In 2018, Abdulrahman `Abu Amirah’ Ndegwa, the founding editor of Hekaya Initiative, was one of the fellows selected to attend the African Writers Trust (AWT) Publishing Fellowship Programme and he was trained by Ellah P. Wakatama. After the programme, all the Fellows in the 2018 PFP programme were given the opportunity to apply for seed funding for their literary projects. `Abu Amirah’ won the seed funding for African Emerging Publishers. The book, KasKazi, is a product of that seed funding.
KasKazi is a single story that, Abu Amirah, has called ‘travelling fiction’ on account of the story travelling from writer to writer on the Swahili Coast. The book was written by over 15 writers.
On March 13th 2020 in the gardens of HotSprings Villas, Ndejje that is nestled on top of a hill in Kampala, the book was launched. The function was a close to what had been a long week of intensive training for the 2020 Publishing Fellowship Programme.
The launch was graced by Fiona Inci, the out- going Country Director, British Council Uganda, Sina Weber from Goethe Institute and David Kaiza, DOEN Foundation rep in Uganda. Fellows from PFP 2018, book bloggers and enthusiasts, members from Literary organisations in Uganda.
There were readings and poetry performances by some of the PFP 2020 Fellows. Rachael A.Z Mutabingwa read from her second book, Kunda. Timwa Nana Lipenga read from her book, Lomathinda, an autobiographical account of the life of the first female minister of Malawi. Alvaro Fausto performed his poetry in Portuguese and Mercy Geno Apachi, who calls herself the shy poet, also performed her poetry.
Abu Amirah chose not to read from the book itself but from the acknowledgements, thanking everyone who had a hand in the making of the book and invited Goretti Kyomuhendo, the Director of African Writers Trust, to declare the book officially launched.
The book is available at African Writers Trust at only ugx 40,000.
The evening was crowned with a barbeque, wine and dancing.
