DAY 2 #BABISHAI2015 OUTDOOR SESSIONS

Checkmate Mido. #Babishai2015. All photos by Zahara Abdul.

Exercise on facial expression

Ife Piankhi-facilitator-#Babishai2015

Babi

Gloria

Sheila Okongo Nyanduaki-#Babishaiup2015 first runner 

Kilolo from Jalada Africa

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#BNPA2014 INTERNATIONAL POETRY FESTIVAL-POETRY LIBRARY LAUNCH

#BNPA2014 OFFICIAL PROGRAMME-UGANDA,KENYA,NIGERIA

BNPA2014 friends-File photo

#BNPA2014 OFFICIAL PROGRAMME

THE GUESTS ARE:-

Kgafela oa Magogodi, Richard Ali, Joanne Arnott (Judges)

#BNPA2014-Shortlisted poets:

Suleiman Agbonkhianmen-Nigeria

El Saba Lazim-Sudan

Annetjie van Wynegaard-South Africa

Tom Jalio-Kenya

Nyachiro Lydia-Tanzania

Elizabeth Muchemwa-Zimbabwe

Fubaraibi Benstowe-Nigeria

Saka Aliyu-Ngeria

Ugandan hosts: Moses Muyanja Kyeyune, Dorothy Ayebazibwe

Monday 15th September 10:00am to 11:00am.

Launching the African Poetry Book Fund (http://africanpoetrybf.unl.edu/)Library at Ugandan Arts Trust:32 Degrees East-in Kansanga after Kampala International University. http://ugandanartstrust.org/

Readings from Prairie Schooner Fusion archives namely Botswana, Singapore and Ghana. Poets reading include Hilda Twongyeirwe, Roshan Karmali, Qrea-us, Nakisanze, BNN, Kagayi, and Kangye.

This event is supported by:

Literature Students of Makerere University, Femrite, 32 degrees-East:Ugandan Arts Trust, Lantern Meet of Poets, Poetry-in-session and African Poetry Book Fund –Nebraska.

Monday 15 September-Femrite, 5:30PM

#BNPA2014 POETS OF THE MONTH

Literature Students of Makerere University will moderate discussions on each of the #BNPA2014 shortlisted poems. Femrite-Kamwokya, +256 772 743943

Entry fee: 2,000/-

Tuesday 16 September events at Kati Kati Main Hall, off Lugogo By-Pass.

Entry fee is 5,000/-

2:30pm

Save our Poets! Written word vs. Spoken form poetry panel.

Is written poetry gradually becoming extinct? Is the traditional form irrelevant? Are Spoken Word artists running ahead of themselves?

Join the poetry panel at 2:30pm on Tuesday 16 September at Kati Kati Main Hall.

Panelists include:

Dr. Patrick Mangeni-(Makerere university)

Kagayi Peter, The President of Lantern Meet of Poets, Uganda

Nyachiro Lydia, #BNPA2014 shortlisted poet from Tanzania

Saba El Lazim #BNPA2014 shortlisted poet from Sudan

Moderator: Roshan Karmali, Coordinator at Poetry-in-session.

5:00pm

Launch of A Thousand Voices Rising, Anthology of Contemporary African Poetry

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The #BNPA2014 winner will launch the anthology.

Online copies are available from the website at http://www.bnpoetryaward.co.ug

Tuesday 16 September, 6:00pm- Kati Kati.

Awarding the #BNPA2014 winner

Cocktail

CELEBRATION NEXT: NAIROBI, KENYA STORYMOJA-HAY-FESTIVAL

17th to 21st September:

www.storymojahayfestival.co.ke/lucie@storymoja.co.ke

#BNPA2014 Poets at various workshops

PoeTRicks Workshops, run by BNN

Master-classes all week

Press conference on 18th September from 1:00pm to 2:30pm

Launch of A Thousand Voices Rising on 20th September.

CELEBRATION OCTOBER-KAMPALA

OCTOBER

Poetry Reading Clubs, PoeTRicks,Poetry-camps

20th October-African Rural University-Kibaale,Kagadi

21st October-Kabale University

23rd October-Return to Kampala

24th October: Round-table discussion and FINALE!

20th October morning:

NOVEMBER

24TH-NOVEMBER

WEDNESDAY-26TH-NOVEMBER-2014

FULL-DAY-FILM-FESTIVAL

NATIONAL THEATER-CICP

COCKTAIL/RECEPTION: 7:00PM-SAME VENUE

CELEBRATION NIGERIA!

AKE ARTS-AND-BOOK-FESTIVAL –ABOEKUTA

18-22 NOVEMBER

LAUNCHING A THOUSAND VOICES RISING ON 20TH.

http://www.akefestival.org/

Thanks for all your support. If any other activity is added to this, you will receive official notification from this email address, bnpoetryaward@gmail.com Thanks to our friends and partners who have led us so far. To the judges, poets, media, bloggers, #BNPA2014 poets, arts organisations like 32 Degrees/Ugandan Arts Trust, Femrite, Lantern Meet of Poets, Poetry in session, Makerere University Literature Students,African Writers Trust, Sunday Trust (Nigeria), African Poetry Book Fund, somanystoriesug,  Storymoja, Parrésia Publishers in Nigeria, Ake Arts and Book Festival, Malaika Educare, House of Talent, House of Words Consult, Peepal Tree Press-thank you all so much.

For more information, email bnpoetryaward@gmail.com or follow us on Twitter @BNPoetryAward

Michael Onsando visits Kampala

Photo credits: All photos with Michael and Femrite members in discussion, photos by Dilman Dila.

Photos of Tom Forrest, Michael Onsando and scenic view of Buziga Hill, photos by BNN. Photo gallery of the visit coming soon.

BN Poetry Foundation recently partnered with Femrite, Transcultural Academy and Poetry-in-session to bring Kenyan poet and blogger, Michael Onsando to Kampala. The fully packed literary itinerary included a very late night bus ride, dinner at Wandegeya’s finest, a heavy Q and A at Femrite Author of the Month session, relaxed evening at Poetry in session and a day out at Tom Forrest’s house with an unbeatable view of Kampala. Delightful. Yes, indeed.

Michael is the first of several other East African poets who will be travelling to Kampala in the next couple of years for cultural exchange visits which are sponsored, authored and managed by Africans and Afrocentric non-Africans.

On arriving close to 11:00pm on 26 January when the rest of Uganda had long slept after celebrating, or not, the 28th anniversary of the ruling National Resistance Movement, the first part of this extraordinary visit was to Wandegeya. It was the only suitable place for fine food at such a fine hour. Wandegeya is adjacent to Makerere university and caters for all sgudent needs. Michael, coming from Western Kenya, adores matooke and binyeebwa, which made my life so much easier. His guest house in Ntinda was not far off in the traffic less city, close to midnight.

During the day of 27th, he toured a little and chanced upon Afriart gallery which true to its name, held fine art exhibitions and craft, which raised our guest’s expectations of Kampala’s art. The gallery is run by Daudi Karungi and every month, there is an exhibition of a different artist be it painter, scuptor, bark cloth genius or oilsmith.

Femrite’s evening session of Author of the month occurs every last Monday. This was the first serious literary space that Michael entered and was nothing short of spectacular. Having followed his blog at www.michael.co.ke, there were a number of questions I had, given his vulnerability and social awareness, reflected off these pages. The members at the discussion filled the session with lots of questions of their own as well.

Q: On your blog, you mention how you were incapable of celebrating Kenya at 50 in 2013. This is in reference to the 50th anniversary independence from British rule. Why weren’t you able to celebrate with the rest of the nation?

A: Why should I celebrate when there is so much injustice. For example, an open air market was razed for having been built on illegal ground but Westgate Mall was also built on illegal ground and never razed.

Q: You have been told that being a poet is not aspiration enough. If you were a decamillionaire, do you think their views would change?

A: Yes, because money has now become an end and not a means to an end.

Q: What is your view on literary prizes?

A: A number of people have been given a platform. Prizes do not validate the work and they are only as good as the judges. They are also mainly of value to those giving them and not to those receiving them, in my opinion. They are a grey area and have done more harm than good. In Africa especially, writers are only validated by prizes and yet even without a prize, writers remain excellent at their craft.

Q: Does everyone have talent?

A: Yes, we all have talent. We must not believe that all talent has to be artistic though.

Q: But as a teacher, I have had to let down some of my children who have no talent in poetry by telling them to try another specialty. A: As a teacher though, it is your duty to encourage that child no matter what to pursue poetry, if it is in her/his interest.

Q: When writing a poem, do you pay attention to particular rules? A: For a long time, I paid attention to rules and metre but even though everything is new, we must still be deliberate and not just let things happen.

Q: Uganda is a literary drought. What can we do to change this and market ourselves as well as Chinua Achebe and Ngugi wa Thiong’o?

A: Who are you reading? Uganda and East Africa are far from literary droughts. There is a lot of work coming out for example, Dust by Yvonne Adhiambo Oduor, which I recommend all to read.

Q: Chinua Achebe and Ngugi wa thiong’O did not remain on the continent to and take part in the real struggle? What do you make of this?

A: Look at the circumstances that make them go away. Ngugi was in a very precarious political and personal state. After his first return, his wife was raped brutally and there were many other political repercussions.

Onsando also believes that we are fundamentally gifted by largely one specific thing be it poetry, carpentry, archery. A number of participants at the session disagreed. This rose from the fact that many writers and artists take on several other roles to sustain them financially.

After reading three memorable poems namely Whispers, Unlearning Death and Maktub, the evening ended with more questions which could only be concluded at another forum. It was an impressive, reflective and ebergetic evening at Femrite. Tuesday’s Poetry in session was more relaxed. With a few regulars and some new faces, Roshan Karmali, the host and founder, allowed each poet a maximum of 3 poems and to engage the audience more. This was a fantastic way to begin the new year as she led us to a theme of breaking new as opposed to finding ourselves in 2013. It was a night of pleasant surprises, concluded by the gifted Bosco and his guitar. Singing some of my favourite songs like, How does it feel to be the on that I love?”p>

After many late nights, Wednesday was resting day at Tom Forrest’s exquisite house on top of Buziga Hill, overlooking the extraordinary Kampala city. At his place which is spruced up with an enchanting mix of flowers, shrubs, old trees, roots, guava trees, trees hanging with leaves commonly called Old Man’s Beard, hibiscuses of all shades and rare cacti, we allowed ourselves to seep in the new and the fresh.

Tom Forrest is a distinguished Biritish academic who hoards literature, mainly poetry. Fascinating. A welcome alternative from the engaging previous two nights. Visiting with Femrite members Jackee Batanda and Sophie Alal who are writers,creators and entrepreneurs, Tom was only too delighted to host an East African writer at his premises.

Michael’s wish is to return to Kampala as soon as possible.

Many thanks to sponsors and friends who made this visit possible, the first of many.

By Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva

WriTivism Short Realist Prose Competition 2013

WriTivism Short Realist Prose Competition 2013 by Center for African Cultural Excellence (CACE) on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at 1:22am · The Center for African Cultural Excellence (CACE) in collaboration with the Association of Uganda Female Writers (FEMRITE), The Observer, Kushinda, Writing our World and individual partners invites entries from young people aged 15-25 years, resident in Uganda to the WriTivism competition. The competition welcomes short fiction that addresses contemporary issues in society around the themes of Diversity, Equality and Identity interpreted creatively and liberally. Guidelines for the competition · Stories should be 1000 to 1500 words long, unpublished elsewhere, sent strictly by email to cace.director@gmail.com as word attachments latest by midnight of 30th, November, 2012. · A long-list will be released on 31st of December, 2012, and a shortlist will be published on the 14th of January 2013 after which shortlisted writers shall attend a one-day writing workshop on the 19th of January, 2013. · Shortlisted stories shall be published in The Observer and in a Kushinda published anthology. · Shortlisted writers agree to participate in all WriTivism activities including entering their story to be voted by readers in the WriTivist of the Year Award contest. For more information and for feedback about the competition, contact us through our Facebook page www.facebook.com/CACEAfrica or come to Plot 640, Nabulagala road in the Africa Youth Development Link building, or send us an email at cace.director@gmail.com or check our website at www.cace-africa.org.