would like us to look at,
email <a href="mailto:babishainiwe@babishainiwe.com">babishainiwe@babishainiwe.com</a>,
or call +256 751 703226.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-88484730101708642312020-03-27T06:51:00.000+02:002020-03-27T06:51:42.044+02:00ANNOUNCEMENT: FESTIVAL, CREATING, HAIKU
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27 March, 2020</div>
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Dear Friends of Babishai, Lovers
of Poetry, and Leaders in the Arts,</div>
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We are looking forward to a
tomorrow that is better than today.</div>
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During this time when the world
seems to be spinning under our feet, let’s keep our heads high, and remember
the effectiveness of our togetherness, our creativity and our steed. In these unprecedented
days with Covid-19 stretching its ugly neck in unwanted spaces, the Babishai
team has agreed to postpone our festival, which was scheduled for June, 25-28
in Kibaale, by the crater lake.</div>
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We appreciate all who have
reached out to us with care and advice. That means a lot, that even with your
own challenges, you still think of others. The #Babishai2020 Haiku award
deadline passed and the judges shall proceed with their work. The announcement
of the shortlist and winners though, shall be postponed to June, until we
finalize on a new date for the festival.</div>
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Please take care of yourselves
and your loved ones. Keep to the prevention measures, until we kick Corona out
of our lives. </div>
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Keep writing and reciting too, because
people around you need the warmth that stems from a creative mind, more than
ever.</div>
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Regards,</div>
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<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"></span>The Babishai Team</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-49535225053547699952019-10-24T06:29:00.000+02:002019-10-24T17:20:57.438+02:00BABISHAI NIWE POETRY FOUNDATION POETRY EDITING SERVICES<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjOI0yy4q8YW8anbZ108QG6OGjIWG28mvNtKb060h_FgR_wMLKD5d0nPc3HU9ltxKuyx8eO7ChS1ddPBqdBjM7zE68vgzNUvw6FS55MDbdOGrWg4y2_2kmBCGZoCm7CZKBMLQtewb16o/s1600/Babishai+Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="625" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjOI0yy4q8YW8anbZ108QG6OGjIWG28mvNtKb060h_FgR_wMLKD5d0nPc3HU9ltxKuyx8eO7ChS1ddPBqdBjM7zE68vgzNUvw6FS55MDbdOGrWg4y2_2kmBCGZoCm7CZKBMLQtewb16o/s200/Babishai+Logo.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">You probably know someone who has
written a poem and kept it locked up for ages; a secret like a belch, (for them
and them alone). Maybe you are that person who’s written a poem, about a moment
that was too terrifying or magical, not to be locked in the confines of pen and
paper. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The BN Poetry Award began for that
reason; to tell you that some secrets are okay to share. We began this journey
of splendor, sin and secrets so that unrecognised poets, especially, would have
their space to shine. Since 2009, about 5,200 poets have passed through the BN
Poetry corridors, through both the annual poetry contests and annual
publications.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Turning this service up a notch, we
want to not only spread the word of African poetry through annual contests, but
also to read, reread, proof read, edit and give advice on poetry and haikus,
from Africans. With every contest, we often receive such requests. Before we
announce our 2019 annual haiku award, kindly indulge:-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">BABISHAI NIWE POETRY FOUNDATION
POETRY EDITING SERVICES<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">After receiving our umpteenth request
to read, edit and assess poetry and haiku from both emerging and established
poets, we have decided to create an official space for this highly sought after
service. We have decided to fill a much needed gap.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">SUBMIT YOUR AFRICAN POETRY FOR
EDITING<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The Babishai Niwe Poetry Foundation
is officially opening up a professional editing space for African poetry. To
all emerging and established poets of African descent, kindly submit your work.
We have subsidized the rates for African poets. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Details:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">All submissions must be submitted as
a Microsoft word attachment, using Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri, font size
12, single-spacing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Kindly use a header at the top right
corner and include your name, draft
title of your submission (not compulsory), city and country of residence, city
and country of origin (if different from above).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">This is a professional service, and
depending on the amount of work submitted, there will be a fee.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The Subsidized Poetry Editing Rates
are as Below:-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">10-20 Poems -
$200<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">21-50 poems- $500<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">If you’re interested in the Babishai
Niwe Poetry Foundation going further to publish your work, that can be followed
by a formal discussion on preferences, design, time-lines, quantity, and other
essential criteria.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">You own the copyright.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Kindly submit work to </span><a href="mailto:babishainiwe@babishainiwe.com"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">babishainiwe@babishainiwe.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">. You may also call +256 751 703226<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Thanks for being such a support
towards African poetry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Towards the end of the year, we shall
be calling for submissions for our 2019 African haiku contest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Follow us on Twitter: @BNPoetryAward</div>
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Instagram: babishai</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-37576557561785644482019-08-10T08:38:00.000+02:002019-08-10T08:38:14.494+02:00The BN Poetry Award’s Esteemed MC, Sophia Aniku<br />
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<o:p> A</o:p> starless night, a breeze and a poetry home,
brimming with minds agog with excitement. In August 2009, we launched the BN
Poetry Award, founded by Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva, at a lavish dinner in Kampala City. This award, an annual celebration
of Ugandan women’s poetry, soared into the constellation, a new belief in
poetry by Ugandan women. Like any event, Mcs, hosts and Chief guests, are often
the cement of any occasion.</div>
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Sophia Aniku. (Photos courtesy of Buyondo)<br />
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Sophia, a radio and television and radio
personality who also manages a fashion house of Ankara and other well-sought
after African clothing, was there to witness the first award-giving dinner of
the BN poetry Award. She not only participated as a witness but she indulged us
in her enviable gift of MC-ing. With Sophia, she emits charisma, confidence and
elegance effortlessly. Always one to hold herself to high standards and employ
admirable work ethics to her tasks, the BN Poetry Team, was highly blest to
have her.<o:p></o:p></div>
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During a recent interview with her in celebration
of ten years, Sophia reflected with alacrity and humor.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Interviewer:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Sophia, what stood out on that evening of
August 2009, during the launch of the BN Poetry <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Award?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sophia:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>For me, it felt like when you’re building
a fire and you start with that first spark, and you <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>know that there will be additional wood. It
was definitely something that would grow over time. It was our little secret.
People’s minds and spirits were tuned to that moment. It was intimate, quiet
and special. People took it all in.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Interviewer:
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>You have emceed at three of our
BN Poetry award-giving dinners. For each of those times, what was a constant
factor?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sophia:<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>The
participants wanted to take ownership of it. They brought their families,
interns fully participated and I do recall telling Stella Nyanzi to be quiet at
one of those memorable evenings. There was such rich diverse members of the
audiences, in age as well. The momentum kept building. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Dr. Stella Nyanzi at the 2009 BN Poetry Award dinner.</div>
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Guests across the arts, academic and corporate sector.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Interviewer:
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>You’ve worked and lived around
Africa, Is there any insight into the poetry scene?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sophia:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>In
Abuja, House<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>33, there is a space
owned by a playwright and screen play writer of Blood Diamond. This house provided
opportunity for artists to come and express their work. He encouraged hard-core
exchanges with passionate artists. Those kind of people should work with
Babishai across the continent.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Interviewer:
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>Whom do you think should read our
children’s books?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sophia:<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span></b>The children’s books are
fabulous. Children need this very type of stimulation. The orgnic experience
can be found in books.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Congratulations, Babishai. We are reaping the depth
of the galaxy of poetry. We are our own sonnets. Babishai is the sonnet. The
song to the word.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Above is the Babishai team, speaking to hundreds of students at Kabale University, in Matrch, 2019.</div>
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Thank you Sophia<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-52722678820304581872019-08-08T16:05:00.005+02:002019-08-09T15:38:06.365+02:00YO WASTE APP!, , POETRY AND ELECTRIC CARS AT SCIENCE STORIES AFRICA<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It drives me to indescribably awesome heights, when I'm invited to speak, perform poetry, and train. When firebrand and mastermind behind Science Stories Africa, Patricia Nanteza, extended a request for me to train some of Uganda's most ingenious scientists on how to creatively share their discoveries to the world, I accepted the invitation in a heartbeat.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-siMPHU06m76agai7qNsk3HvA-RRzBMfgOcJ-6rgCM8QR_dNl7saXq2H2BbKEoJHgxoLrJblF9dGTt1fu-K8yAakZimdpEbGr0ydZ8qNrJQKxo5KjN8mE0oXF7Vwg5uBhVt9RT8cXIVc/s1600/ss+africa+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-siMPHU06m76agai7qNsk3HvA-RRzBMfgOcJ-6rgCM8QR_dNl7saXq2H2BbKEoJHgxoLrJblF9dGTt1fu-K8yAakZimdpEbGr0ydZ8qNrJQKxo5KjN8mE0oXF7Vwg5uBhVt9RT8cXIVc/s320/ss+africa+1.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This photo captures me embracing the moment as I was engulfed in science.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Courtesy photo: Science Stories Africa</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">At the start of a much-needed two-month holiday, in June 2019, I plunged into the training. Science Stories Africa is a platform intended to create connections between leading Ugandan scientists and their discoveries, to the rest of the world. The intention is to make science more palatable, relatable and creative. My job was to articulate that and train the scientists into managing their discoveries, difficult laboratory terms and impossible to believe experiments, into stories, so that entire audiences could hear and learn from them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Allan Muhumuza, Engineer at Kiira Motors EV. Photo Courtesy of Science Stories Africa</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In
2008, Vehicle Design Summit (VDS) Teams from 35 Pre-eminent Research
Universities built a 5 seater Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicle, The Vision 200
Led by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Makerere
University, the only African team, developed the Power Train and in-Vehicle
Communication Network for the Vision 200. <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">The electric car made by the </span><a href="http://mak.ac.ug/" style="font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px;" target="_blank"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: windowtext; padding: 0in; text-decoration-line: none;">Makerere </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: windowtext; padding: 0in;">U</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: windowtext; padding: 0in; text-decoration-line: none;">niversity</span></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> Vehicle
Design Project, was finished and was taken for its first test-drive on Tuesday
1st November 2011. The test-drive was successful and attracted a lot of local
and international attention. Allan Muhumuza, who was amongst the senior
team members of the project, a passionate and inspired new father, used his
daughter, Atara, as an inspiration to model green cars that are environmentally
friendly and offer more socially compatable options for other commuters and
pedestrians.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Let's embrace ourselves, too, for the first electric powered environment friendly public bus. We can't wait!</span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJfpZPEgVH4zcEfhPCH2DiIkIrAJkH9tstG5PyCSUtqzynEWGpYHGqMyUIWmxF4kmxTVa2y7iwbOjmuCZUNTTV0Pos_iUFidLvea58Akkec453snbpylQeZ1rrVh3YLF-ZWuUXFqY0OU/s1600/ss+africa+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="783" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJfpZPEgVH4zcEfhPCH2DiIkIrAJkH9tstG5PyCSUtqzynEWGpYHGqMyUIWmxF4kmxTVa2y7iwbOjmuCZUNTTV0Pos_iUFidLvea58Akkec453snbpylQeZ1rrVh3YLF-ZWuUXFqY0OU/s320/ss+africa+6.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></o:p></div>
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With Dr. Priver Namanya Bwesigye, Photo courtesy of Science Stories Africa.</div>
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Priver genetically engineered entirely new plants, from a process known as cell suspension. Targeting a specific type of matooke highland breed, Priver, in four arduous years, challenged by walking away from the project, depression and fatigue, soldiered through with fortitude. <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Being able to re-generate plants from
cells empowered Namanya and other scientists to try to enhance the plants’
defence mechanism through genetic engineering. This came at a crucial time when the particular matooke breed had begun significantly reducing in quantity. Now, it's possible to reproduce this breed, through genetic engineering.</span></div>
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Martin Tumusiime, of Yo-Waste App! </div>
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Yo-Waste, is a mobile app that explores ways of reducing the heaps of garbage in your community, Their mission is simple:</div>
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<span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: "times" , serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: small;"> To create sustainable and waste free communities. We do all this through developing innovative technology solutions that allow people to recycle more and haulers to divert more collected trash to recycling industries. As a young entrepreneur with knowledge of advanced technology Martin set to work with a group of youthful smarts and developed this timely, convenient and resourceful application.</span></span></span><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: "times" , serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMM57wRC0ARxYGjNxdHS7b-aj9SlrJQRpUyVsLwiNXZNibidYKCiM_LEZ8gTOPDwhfEEpM-ZJXbsIUruRZPGIEn8NrowMXUXhyphenhyphenJ-BWOaZpi0dnUZP0QQgTtewKP7BE1Ew5Ly6I9r81GKs/s1600/ss+africa+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMM57wRC0ARxYGjNxdHS7b-aj9SlrJQRpUyVsLwiNXZNibidYKCiM_LEZ8gTOPDwhfEEpM-ZJXbsIUruRZPGIEn8NrowMXUXhyphenhyphenJ-BWOaZpi0dnUZP0QQgTtewKP7BE1Ew5Ly6I9r81GKs/s320/ss+africa+4.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></span><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: "times" , serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-family: "times" , serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Above is the entire group of five laudable Ugandan scientists, at the launch of Science Stories Africa in June 2019.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Prof. Wilberforce Tushemereirwe, Director of The National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), as a child, experienced the morbid reality of attending burials of other children. As an adult, his observation led him to realize that the large deficiency of Vitamin A in foods, could possibly be a leading factor of those early deaths. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Using Genetically Modified processes, he , with other scientists, have increased Vitamin A content in matooke. He stands by the word that the foods are safe for consumption.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Engineer Alphonse Candia, another formidable scientist, on growing up in Arua, where smoked fish was a delicacy, realised that with tragic deaths from liver cancer, there could be a link to the local ways fish was smoked. Through the invention of a smoking kiln,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "merriweather" , serif;"> a prototype that was tested and found to be effective in preserving fish without the dark-smoke, Engineer Candia is heralded for his magnanimous work in science and in improving livelihoods.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgBV1mJUuzNqvebiVOS5LCEJF1aZaO-b3XT_5OBkE0fLQzbTeGBW1ivoimbD6QkxZCHSrmqfkzCnOZwcTzFJOatAvxsustI9CxIt06KPZzYcOgOeqcIlu2C-Mu2_dasektt-zBjdAnnM/s1600/ss+africa+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgBV1mJUuzNqvebiVOS5LCEJF1aZaO-b3XT_5OBkE0fLQzbTeGBW1ivoimbD6QkxZCHSrmqfkzCnOZwcTzFJOatAvxsustI9CxIt06KPZzYcOgOeqcIlu2C-Mu2_dasektt-zBjdAnnM/s320/ss+africa+3.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Above are the mesmerized crowd, filling the National Theatre auditorium, listening to the heartfelt, endearing and empowering stories of the five scientists.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Photos are from Science Stories Africa.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For me, being part of the enchanting thread where dreams and nightmares turned into possibilities, to hear firsthand how lives are actually changed, thanks to scientists who sharpened their grit to make a difference. It's nothing short of wow!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">By Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-8565627910846346112019-01-17T06:41:00.000+02:002019-01-17T06:41:16.812+02:00SARAH IJANGOLET AKOL: BABISHAI'S NEW SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
Sarah Marione Ijangolet Akol is an artist and graphic designer based in Kampala, Uganda, proficient in traditional painting but choosing digital art as a medium of expression – including the design of wearable art in the form of t-shirts and other casual apparel. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9n8OQI88w30EUr9QTbb09Fk12jtMaTZ0bsDYQ0OGTmwVl4d7mWswe4u8ha7Pk-s66mRC5PJVcunPdgNx8wQFfitXVFGtyp09gX2UAwDGdqEXmxsUf-a1QLiN_z2qAVRFhrpOHB2yu6o/s1600/IJANGOLET.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="889" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9n8OQI88w30EUr9QTbb09Fk12jtMaTZ0bsDYQ0OGTmwVl4d7mWswe4u8ha7Pk-s66mRC5PJVcunPdgNx8wQFfitXVFGtyp09gX2UAwDGdqEXmxsUf-a1QLiN_z2qAVRFhrpOHB2yu6o/s1600/IJANGOLET.jpg" /></a></div>
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Having developed and cultivated a passion for art from a young age, Sarah studied fine art in O and A level at Mt St Mary’s Namagunga and Gayaza High School respectively, and attained a Bachelor’s Degree of Industrial and Fine Art at Uganda Christian University, Mukono in 2017. In 2018, she decided to enrich herself with the skill of Illustration, an interest she developed from exposure to storybooks and comics. She hopes to use this skill to illustrate her own book of Ugandan folk tales.</div>
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Sarah is passionate about vector illustration and portraiture and is fascinated by Ugandan folklore and mythology, a lot of her work being an exploration of the rich world of Ugandan fantasy and mythos as passed down from generation to generation. She chooses not to be limited in her depiction of Ugandan deities and supernatural beings, allowing her imagination to stretch and mould their visages and appearances to accommodate how truly extraordinary the tales about them are. In doing so, hopes to conserve as many of these folk tales as possible.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-36532283113086208742018-11-21T07:53:00.002+02:002018-11-23T13:18:02.869+02:00MY NAME IS SANYA NOEL:ENGINEER BY DAY AND POET BY NIGHT<br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">My
name is Sanya Noel and I’m a poet living in Nairobi. I work as a mechatronic
engineer during the day and get back home in the evening to read and write,
though that is getting a little harder with time. I’m an editor at Enkare
Review, which is a Nairobi based literary magazine that I joined in in 2016. I
love some running, it helps clear up my mind and I do a lot of thinking while
at it. I graduated from
engineering school in 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Photo credit: Prophix studios</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">What
have you been up to since you won in 2016?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I
joined a literary magazine, Enkare Review, in 2016, and in the two years since
then, I’ve lived a whole literary life. I’ve been an editor, copy editor, at
the back organizing things, researching for interviews of writers I like, and
many others for the lit-mag. I put my literary production on hold for a while
running the lit-mag and it’s only recently that I got the energy to get back to
it. There was something I read about Orwell, a period when he worked in a
bookshop. For a while later, Orwell couldn’t read. He just didn’t enjoy it
anymore. One of my favorite editors is Mary Norris of the New Yorker, and I
must have read something related to her editing in her Between You and Me, how
she just couldn’t enjoy reading after becoming a copy-ed. at the New Yorker. It
must have been the same with me. By getting involved in a high energy lit-mag,
it was like seeing how sausages are made. It became almost impossible for me to
read. I was always on the edge, my editor mode activated as I looked for imperfections
that writers and editors of the works I was reading had missed. But it’s gone
now, that active mode. At least most of it. I’m settling back to enjoying a
good old honest poem and writing one myself. And a once in a while short story
and that occasional essay or non-fiction piece.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4rEQRaTM-Wtffoqeul3qgZSig_hv_6zjMOjUc2aam3OM_pBW_ae2-g9FhFbLTh1PEe49mF9COD0g2HDs9cXpkVUTS3PopNfdeVYDIq3UMKHNvgQkWMSpeJmOXJtnZz9HA_PoeGEOeDg/s1600/DE3_0934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4rEQRaTM-Wtffoqeul3qgZSig_hv_6zjMOjUc2aam3OM_pBW_ae2-g9FhFbLTh1PEe49mF9COD0g2HDs9cXpkVUTS3PopNfdeVYDIq3UMKHNvgQkWMSpeJmOXJtnZz9HA_PoeGEOeDg/s320/DE3_0934.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Award-giving at the #Babishai2016 poetry festival in Kampala. Photo credit: Prophix studios</td></tr>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">You’ve
been writing for a while. What can Kenya and the region look forward to in the
next three years?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">A
friend and mentor reached out to me and offered a good deal. He was publishing,
and I was to publish along with him. He’s an experienced writer and a person I
look up to. I took it up, but the works have been in the doldrums for a while
now. But three years is a long time for me to be too terrified of committing
now, isn’t it? Definitely a chapbook in the very least. Perhaps a full length
collection by then. I’m just getting back to the work and starting from scratch
while at it. It will take me some time to get back to full flight here, but I
have that chapbook ready, it has been ready for years, and I think it’s damned
good. I have a good feeling about it, though in Kiswahili, we say mavi ya kale
hayanuki </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">(</span></b><b><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Old droppings do not stink.)</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Old
poems may not excite me that much, and I may have to do an overhaul. That is if
my friend doesn’t like them. I hope he does though.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">We
know that you’ll be coming for our tenth anniversary. What do you hope to see?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">It’s
the poetry. I’d like to meet some of the past winners and see their work, or
their contributions. I think prizes are like blocks in running. They help you
to take off at the starting line in a race. There is a recognition that comes
with winning a prize and the money is important too. I want to meet and read
the poets who won the prize before me and those after. And I just want
conversations too. One of the things I’ve learned about old poets is their
sense of community, and it’s not just among the poets. I’m thinking of
musicians like Freshlei Mwamburi and how they had this sense of community with
others like.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="m-3020617554161176685gmail-msolistparagraph" style="background: white; line-height: 11.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m-3020617554161176685gmail-msolistparagraph" style="background: white; line-height: 11.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 56.4pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -20.4pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Of
the winners in the haiku and poetry categories of our prizes, are there any
whose works you follow to-date?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="m-3020617554161176685gmail-msolistparagraph" style="background: white; line-height: 11.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I
have followed Lillian Aujo’s work and wished she put out poems more often. I
think she’s a brilliant poet. I also keep checking on Orimoloye Moyosore and
what he’s been doing at Agbowo, another online lit-mag. The change to haiku
threw me a little off-guard, it’s not a form I’ve looked that thoroughly into.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="m-3020617554161176685gmail-msolistparagraph" style="background: white; line-height: 11.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">6.</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 7.0pt;"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">How has African poetry changed in the
past five years?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="m-3020617554161176685gmail-msolistparagraph" style="background: white; line-height: 11.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Mentioning
African Poetry almost always brings to mind the African Poetry Book Fund (APBF)
and the Brunel Prize for African Poetry. Perhaps it’s the money that attracts
attention to these prizes, or the models they use. Brunel accepts a body of
work, ten poems, as APBF’s Sillerman Prize, which accepts a full length collection.
In 2013, I was an engineering student at Jomo Kenyatta University (JKUAT) who
spent nearly all his time reading and writing poems, and I looked up to the
poets at APBF. I liked them. Clifton Gachagua had just won the Sillerman Prize
and Brunel was coming up. Interesting. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"> I'm wary of poets becoming pretentious though, over time. It happens sometimes. I also long for more accessibility of African poets on the continent. It's disheartening when some of these poets' works are inaccessible to us living on the continent and when some prizes seem to favour Western based African poets over our own African based poets.</span><br />
</div>
<div class="m-3020617554161176685gmail-msolistparagraph" style="background: white; line-height: 11.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">On the continent here, I’ve seen poets become quite solid. We have created spaces here, and
these have made poets work more. Visibility is really important. Kalahari
Review, Enkare Review, Jalada Africa, Kikwetu Journal,Expound Magazine, these
spaces have in a way inspired many to keep doing it. My discomfort is with the
styles we may have inspired. Taking stock at Enkare Review, it suddenly hit me
that the poetry we have published in our issues has been of one particular
style, and one that I’d criticize for being too abstract, though abstract is
alright. But a once in a while direct poem is a beauty too. We need those more
often.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="m-3020617554161176685gmail-msolistparagraph" style="background: white; line-height: 11.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m-3020617554161176685gmail-msolistparagraph" style="background: white; line-height: 11.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">7.</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 7.0pt;"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Which African poet do you find yourself
reading over and over again? Why?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="m-3020617554161176685gmail-msolistparagraph" style="background: white; line-height: 11.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">It’s
got to be Chris Abani. A friend introduced me to his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sanctificum </i>about a year ago and I keep going back. There’s a mix
of solidity and nuance to Abani’s poetry that just draws you in. I think I’m
going to spend a good amount of my money on his books at the end of this year.
I’ve got some book-mules coming over from America and it’s time to become poor
again, for Abani. I like his simplicity. I sometimes compare writing poetry to
walking in a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pool of water. If the water
level is low, your weight exerts some force on the floor and you have some
grip. I like that, some grip to the poem. With the water increasing, your
become buoyant and lose that grip. You can’t walk or run anymore, and now
you’ve got to swim, but it’s not high enough to swim well enough. I like some
familiarity. Poems are supposed to be clever, but not too clever while at it.
Otherwise, we lose the plot. Abani brings all these things in a poem.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="m-3020617554161176685gmail-msolistparagraph" style="background: white; line-height: 11.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="m-3020617554161176685gmail-msolistparagraph" style="background: white; line-height: 11.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">There
is also something about Jonathan Kariara and Marjorie Oludhe Magcoye that keeps
drawing me back to them. It’s perhaps their references in their works. Oludhe
wrote direct poems in such a lovely way. Kariara was sophisticated in a way
that was ahead of his time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="m-3020617554161176685gmail-msolistparagraph" style="background: white; line-height: 11.75pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m-3020617554161176685gmail-msolistparagraph" style="background: white; line-height: 11.75pt; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">8.</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 7.0pt;"> </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">What do you want to see in African poetry
in the next five years?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="m-3020617554161176685gmail-msolistparagraph" style="background: white; line-height: 11.75pt; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">It is publishing houses set up here. In Nigeria, Richard Ali has
set up Konya Shamsruni, which I believe would be an equivalent of Copper Canyon
Press. In Kenya, we have had long conversations about the same. I think we need
to publish more poets here and distribute the work on the continent. This will
inspire more poets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="m-3020617554161176685gmail-msolistparagraph" style="background: white; line-height: 11.75pt; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">But it’s not just publishing houses. We need quality too. I’m
imagining if we put together a chapbook series that had Richard Oduor Oduku, Michelle
Angwenyi, Harriet Anena, Lillian Aujo, Lydia Kasese, Saba El Lazim and Mariel
Awendit. Wouldn’t that be something now? Let’s say we are publishing
bi-annually. Seven East African poets. Two years later, we have another round
of fresh poets, say a mix of the experienced ones and bring in the younger
ones: Phyllis Muthoni, Taban Lo Liyong, Alexis Teyie... <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we keep this going such that these poets
actually earn their royalties and that the publishing houses become
self-sustaining. I would love to see that, publications that sustain themselves while producing good quality work.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">*****</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Join Sanya Noel for our tenth anniversary celebrations in Kabale by Lake Bunyonyi, from 21-24 March 2019.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Details here:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><a href="http://babishainiwe.com/2018/10/29/ten-years-of-babishai-at-lake-bunyonyi-march-2019/">BABISHAI@10 ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS</a></span></span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-20990278699164647702018-11-03T07:18:00.002+02:002018-11-03T07:18:22.832+02:00BABISHAI SEEKS A SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT MANAGER AND GRAPHICS DESIGNER<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">3 November 2018<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">BABISHAI SEEKS A SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT MANAGER AND
GRAPHICS DESIGNER<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The Babishai Niwe
Poetry Foundation, based in Kampala, has been promoting African poetry since
2009, through annual poetry competitions, poetry publications and annual poetry
festivals. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></u></b>We have identified and worked with
over a hundred African poets, published three anthologies and held four highly
successful annual poetry festivals. In 2019, our tenth anniversary celebrations
will be held in Kabale (South-Westsern Uganda) and Kampala. In order to
manifest substantial achievements, we seek a professional and qualified
personnel for the following position.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT
MANAGER AND GRAPHICS DESIGNER<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Below are the desirable qualifications:-<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><img alt="*" height="13" src="file:///C:/Users/user/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" width="13" /><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Understands or is
willing to follow the vision of Babishai: A Society Immersed in Poetry<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><img alt="*" height="13" src="file:///C:/Users/user/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" width="13" /><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Is teachable,
loyal and respectful<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><img alt="*" height="13" src="file:///C:/Users/user/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" width="13" /><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Knowledgeable of
artists, establishments and events surrounding poetry, spoken word and
performance especially in Kampala, the rest of Uganda, East Africa, Africa and
sometimes, globally<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><img alt="*" height="13" src="file:///C:/Users/user/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" width="13" /><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Ability to
compose content for social media that is compelling and noteworthy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><img alt="*" height="13" src="file:///C:/Users/user/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" width="13" /><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Capacity to
create large followings and healthy discussions on social media<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><img alt="*" height="13" src="file:///C:/Users/user/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" width="13" /><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Easy access to
the internet, a tablet or computer and a camera with excellent knowledge of
their usage<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><img alt="*" height="13" src="file:///C:/Users/user/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" width="13" /><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Ability to design
e- versions of posters, flyers, using appropriate web-based or computer
packages<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><img alt="*" height="13" src="file:///C:/Users/user/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" width="13" /><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Understands and
applies appropriately the differences between the following:-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span>i.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Its and It’s<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span>ii.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Their and There<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span>iii.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m as opposed to
Am<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><img alt="*" height="13" src="file:///C:/Users/user/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" width="13" /><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Based in Kampala,
Uganda<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><img alt="*" height="13" src="file:///C:/Users/user/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" width="13" /><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Available from
November 20, 2018.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Those interested in this
opportunity, kindly email your three-page CV, including referees, an
application letter in PDF, to <a href="mailto:babishainiwe@babishainiwe.com">babishainiwe@babishainiwe.com</a>
by 15 November, 2018.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Do not hesitate to
contact us with any inquiry. We invite you to read our website for more
information on our work; </span><a href="http://www.babishainiwe.com/"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">www.babishainiwe.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Note:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> This
is a paid position.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This position has a three-month
probation period.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Yours Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Beverley Nambozo
Nsengiyunva<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Director<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">CC: Nambozo Daniella<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">CC: Andrew
Ssebaggala<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">CC: George Kiwanuka<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-88783689325603926552018-08-14T09:32:00.001+02:002018-08-14T09:32:20.335+02:00GEORGE GUMIKIRIZA FROM UGANDA: #BABISHAI2018<br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">GEORGE GUMIKIRIZA EMERGED THIRD IN THE #BABISHAI2018 POETRY PRIZE: INTRODUCING...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">George Gumikiriza Obyaga is my name.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alias: Sir_Wootridge<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuur-dV0Evp0EY5k-EzXd4akv0EoTLs_uryDpZAyh-2Xh5cXIU1AOHR07DrbjxN4gkmLOGv97UPjGOTmXqTJr6DY2XqUDgj-XRcjy2R_9jHq_oh1ZKavjFYPsc1T41mOTNpjfqednPTcc/s1600/38422414_2000916153552724_3615141760512032768_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuur-dV0Evp0EY5k-EzXd4akv0EoTLs_uryDpZAyh-2Xh5cXIU1AOHR07DrbjxN4gkmLOGv97UPjGOTmXqTJr6DY2XqUDgj-XRcjy2R_9jHq_oh1ZKavjFYPsc1T41mOTNpjfqednPTcc/s320/38422414_2000916153552724_3615141760512032768_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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George and Remi at Sipi Falls: #Babishai2018 Festival</div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm a 21 year old Ugandan currently in my 3rd year at Makerere
University doing a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering with a great
passion for art and creativity. I like photography but I bleed poetry for it's
therapy to the mind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I started doing poetry around mid 2016 when I joined a group of
poets that were organizing a show to fundraise for the cancer patients called
"Poetry for Cancer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If I remember well none of my poems was selected for the show
because they weren't good enough. And if you asked me, I would say this was the
time I started writing poetry and gave time to every piece I wrote till I was
obsessed with it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hardly performed but kept sharing short poems on my Instagram
(@sir_wootridge.writes) and sharing them in different WhatsApp groups. Day
after day, people kept liking and commenting positively and this gave me the
motivation to take it further.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I remember for about a month or two, people kept asking me where
I got sir_wootridge's pieces from since they had googled and found nothing
about him, till I told them it was me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Process of writing the poem, Hymns of a Broken Symphony.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It took me about a fortnight to place ink on paper since I had
been asked by a friend to write about their orphaned friend who was going
through a tough time so I had to wait till the mise was ripe. So I kept
thinking about my parents and imagined how I would feel if I lost them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. Poetry to me<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Poetry is life to me. I literally bleed, think and breathe it.
Every time I see something, I'm always thinking on the half empty side of the
bottle. Generally I derive depth from small things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. 5 year goals<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First and foremost I would like to have released a book and
create my own poetry firm to mainly help the fellow young writers and mainly
the deep poets. Because I've realized most "would be" deep poets end
up doing spoken word which they actually aren't good at.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So mainly I want to make a difference, become a certified poet
and able to perform all over the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And mainly I would like to have a standing writes company to
help writers all over Easy Africa and keep growing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5. African Poets I Read:-<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chinua Achebe<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jayson Ntaro<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6. Challenges I face:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The fact that I can't survive on poetry alone but need a certain
job to cater for my bills. Which means I have to divide my time to cater for
the two which I feel is cheating my talent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Plus not many Ugandan actually understand the art so it's kind
of a hard time explaining from scratch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">7. Advice to Literature Teachers:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Literature teachers should get their students more involved in
the art, do more original writings than dwelling on the assigned books for a
year or term. It's a very big thing what I have in mind for this and my fingers
could get tired typing<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7187036474410626008.post-65065440216266380422018-08-06T07:33:00.003+02:002018-08-29T14:05:20.430+02:00CELEBRATING MARIAL AWENDIT: #BABISHAI2018 WINNER<br />
Marial Awendit, from South Sudan, was declared the winner of the #Babishai2018 Poetry Prize, on Sunday 5 August at Starlight Hotel, Mbale. The winning poem 38 Photographs of Depression, was selected amongst thousands of submissions. The Chief Judge, Prof Rem Raj, also a Babishai board member, acknowledged, on behalf of the Judging team (Alfred Msadala from Malawi and Rehema Nanfuka from Uganda), that his poem was potent, highly imaginative and brimming with originality. The #Babishai2018 award-giving ceremony was held at Starlight Hotel in Mbale, owned by renowned poet and author, Professor Timothy Wangusa.<br />
The winner receives $700 and publication of a chapbook poetry collection.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiChkm_l-Z75nrIuaetxhAGTt7g4cEb-zCwxt1w_IL95Gbw-Qk3LP0DIyKgTxyxIrjkn_pctc18zYMA-NKiEHCHv671iSsHlIQwuvI7tn7yd4gunFmI1Thck_WWbhwgQLTXjmxEmFlwvpQ/s1600/IMG-20180805-WA0116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1008" data-original-width="756" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiChkm_l-Z75nrIuaetxhAGTt7g4cEb-zCwxt1w_IL95Gbw-Qk3LP0DIyKgTxyxIrjkn_pctc18zYMA-NKiEHCHv671iSsHlIQwuvI7tn7yd4gunFmI1Thck_WWbhwgQLTXjmxEmFlwvpQ/s320/IMG-20180805-WA0116.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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Marial Awendit, on receiving the news of his win.<br />
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In second place was Grace Sharra from Malawi. Unable to attend, she delivered her acceptance speech on phone and said she was still dazed.<br />
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Grace Sharra</div>
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In third place, from Uganda, was George Gumikiriza. A young poet studying for his degree in Mechanical Engineering at Makerere University, with a passion for art and creativity.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOl66SnyJIyz4c6WS2Ut5ODaSNQAhprv1ytyvDuSQXR5GAMDFlCSpkcxeIjRuKXnqKp4RVBj_x5md_cupNikFgvvPIxlDK3m8lzro6UQqpOANDN8c7rNfpTLYqWkvIhdC-mGCloedDUw/s1600/IMG-20180805-WA0121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1008" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOl66SnyJIyz4c6WS2Ut5ODaSNQAhprv1ytyvDuSQXR5GAMDFlCSpkcxeIjRuKXnqKp4RVBj_x5md_cupNikFgvvPIxlDK3m8lzro6UQqpOANDN8c7rNfpTLYqWkvIhdC-mGCloedDUw/s320/IMG-20180805-WA0121.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Award-giving ceremony<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Z-vtS_w7z59RwFss-ptJQcNjjoTr5VZfEsoJBLuyO-T5tc8dwOBPigRN3mHpT0oSu9biJ__0RQZ6jgUEw9FuSe__82lCgD1d52TZQb_eLu5GofWP7eeR0yPfrG0YtETFK1tYDofu7hE/s1600/IMG-20180805-WA0134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1008" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Z-vtS_w7z59RwFss-ptJQcNjjoTr5VZfEsoJBLuyO-T5tc8dwOBPigRN3mHpT0oSu9biJ__0RQZ6jgUEw9FuSe__82lCgD1d52TZQb_eLu5GofWP7eeR0yPfrG0YtETFK1tYDofu7hE/s320/IMG-20180805-WA0134.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Guests at Starlight Hotel, Mbale.<br />
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The #Babishai2018 Poetry Festival took place from 3-6 August in Kapchorwa, Sipi Falls and Mbale. Organised by the teams of the Babishai Niwe Poetry Foundation and Rhythm City Mbale, Babishai Founder, Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva, says that the Babishai Poetry Foundation has grown in extraordinary measures; especially by reaching out to young poets from Africa, who would possibly have never been discovered or published. This year, the festival drew guests from Botswana, Nigeria, The United States, Rwanda and Uganda.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhPSU-0t5LamvHSaOsxJfLlib1TfJ9wuQxWImTizHm3V8IXx0j1F9Vl7N00Fd9DFogJvmQE1Kiojd_Tnt1UuY3aQD2wAnI6Y00Jncz3i7G6GHGYrLO1CAaCLsA1Ona_Q74fiN-xbkYqE/s1600/IMG-20180804-WA0044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhPSU-0t5LamvHSaOsxJfLlib1TfJ9wuQxWImTizHm3V8IXx0j1F9Vl7N00Fd9DFogJvmQE1Kiojd_Tnt1UuY3aQD2wAnI6Y00Jncz3i7G6GHGYrLO1CAaCLsA1Ona_Q74fiN-xbkYqE/s320/IMG-20180804-WA0044.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Poets at Sipi Falls: #Babishai2018 Poetry Festival.</div>
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In 2019, Babishai will celebrate ten years of promoting poetry through the annual award, publications and annual festivals. Follow us on Twitter @BNPoetryAward and on Instagram at babishai.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0