Literature at the 2007 Commonwealth People's Forum
A group of award-winning African writers shared their stories with Ugandan readers as part of the culture programme of the 2007 Commonwealth People's Forum which tookplace in Kampala, Uganda.
The four authors represented the best of a new wave of African literary voices. Doreen Baingana and Monica Arac de Nyeko are two women Ugandan writers who have recently claimed top awards. Doreen Baingana won the award for Best First Book Africa in the 2006 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Tropical Fish: Stories out of Entebbe while Monica Arac de Nyeko took the 2007 Caine Prize for African Writing for her short story Jambula Tree. They will be joined by two writers from outside Uganda: Shaun Johnson from South Africa, who won Best Book Africa in the 2007 Commonwealth Writers' Prize with The Native Commissioner, and Ellen Banda-Aaku from Zambia, who has just been revealed as the overall winner of the 2007 Commonwealth Short Story Competition for Sozi's Box.
The authors took part in a series of activities with Ugandan readers and writers. Monday 19 November saw a workshop with young Ugandan writers at the Emerald Hotel, followed on Monday evening by participation in the weekly Femrite readers and writers club meeting, where they got a chance to talk about their work with club members.
The next day the writers were based in the People's Space, an open access, interactive area, where they read from and discussed their work, joined by emerging Ugandan writers.
The writers then headed to Makerere University on the Wednesday for public readings on the theme of Celebrating Commonwealth Literature. At the same time Ellen Banda-Aaku received her prize of £2,000 from humanitarian and public figure Terry Waite. The programme came to a close with a Ugandan and East African book display back in the People's Space on Thursday 22 November.
Events were organised by the Uganda Pen Centre, Femrite (Uganda Women Writers' Association) and the Commonwealth Foundation.
Commonwealth Foundation Head of Culture and Diversity Andrew Firmin commented, “As with all the culture activities the Foundation is supporting at the Commonwealth People's Forum, this is at heart an inter-cultural experience. It involves bringing people from different cultures together and sharing stories. It shows we can all learn from each other and increase our understanding by listening and reading. Activities such as those we are seeing this week are set to become an increasingly important part of our main literary programme, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize.”
Arthur Gakwandi, President of Uganda Pen Centre, said, “Literature is one of the most dynamic fields where the people of the Commonwealth can and do share experiences, and where wider sympathies can be developed and common aspirations forged. The activities will present literature as a force that can liberate the mind from prejudices and cultural phobias and help people realise their potential.”
