REGINA ASINDE'S FRAGRANCE WINS HER SECOND PLACE

The BNPA team is profiling past winners of the award since 2009. Here is Regina Asinde, who emerged second in 2010.

Courtesy photo.

1. What is your name, profession and how would you describe yourself?

My name is Regina Asinde. I am a business lady. I describe myself as mature, candid and a firm believer in integrity. Every day I work to improve myself and my skills—that’s part of becoming better at what I do.

2. What year did you receive the award? What was your position and title of your poem? Mention the theme of the award that year.

I received the award in 2010 and was in the second position with the poem “Fragrance”. The theme for the award that year was Money and Culture.

3. What was the writing process of this poem like?

Surprisingly, “Fragrance” was one of my “brilliant idea-put on paper” poems! When I saw the call for submissions, it was just about three days to deadline. I got thinking that I should submit a poem and even if it would not win, there was really no harm in trying and so I went home and flipped through my draft book that lovingly embraced my poems. I was searching for poems I had written whose overlaying theme was money. To my dismay, I had none even remotely hinting at that theme! So I had to go back to pen and paper and draft out something. It was during the great scandal of Temangalo land and Global Funds. As I heard a couple of neighbors discuss the scandal, wondered what could make one do what the key players in that scandal did and it suddenly hit me that it was nothing else but Money and not just the sight of it but the smell of it. And there I had the poem.

4. How did the award money and the other prizes you received, change your outlook towards writing?

They made me realize that one could actually make a living out of writing in Uganda! Earlier on, I had believed that writing as a profession that earned one an income was only possible in the western world and some other few African countries. But with this, my belief changed and I was inspired into thinking about a career in writing. Unfortunately, I’m yet to realize that dream.

5. What do you think of the BNPA, now targeting Africa and including men?

It is okay, though personally I would have loved to keep it Ugandan and strictly for women. There are so many literary awards open to all Africans and everyone which I believe others can submit their poems to. The average Ugandan woman would feel challenged to submit, particularly the upcoming poets who are not yet so confident in their artistic skills. However, when it is Ugandan only and females only, more women would be encouraged to submit.

6. BNPA is starting a Scholarship Fund for female poets in primary schools in Uganda. How do you think this will influence their poetry?

This is great. It would help them develop and grow artistically from an early age and will give them a chance to learn the necessary skills and training that would make them become better poets as they grow. I love this idea.

7. What are you working on now, artistically?

Right now, I’m writing some nonfiction book and also working on some short stories. Of course I still write poems, they are my punching bag.

8. Any final thoughts?

Hmmm----nah!

Her poem can be read on the website http://bnpoetryaward.co.ug, under, Winning Poems 2010.

Thank you Regina

BN Poetry Foundation Sends Heartfelt Wishes and News

Hello BNPA Friend,

As we enter mid-year, I hope it ends with fulfilled dreams and unexpected goodness for you. Lots has been happening in 2014 and as someone who has been dear to us, we would like to let you know that your good wishes, kindness, support and trust, have honed us further.

Introducing the new team:

On April 23rd, there was a strategic meeting for the BN Poetry Foundation with a new team of six.

Mona Nsiime, who is a recent graduate of Economics and in charge of data collection and documentation.

Ivan Okuda, a Student of Law at Makerere University, journalist and writer by talent and the Chief Executive Officer of House of Words Consult as well as Editor in Chief, of First Class Magazine.

Rosey Sembatya, poet and writer and the Founder and Coordinator of Malaika Educare, an Education Consultancy.

Peterson Iglesias, a spoken word artist, scientist, computer whizz and passionate wordsmith.

Andrew Ssebaggala, The Director of House of Talent East Africa, performer, producer and Arts Manager.

Flavia Kabuye Zalwango, a Chemist, artist and third place winner of the 2011 BN Poetry Award for the poem, Beads of Hope.

During the Strategic meeting, we identified new ways of branding, marketing, widening the scope to include the entire continent, making ourselves relevant in schools and tertiary institutions, plans for the BN Poetry award 2014 Ceremony, the launch of the poetry anthology and how to involve our Government.

We intend to b active in more areas of career guidance, offering training services, schools’ outreach, media appearances and promotions using various available companies.

We also want to work closely with Arts Therapy Foundation, run by Beatrice Lamwaka, to coordinate Poetry camps in Gulu.

Coupled to that, there are 3 days left to the close of submissions to the 2014 BN Poetry Award after which Judges Joanne Arnott, a Canadian/Metis award-winning poet, Richard Ali, poet and Publicity Secretary of Association of Nigerian Authors and Kgafela oa Magogodi, poet, musician, producer and author of the Book of Rebelations, will begin their work.

More news: The BN Poetry award winners from 2009, along with a few other notable poets from Uganda will feature in Prairie Schooner magazine, one of the world’s leading literary magazines. This Prairie Schooner 2015 FUSION project is being coordinated in collaboration with Echwalu Soyinka, one of Uganda’s leading photographers.

Later in the year, the BN Poetry Foundation, together with Deyu African, managed by Sophie Alal and National Book Trust of Uganda, will launch the first mobile library in Kampala City. BN Poetry Foundation and several other partners will also open the first Poetry Library in Kampala and as soon as the books arrive, details of this will follow.

Under the BN brand, is the BN Leadership Academy for Women and Girls in Africa, which is built on seven pillars, one of them being Leadership Through Readership. Operations will begin in 2015.

Thank you very much for the financial contributions to our mobile money campaign. Much appreciation. Looking forward to sharing and being a part of more Literary Festivals and events later on in the year like Bayimba, Writivism, Open Mic , Poetry –in-Session and many more.

We will be profiling the winners of BNPA from 2009 to 2013 on the website from next week (5th to 9th May), blog and facebook page, to find out what they are doing, their writing, how their poetry has shaped and to learn much more from them. Many perform regularly in Kampala and Nairobi, run workshops, have been published and have great aspirations.

I,BNN, was also selected as the 2014 Commonwealth Games Poet, representing Uganda, and the poem, Lake Nalubaale, will be broadcast during the Games.

Best Wishes and a special rest of the year. You may follow us on the facebook page, Babishai Niwe.

-- Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva

At 40, good things should start chasing me.

Candlelight dinner in Pretoria, at home and by the Lake Victoria

I am on one of the most rewarding journeys of my life. Last week, I was asked to write poetry which will be part of the 2014 Commonwealth Games. This year, I’m working with fifteen fabulous Ugandan poets to participate in Prairie Schooner’s one in a million world-wide poetry projects. Despite the delay, the African poetry anthology, A Thousand Voices Rising, will be launched and excel.

A friend recently offered to support the BN Leadership Academy for women and girls which I am going to run with several partners Africa-wide and I am on a ten day Daniel fast. This outer cleansing is great for inner-cleansing. Also, writing someone’s memoir, someone who studied with Joseph Kony, lived the life of a child-soldier, was gang-raped multipally and now doing magnitudes for girl children in Uganda.

When I am forty years old, I don’t want to chase things . I would rather things chased after me. Not only if those things looked like Tyrese Gibson but I want to attract more good things for myself, my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. The Leadership Academy should have begun in Uganda with plans of going country-wide. I should not chase jobs and people at 40 years, no. I have been a stay at home mum for over 5 years now, running an annual poetry award at the mercies of development partners and well-wishers. In between, completed my Masters and now I want to start a leadership academy for women and girls. I should not chase after things from the age of 40. Things should chase after me, good things, things with 7 figures and signatures on blank cheques, things with two iron wings flying in the clouds, things with kind faces. Those things. I have made some of the best decisions of my life this year, many having to so with letting go and thriving and soaring. I let go and the weight dropped off like warts off a terminal patient who rises up and runs to his freedom. I let go and my eyes saw clearly. The whining in my ears and the groaning in my head stopped. The callousness of cowards around me vanished.

I saw the sun. I created more suns around me. I became the sun for those around me and for myself.

At 40, things should start