Makerere's Susan Kiguli gets lifetime achievement award

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Makerere University-based academic and poet Associate Prof. Susan Nalugwa Kiguli has received a lifetime award in poetry at the Civil Poetry Festival in Venice, Italy.  

Kiguli, who is the first African to receive the award in poetry, follows in the footsteps of previously awarded prestigious names in the literary fraternity including Jesper Svenbro, Adam Zagajewski, Tony Harrison, Adonis, Evgenij Evtushenko.

Makerere University College of Humanities says Kiguli, 54, was awarded on October 25, 2023, in the Vercelli Seminar. 

The senior lecturer of Literature at the university was also the guest of honour for the 2023 International Civil Poetry Festival.

After receiving the award, Kiguli received hundreds of plaudits from different people on social media, including Makerere University vice-chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, fellow lecturers: Dr Isaac Tibasiima and Dr Jimmy Spire Ssentongo.

Nawangwe posted on X, formerly Twitter, saying: Congratulations to @Makerere Don, Dr Susan Kiguli on being the first African to receive the Lifetime Award in Poetry at a ceremony held in Venice, Italy.

Tibasiima said: "When your doctoral advisor reminds you that part of your work is to go places like she has. At @MakLiterature we are proud of you, Prof. Susan Kiguli. Keep shining with this Lifetime Achievement Award at the Civil Poetry Festival. You keep @MakerereCHUSS on the move".

Vision Group editor Barbara Kaija posted on X saying: Wow Dr Susan Kiguli, you are an amazing poet and literary scholar. We celebrate you.

Who is Kiguli?

According to Makerere University School of Languages, Literature, and Communication, Kiguli holds an MA from Makerere and a PhD in English from The University of Leeds. Her research interests fall mainly in the area of Oral Poetry, Popular Song, and Performance Theory.

Being the African Studies Association Presidential Fellow in 2011 presented her with an opportunity to read her poetry at the Library of Congress, Washington DC in November 2011.

Kiguli's poetry collection The African Saga won the National Book Trust of Uganda Poetry Award in 1999. The associate professor also has a horde of poems to her name.

She has served as FEMRITE (Uganda Women Writers’ Association) chairperson and currently serves on the Advisory Board for the African Writers Trust (AWT).

The don was also the chief convener for Celebrating Ugandan Writing: Okot p’Bitek’s Song of Lawino at 50 held at Makerere University in March 2016.