As a new writer on the scene, I have been fortunate to attend three festivals within the last year. Every time I hear of a new festival, my heart skips a beat as I wonder how to get myself invited. I cherish these opportunities to meet with like-minded individuals, to expand one’s networks in the writing world, and to discover really amazing books that I might otherwise not have come across. Of course, it goes without saying that the opportunity to get signed copies of books from amazing authors I have only seen on TV or read about in magazines and newspapers is an obvious bonus to the whole experience. Let me share my top 5 experiences from each of the three festivals to show why you should never ever pass up an opportunity to attend a festival on the continent – as a writer or a reader.
Storymoja, Nairobi, September 2014
The authors’ room at the venue: I loved this space. Friendships were made and cemented in this room. This is where I got to meet the likes of Harriet Anena (A Nation in Labor), James Murua (Nairobiliving, JamesMurua.com), Beverly Nambozo (BN Poetry prize), Alex Nderitu (When the Whirlwind Passes), Ndiritu Wahome (The Sad Artist and Other Fairytales), Kinyanjui Kombani (Den of Iniquities, Last Villains of Molo), Juliet Barnes (The Ghosts of Happy Valley), amongst others. The friendships I made in this space have led to lots of other interesting opportunities (interviews, referrals, festival invites, drink-ups etc.)
Attack of the Shidas: I loved watching the play based on Muthoni Garland’s book, Attack of the Shidas, at the festival. The performers were excellent and made her writing come to life. I really admired how they were able to engage the audience and include us in the performance.
Uliza Kiatu, H_art the band: This is not even my own memory, but one from my mother and my sister. They keep speaking about how they heard some heart-tugging guitar chords being played, turned around and found H_art the band playing their amazing hit “Uliza kiatu” right next to them on the grounds. These are the types of things that happen at Storymoja – you never know what amazing performance could be starting right next to you.
The Wangari Maathai Memorial Lecture delivered by Wole Soyinka: You have never seen a full parking lot until you have seen the parking lot on the morning of Wole Soyinka’s keynote address. Seeing the legend in person would have been enough of a memory to take to my after-life even if all he did was just stand there and smile. Seeing him in person and hearing him touch on topics that are so dear to my heart: reflecting on the Westgate terror attack that took place during the previous year’s Storymoja, hearing him pay homage to all who died during the attack, including the great Ghanaian poet Kofi Awoonor, and hearing him talk about issues that really spoke to my soul were almost too much to take. To date, my favourite non-fiction work of Soyinka’s is still Climate of Fear from the Reith Lectures. It was an honor to see him echo sentiments from this timely piece in person.
Seeing Vuyelwa Maluleke (an amazing South African performance poet in person): It was the night of the gala – all the VIPs and VIIPs were gathered there. I am not quite sure how I managed to get into the gala. All I know is that the moment I fell in love with poetry (and began to see it as something other than the never-ending torture it had been in high school) was somewhere between seeing Vuyelwa perform at the gala and meeting all these other amazing African poets who brought poetry to life. She performed “Big girl” and I fell in love. Since then I have become obsessed with her other poems including “Hair” and “Big school.”
Writivism, Kampala, June, 2015
Room 124, Minister’s village: The Kenyan in me ended up having a room party the first night in Kampala – and most other nights. I recall looking around my tiny room at one point and seeing Mukoma wa Ngugi, Pa Ikhide, Renee Edwige Dro and Donald Molosi. I remember thinking how happy I was to be in such great company. What had started as a tiny room party with Moses Kilolo and Ndinda Kioko had morphed to become a party with great literary giants of the continent, all in my tiny room.
Re-enactment of Jennifer Makumbi’s commonwealth prize winning short story “Let’s tell this story properly” by high school students: I get very flattered when someone quotes a line from my novel Of Goats and Poisoned Oranges. I could only imagine what was going through Jennifer Makumbi’s mind as high school students got on stage at the Kampala National Theater to dramatize her most famous short story. It was beautiful to see contemporary African literature being brought to life by high school students in the country of her birth – Uganda.
Today It’s Me – a Motswana playwright and director bringing to life the — story of Ugandan musician and HIV/AIDS activist Philly Lutaaya: If someone told you that an actor and playwright from Botswana spent 4 years writing a play about a very beloved and tragic figure from Uganda, learnt to sing all his songs in Luganda, picked up a Ugandan accent, spent time with his family to fully understand the man that was Philly Lutaaya – what would you do? You would likely want to see this play. Watching an African honor another African from a different country in such a respectful manner, telling his story with an African voice was simply inspiring. Be warned though – when you plan to watch Donald Molosi’s play Today It’s Me, carry lots of tissue with you (Donald Molosi will be at the 2015 Storymoja Festival in Nairobi, Kenya).
Sessions under trees at Maisha Garden and at Makerere University: While Maisha Gardens was extremely hard to find, having sessions on Afrofuturism under an open sky (Renee Edwige Dro, Rachel Zadok, Ikhide Ikheloa, Moses Kilolo), as well as blogging masterclasses (James Murua, Nyana Kakoma) was reminiscent of the rare occasions in high school when teachers allowed us to have our literature classes in the gardens.
The sessions at Makerere held historical significance given this was the exact same venue where Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Bloke Modisane, Robert Serumaga and other greats attended the first conference of Anglophone African writers. Sitting in the same venues where these literary giants sat and having sessions such as “From the Bedrooms of African Women” by Nana Darkoa, “What do oil resources mean to African writers” by Richard Ali, “Writing an African Historical Novel” by Jennifer Makumbi, was simply surreal.
A Night of Intense Debates at 822 Terrace: I will always laugh when I recall this night. They switched off the lights and we never left. They stopped selling drinks and that did not chase us away. When writers talk, we talk and talk. Sometimes it gets heated, but as long as the group is respectful, everyone leaves as friends even if they don’t share the same opinion on various topics.
2015 Hargeysa International Book Fair, Hargeisa
Sitaad (religious drumming by Somali women) inspiring nationalistic pride in Hargeisa: I was dying with curiosity to watch Sitaad drumming at the festival. We had been repeatedly told that Sitaad was a music form exclusively performed by women – a Sufi Islamic practice interlinked with spiritualism and one of the few public artistic outlets that allow women to bring up issues affecting them and explore issues of fidelity, peace, philanthropy etc. My curiosity was piqued. It was wonderful to be invited by Somalilander women to join them in the dance. The most beautiful moment was when a Somaliland flag appeared out of nowhere, the room was in a state of frenzy, and the drums grew louder, the women singing asked in Somali – “Whose flag is it?” The response “SOMALILAND!” “Whose country is this? “SOMALILAND” Whose constitution is it? “SOMALILAND.” I was entranced by the nationalistic pride that revealed itself through Sitaad. Now I knew why guidebooks talked about Sitaad as having the ability to get participants into a state of “ecstasy” and “spiritual intoxication.”
The blind poet who composed her first poem at the age of 8 while lost in the wilderness: Once upon a time an 8-year-old blind girl was accidentally left behind by her nomadic family in the wilderness as they moved to another location. In a state of fear, this little girl heard the laughter of hyenas around her; sounds of the wild terrified her. To calm herself, she recited a poem to a hyena close to her. She eventually made it to safety and credits the poem with enabling her to “speak to the wilderness.” This is not a fairy tale – this is the true story of a young Somalilander poet by the name Hawo Jama Abdi. Listening to this girl’s story (in translation as she was speaking in Somali), was extremely captivating. The power that art has to strengthen, to heal and to inspire.
Women of the World (WOW) session in Hargeisa: One afternoon, we had a lovely session with women from Somaliland, those from the diaspora, and those from elsewhere on the continent and beyond. It was wonderful to hear women young and old voice the challenges they face as a result of gender discrimination. What was even more inspiring was hearing the stories of those who have defied the odds against such discrimination. Somali women who have opened and run very successful businesses in Hargeisa despite some of the backlash they face, great women such as the 78-year-old Edna Aden – Somaliland’s first foreign minister, a trained nurse, and senior WHO official who is currently building Somaliland’s first maternity hospital. Women who have fought and continue to fight the good fight for gender parity in their communities.
Writivism Session, Kampala. Maisha Garden.
Long lunches, tea-time discussions that we hoped would never end and evenings spent chatting up to 2am: The discussions at literary festivals are one of the most exciting aspects of the fair. I can’t count the idle hours spent discussing everything under the sun with Chuma Nwokolo, Dr. Mpalive Msiska, Prof. Osundaro, Okey Ndibe, Nadifa Mohamed, Quman Akli, Dr. Siham Rayale, Maimouna Jallow, James Murua, Hannah Pool, Zahra Jibril etc.
Henna at the salon with festival guests including Nadifa Mohamed and Hannah Pool: I can unashamedly claim that one afternoon in Hargeisa, I got to visit a henna salon with Nadifa Mohamed (Black Mamba Boy, Orchard of Lost Souls), Hannah Pool (My Father’s Daughter) and other wonderful guests. We spent a few hours getting henna tattoos on our hands.
Now I hope you know why you should get lots of sleep before each festival – lots to do, lots to see, lots to discuss. Save your sleeping for after the festival.