Fairway Hotel in Kampala is silent on the rainy May evening that Jackie Kay, Scottish poet and novelist, stands to read her poetry. The Uganda International Writers Conference has just ended, but most of the delegates are still here. In fact, the crowd seems larger than it was during the […]
Uganda International Writers Conference
28 posts
On the early morning that I interview Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi about her latest book, Kampala is rainy and wet but it instantly gets warmer when Makumbi walks smilingly into the hotel lobby. Clad in a sleeveless cream top and flowered slacks, she could easily pass for a holiday maker, but […]
This panel discussion was moderated by Bethlehem Negash, a writer based in Ethiopia, itself a zone of silence because of language barriers. Bethlehem spoke to Corneli van den Berg; NN Dzenchuo and Abu Amirah. Corneli coordinates an annual literature festival- Vrystaat Arts Festival, held in Bloemfontein, South Africa, concurrently with the […]
What began as a study into the workings of the casino world quickly spiral Sandra into an abyss of addiction and end up as her memoir. A Professor of literature at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she spoke to us about self-care while writing a memoir. She became a mother at […]
Harriet Anena, Lulu Jemimah and Bernard Ewalu Olupot are the three panelists representing the new age writers who interact with the digital world more regularly than their predecessors. Harriet Anena is an award winning poet; Lulu Jemimah is a journalist who hit internet fame when she married herself; and Bernard, […]
Jackie Kay takes you on a journey as she reads an excerpt from her memoir ‘Red Dust Road.’ Published in 2010 by Picador .You are transported to a hotel room in Nigeria and her born-again father is trying to convince her to accept Christ as her saviour. You feel like […]
Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi`s book is about being Ugandan in the UK and her vibe is about having the right to write. Just because she can’t sit on a boda-boda doesn’t mean she’s not a Ugandan any more. She lived in Uganda for more than 30 years before she lived in […]
The East African, a weekly regional newspaper published in Kenya by the Nation group reviewed the African Writers Trust 3rd Uganda International Writers Conference. One of the highlights of the three day conference was a Keynote address by Dr. Bibi Bakare-Yusuf, co-founder and publishing director of one of Africa’s leading […]
African Writers Trust will hold the third edition of its biennial Uganda International Writers Conference in Kampala, Uganda, beginning on 6th to 8th March, 2017, on the theme: contemporary publishing trends in Africa. 30 writers and publishers from Africa and the Diaspora will converge for what is expected to […]
This blog first appeared on the Commonwealth Writers site. Commonwealth Writers is the cultural initiative of the Commonwealth Foundation. It inspires, develops and connects writers and storytellers in a range of disciplines. Reflecting on the recent 2015 Uganda International Writers’ Conference, Dilman Dila considers whether large Ugandan publishers need to do more to embrace digital books. […]