new-found love for the written word

Jul 14, 2011

MANY years ago, Sudanese writer Taban La Liyong said: “Uganda is a literary desert.” But a new generation of young, dynamic and adapatable writers are making La Liyong swallow his words as a new wave of literary awakening sweeps across the land

MANY years ago, Sudanese writer Taban La Liyong said: “Uganda is a literary desert.” But a new generation of young, dynamic and adapatable writers are making La Liyong swallow his words as a new wave of literary awakening sweeps across the land, writes Emmanuel Ssejjengo.

Last week marked one of the most celebrated events in Uganda’s literary arts. It was the FEMRITE Literary Week, a festival that included the launch of the book, Never Too Late, seminars and poetry recitals. The chief guest, Dr. Graham Mort, is a celebrated poet.

The annual event was one of the many pointers to the literary re-awakening among Ugandans. The Lantern Meet of Poets, an annual poetry recital that started as a free-entrance event has become so popular that even with the sh10,000 entrance tag this year, it still recorded a full house.

The Beverley Nambozo Poetry Award, in its third year, had more (female) poets contesting than ever before. This year’s winner was announced at a colourful and poetic imbued function at Kati Kati last Friday. Sanyu Kisaka’s poem Handswing of Disguised Depravity proved that the poets are going beyond mere lyricism.

For the aspiring writers, there is no longer a shortage of role models to look to. Several contemporary writers have won international and continental accolades and now have some clout in the world of writing.

In 2006, Jackie Batanda won a Commonwealth award and was nominated for the Caine Prize. She has also won several fellowships.

Monica Arac Nyeko brought the Caine Prize (Africa’s biggest writing award) home in 2007. Beatrice Lamwaka and Doreen Baingana make it four Ugandans to have been nominated for the Caine Prize; while Moses Isegawa of the Abyssinian Chronicles fame remains one of the best-selling contemporary African writers of the last decade.

In the last two years, Ugandans have beaten West Africans (especially Nigerians) to the BBC African Performance Play writing award. This year’s winner is Pamela Otali.

Last year, Uganda had the enviable line up of Deborah Asiimwe (top prize), Kenneth Atwine (second) and Angie Emurwon (third). However, Beatrice Lamwaka did not bring home the Caine Prize which went to Zimbabwe when it was announced on Monday.

Nonetheless, the fact that Uganda had one of her own on the nomination list was cause for celebration.

The revolution
This revolution has caught many offguard. FEMRITE, a women’s publishing house, started it all by giving Ugandan women an opportunity to have their work published.

That was back in the mid 1990s when the now information minister, Karooro Okurut, started it off as an informal women writers’ group. Along the way, it started regular readings/recitals and by the turn of the century it had become a formal association of writers.

There were other poetry recitals that came up but they did not last long, especially those that were hosted in bars like Ouagadougou in Kamwokya.
In an effort to be different, show promoters and organisers incorporated poetry into their shows.

The monthly Maurice Kirya Experience and British Council’s WAPI Festival are such examples. However, the “noise” killed the concentration that poetry demands. Yes, were (offbeat) poetry readings at Club Rouge.

The likes of Ndere Troupe and Amakula Festival also had story telling sessions that were mainly folkloric.

Then popular names went into publishing, with book launches that had even more clout than poetry. Retired Justice James’ Ogoola’s launch of his anthology, Songs of Paradise, had as much media attention as a Chameleone album launch would.

The literary arts tapped into other audiences. Members of the first family notably First Lady Janet Museveni, have all published, prompting the President to call for more people to write. There are many others that have opted for self-publication.

Poetry often attracted the young adults, youth who were mainly university students. As such, much of the poetry was about dreaming of a better future, juvenile protest and had marks of the zeal of fresh lovers.

This is a generation that is looking for its Shakespeare. And for them, it was always easier for parents to provide money for poetry than other regular concerts. I know a friend who attends the Lantern Meet of Poets to find hot chics!

Beatrice Lamwaka, Jackee Batanda, Beverly Nambozo and others started book clubs where people met to exchange and discuss books. Book clubs introduce one to new authors. In such clubs many share ideas on “how to get good books in Uganda”.

The trends
Collaborations are not only eye-catching. They also catch the ear. Every year, established visual artists “paint” poetry and the pieces are exhibited. The opening of the exhibition is engrossing as the poets read their works that have been painted.

There is also a branch of literary arts that is growing alongside hip hop music. This is mainly Spoken Word.
However, on some hip hop events, there are also poetry recitals and storytelling. Most of these are weekly events and so poetry enthusiasts can have their “daily bread”.

The Ugandan society remains quite oral and prefers listening to its poetry than reading it. Xenson Ssenkaba has mastered the art of Spoken Word while Jungleman’s Suzannah poem in Lusoga has been variously worshipped whenever it is performed.

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