Pen Uganda To Hold National Writing Workshop For Students

By Geresom MusamaliPen Uganda, an association of published poets, essayists, and novelists in Uganda is to hold the first ever national writing workshop for pen clubs at St. Lawrence High School, Horizon campus from August 30 to September 2. The residential writing workshop, will involve students from St. Catherine’s High School and Sir Samuel Baker School (northern), Nabumali High School, Ngora High school, Iganga Secondary School (Eastern), Kibuli Secondary School, Mengo Secondary School, (Kampala), Ntare School, Mary Hill School, Nyamitanga (Western) and Gayaza High School, Kings’s College Buddo and St. Lawrence High School(Central).Pen clubs were recently launched by the Rockerfeller Deputy Director for Creativity and Culture, Lynn Szwaja at the Kibuli Secondary School. The Pen Clubs are an affiliate of Pen Uganda, and association of Poets, Essayists, Novelists. Pen Uganda, also an affiliate of PEN International is a network of published writers and artists, with headquarters in London. It was founded by British writer Catherine Amy Dawson Scott in 1921 and incorporated in Uganda in 2001.The two-year pilot PEN school clubs project in Uganda is intended to nurture talents of the students by facilitating them with reading materials, convening writers’ workshops, and publishing their works in a bi-annual journals.Uganda Chapter president, Prof. Timothy Wangusa said a total of 12 school clubs have been launched. Wangusa, who is also presidential advisor on literary affairs, said two schools had been selected from each region to participate in the pilot scheme. “PEN school clubs are the very first development projects of the Uganda chapter,” said Wangusa.“The pilot project has been made possible by a donation of US$10,500 as well as office equipment from the Rockefeller Foundation,” he added.Szwaja said the Rockefeller Foundation is proud to be associated with the launching of the school clubs project in Uganda. She promised to continue supporting the local chapter.Islam Saleh, the head of the Kibuli SS English department, said his students have demonstrated their anxiety to become writers. Saleh appealed to PEN to put up literary prizes for students to compete as a way of giving incentives and also encouraging the sharpening of student’s writing skills.Ends