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
14 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 […]
I’ve probably written or talked about my writing story more than I can count. And at the core of the story is a sentence. Every time I think about it, exhilaration sparks even if for a brief moment. “if something is for you, you can’t run away from it”. That’s […]
The Uganda International Writers Conference was held from 15th-17th May 2019 at Fairway hotel, Kampala-Uganda under the theme :“The Right To Write: Self ,Identity and the contextualisation of Africa.” The conference attracted more than 100 delegates comprising writers, poets, bloggers, playwrights, publishing professionals, critics, academics, journalists and book enthusiasts from Africa and […]
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 […]
It’s been three months since I completed writing my second poetry collection – Set Me on Fire. A feeling of fulfillment and relief engulfed me immediately I finished typing the last word. But nothing prepared me for the restlessness I started feeling, when it dawned on me that I […]