The Kampala Writes Litfest 2026 - humour, nuances and absurdity
"We had about 700 People attending, which is great for a growing festival in its 3rd year."
Ama Dadson, Chika Unigwe, and Mirrianne Mahn at the Kampala Writes LitFest, National Theatre, last month. (Photo by Kalungi Kabuye)
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The Goethe-Zentrum Kampala (Ugandan German Cultural Society) has sponsored and organised the Kampala Writes Litfest for three straight years, with the 3rd edition happening two weeks ago.
The Director, Sheila Akwany, sat down for an interview after it ended. Excerpts:
Q: The third edition of the Kampala Writes LitFest has just ended; how did it go?
It was a great success. The new venue, UNCC, was much closer to the heart of the city, allowing easier access for the public and thus more attendees for the festival. Key partnerships also allowed us to invite more international guests, increasing the visibility of the festival and connecting it to the wider global literature scene.
What were your high points of the festival?
The keynote conversation with Prof. Chika Unigwe, moderated by Dr Anna Adima.
It was a good reminder to own our stories, with all the humour, nuances and absurdity we can desire.
How different was it from the first two editions? Do you have the numbers?
We had about 700 People attending, which is great for a growing festival in its 3rd year.
The theme this year was ‘Where Stories Begin’; did the programming live up to it, or did it go somewhere you didn't anticipate?
The point was to challenge ourselves to re-examine the narratives we accept and propagate. Who gets to tell the story, and what hierarchies exist in knowledge production? It seemed to resound very well with the audiences, with panels going up to 8 pm in the evenings.
Perhaps this would be an interesting topic for next year. Who and what dictates who/what is foreign? We must resist narratives that create division rather than nurture conversation and exchange. A festival is a platform for interaction with people who are drawn from different backgrounds. That is what creates good conversation.
What's your honest assessment of Kampala's literary scene? What's strong, and what's still missing?
As with most literary scenes in Africa, we struggle with a limited number of publishers and access to distribution channels. We also need to grow the local audience to be more active participants in the art scene.
What has been the impact of the LitFest since the first edition?
People drove from as far as Gulu just to come for the festival, which was a great sign that we are doing something good. The quality of conversations, turnout and level of public engagement have also affirmed the need to create more spaces for dialogue and exchange.
How was the National Theatre as a venue, and do you plan on going back to it? How do you pick venues for the festival, and what guides you?
We were looking for a venue that is closer to the city and easily accessible to the public. The gardens also allow for versatile programming, as they can be transformed into an exhibition space, a concert space or a screening venue.
One of your goals was to connect local writers to the international scene, and invite publishers and agents to scout for new writing talent in the country. How has that worked out so far?
Our goal as an organisation is to support the growth and vibrancy of the local art scene through cultural exchange. The ambition is that these connections create more avenues for open discussion, networking and mutual understanding. This year, we hosted Ama Dadson from Akoo Books, which is the largest African Audio book publishing house in Ghana. She was able to give a workshop on Audio publishing and get some books onto her platform. eKitabu also hosted a group of upcoming authors for a networking event aimed at offering more information on the services they offer. They are actively looking for new manuscripts to publish. We hope this bears fruit.
Last year you spoke of attaching a writer’s residency for authors and poets, how are those plans coming along?
The ‘book village’, where guests could buy books, hang out with other writers, and which also had entertainment afterwards, was a new thing this year. How successful was it, and how do you plan to grow it?
It has always been there. The festival gives space to local bookstores, publishers and art magazines to exhibit their work and sell their publications. It is always very successful as it leads to sales even after the festival. We hope to host more publishers, artists and collectives working with more experimental publications and zines.
For a young writer in Gulu or Mbarara who couldn't make it to Kampala, what did they miss - and how will you reach them next time?
A lot of writers came from Gulu, actually. They attend the festival each year. We plan to have a live feed for subsequent editions so people can tune in from anywhere in the world. Resources are always the challenge.
Where do you see Kampala Writes LitFest in five years?
As one of the festivals in East Africa that people mark in their calendars as a must-attend event. Beyond the festivities, we want to build a stronger sense of ownership and community with the local scene so they feel part of it and see the value it creates.
There was a huge debate on decolonising our storytelling, but the German Cultural Society organises the festival. Is there a contradiction there, and what’s the way forward?
We do not shy away from debate and reflecting on our own position as an organisation; that is why the panel discussion was programmed. As long as there is limited public funding for the arts, the sector will remain reliant on resources from the West. The big question is whether we are ready to invest in our own institution at a personal level. That is where change happens.
Festivals often struggle when the founding funder steps back. What's the long-term plan for Kampala Writes beyond German Cultural Society support?
You have to create community. A strong sense of ownership outweighs the founder syndrome. Long-term funding would be the next challenge. The plan is to secure a stable financial partner who sees value in investing in the literature scene. Similar to the FNB Bank in South Africa, which funds the FNB Joburg Art Fair, or Bank Windhoek, which supports the Doek Literature Festival in Namibia.
What should we expect next year?
We hope to secure more partners to support the festival, as that is what would allow us to be ambitious in our programming and keep the festival free for all to attend.