Poets from Eastern Africa-send us your poems

The Beverley Nambozo Poetry Foundation is compiling poems from poets of East Africa for an anthology which will come out in 2013. This has been possible with the generous contribution of Prince Claus Fund. We kindly request you to send up to a maximum of three original poems in English or in a local language with the English translation, from which one or two will be selected. The winners of the BN Poetry Award from 2009 to 2012, will have their winning poems published and they may submit another for consideration if they so please.

I took this photo at the Nairobi museum, after realising it was not allowed, but it's cute, right? The theme is open and submissions will be accepted from 1st August 2012 to 20th December 2012 (Deadline has been extended). The copyright of these poems will belong to the poets. At the moment, there are consultations with various publishing houses and once a selection has been made, you will be notified. Payment will be made upon publication. Kindly submit poems to bnpoetryaward@mail.com and copy to nambozo@gmail.com. Send poems as Microsoft word attachments in Times New Roman size 12, include your name, email and phone contacts and nationality. This does not mean that we do not appreciate you for taking part in this process. Poets must be from either Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania, South Sudan or Uganda. For details on what the BN Poetry Foundation does, visit www.bnpoetryaward.co.ug or you can like us on facebook, Beverley Nambozo Poetry Foundation.

We are now the BN Poetry Foundation

We are now the BN Poetry Foundation because so much is going on. Let me begin by thanking Dr. Elizabeth Alexander from the US, a woman responsible for revolutionizing black women’s poetry in the US and also read a poem, Praise song of the day, at Barack Obama’s inauguration. She is donating books the foundation to support the poetry development workshops. How generous of her!!

professor Elizabeth Alexander, photo from http://www.elizabethalexander.net/home.html.

Why the name change from BN Poetry Award? Listen, we are doing so much more than awards. I got in touch with the lovely Kate Haines who is in touch with writers in various parts of East Africa and is building a vibrant network of writers and we will be working together during poetry youth camps, publication of anthologies and a new exciting project for 2013. Can’t wait.
Also, a new found fascination is poets from Southern Sudan, looking forward to a long-lasting collaboration from them as well. It’s all good.
Next year the award s targeting the greater East Africa-that is like waiting for the birth of triplets, like a triple blessing.
Thanks to the new partners, Zimba Afrika and Action for Peace and Conflict Transformation for believing in the vision of poetry.