A Crown Placed On My Head to End the Year

See how I have been honoured, crowning the year with a global crown in the New Vision newspaper!

On seeking insight from women leaders on how to become exceptional, they sought me out. 

10 December 2024, please get your copy.

This summarises the premise of my year, 2024. I followed the Chinese philosophy, Wu Wei, which means go with the flow. Following the direction of my purpose without struggling, I received magnificent opportunities to travel, to perform poetry, to write people's biographies, and to receive funding for a huge Babishai poetry project.

Important networks and individual connections became part of my inner flow and the year strengthened me as I continued to learn, to grow in the space prepared for me to excel and I relished it.

I relished living in such high vibration and recognising those with the same. I revelled in new , insightful and genuine mentorship that sought to uplift me and not to drown me.

It has been an incredibly notable year for me as a poet and writer and in 2025 and beyond, it is going to be a non-stop celebration upon celebration of huge global success.

Bless!

Beverley N Nsengiyunva

Have a great season ahead and even better 2025 and beyond.

 

The Inaugural Kampala Writes Festival

"Writers' block does not exist. It is just an excuse for laziness." Bev N N

 That is what I firmly believe and ever since that epiphany, I have reached my writing goals."

What a distinct pleasure to receive an invitation to participate in a panel discussion, at the inaugural Kampala Writes Festival.

Goretti Kyomuhendo, the curator, who runs African Writers Trust, continues to shake the writing industry by constantly ensuring literature by Ugandans is at the forefront.

Running from 6 to 8 December 2024, themed, 'Writing Our Truths,' David Kaiza, session moderator, took us through various discussions like our current projects and how they are contributing to the nation's literature. Do attend. It's free at Onomo Hotel.

The burden of shaping a nation's literature is an interesting one. I find it imposing and rather presumptuous and that writers should first explore the terrain for themselves before trying to save the world around them.

 

Botsotso: The Poetry We Must All Read

 Imagine a buffet with over twenty types of the finest meats and salads and you can only pick one item!

That was my experience at the second African Women Writers' Symposium held in Johannesburg in 2011. There were so many books to pick from and yet I only had enough money to purchase a handful. Amongst those that I selected, was Botsotso, an anthology of contemporary South African poetry.

Edited by Allan Kolski Horwitz and Ken Edwards, over a decade later, I still firmly believe that my purchase was timelessly perfect.

Published in 2009, with versions of some poems previously published elsewhere, it was just this month of November 2024, after meeting Allan in Durban, that I picked up the book again and began 

're-devouring' the poems.

What a passionate and deeply moving anthology, with so many ideas, unapologetic imagery and well woven social commentary. Ike Mboneni Muila's MUYAHAVHO, a poem whose focus is on a child amidst the ravages of poetry and despair, still expected to continue living and hoping as a child would, as each day's hope keeps dwindling. There is so much helplessness and yet the phrasing almost spares us of total loss, with the momentum of waking up day after day. It creates a sordid picture against a meaningless reality for the child, in a stoic and creative way.

Allan Horwitz' 'Photograph of a Man in Baghdad,' is difficult to read, with its graphic and deeply tragic. With a deep sense of irony, using the innocent and beautiful things like sweets, to entice a child to their death. The death of a child is already incredibly sad. To manipulate a starving child by using sweets and other attractive edibles in the midst of a horrific war, is diabolical. Creating a temporary forgetfulness that will not only increase the hunger pangs but gives false hope.  More frustrating is the knowledge that while there is capacity to alleviate the children from this situation, it is preferred to dance around the gravity of their peril and provide temporary and purposeless tidbits.

Sumeera Dawood, like the other poets in the anthology, is one whose poetry I need to read over and over again because of the way it resonates. Her poem 'Red Brick,' sits like a wheel tuning and turning in my head. Many of us have so much fatigue because we have been depleted of our resources, endlessly giving of our time, our talent, and our energy too. In addition, is the abuse that we face, which often goes unchecked and unreported. Red Brick is such a powerful metaphor because bricks are strong, used to make permanent structures, while they bear the harshness of all the elements. The line at the end of the poem gives it an emotional and redemptive ending.

Vonani Bila's on the march for Dennis Brutus is an homage to a true revolutionary whom so many have deep respect for. The irony of what patriotism actually entails, against what the media portray it to be. Dennis Brutus embodied truth and was relentless and brave, in this regard. Vonani's lines,

    unscathed by genocides

    & tornadoes

    warrior spirit

    you traverse...

..

it is a well-deserved homage.

Botsotso continues to promote African writing and to learn more about them, follow this link. BOTSOTSO

Book review by Beverley N Nsengiyunva

Ber Anena Bursts Through Barriers

I  met Anena over ten years ago in Kampala, a friend to Aujo Lillian Akampurira, first winner of the Beverley Nambozo Poetry Award. Anena, undeniably consistent with her writing and determination, published in both print and online journals, amongst them Babishai Niwe Poetry Foundation anthologies.

Anena travelled to study for her Master's in Creative Writing at Columbia University, in 2019. A few years later, Anena has won a a six-figure deal with Flatiron Books for her forthcoming memoir, The Lies We Tell for America.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Anena, after finding out about this incredible opportunity.

Please share a bit about the journey to your book deal

In 2019, when I moved to New York, I began writing about my journey to Columbia University. As you probably recall, I embarked on quite a brazen fundraising for the MFA Writing program I was admitted to. By 2020, what had started as short essays was a book-length memoir called The Lies We Tell for America.

I began looking for a literary agent to represent my book but was not successful until 2022 when Sophie Scard from United Agents sent me an email asking if I wanted to be represented. Someone she didn’t name at the time had told Sophie to check out my writing and she loved it. I was in disbelief but immensely grateful. Anyone who has queried agents knows how extremely hard it can be to land one, so having one show interest in your work is truly reassuring.

I went through several rounds of editing with Sophie from 2022 and in September 2024, she began sending the book out to publishers. I was beyond thrilled when Flatiron Books expressed interest and ultimately offered us a preempt deal about a week later.

All of this has felt surreal but I’m immensely grateful. I also feel really lucky that I found an agent and editor who share my vision for the memoir and understand and champion my writing.

This book, how important is it to you and your studies?

I started my creative writing journey as a poet and the memoir is an affirmation of the creative and genre versatility I’ve always wanted as a writer.  At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where I’m pursuing a PhD in Creative Writing with a focus on poetry, I’ve endeavored to write and enroll in fiction and nonfiction classes as well. As I look forward to a career in academia, being able to teach multiple genres in the Creative Writing field is a blessing.

How has this deal shifted your idea of writing?

I don’t think my idea of writing has changed. I still believe in its value to the writer and the world in general. What has deepened is my belief that as unrewarding as writing can be, acknowledgement and recognition is possible. I had worked extremely hard at bringing this memoir to life. My poetry and fiction had been recognized and awarded prizes before, but whatever else followed was not a guarantee. The life of a writer is a constant hit or miss. A gamble. I had hoped that a publisher would pick up the memoir but never dreamed it would be this huge deal. It’s a writer’s dream and I don’t take the opportunity for granted.  

How far do you believe poetry can take us?

I don’t think there’s a limit to where poetry can take us. I believe that my debut poetry collection, A Nation in Labour, played a role in my acceptance to Columbia. When the book was selected joint winner of the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa in 2018, it provided me an introduction to the literary scene beyond Uganda. I have had and continue to have several opportunities because of that poetry collection. The limit depends on how far one is willing and able to push themselves, to grow as a writer and to take advantage of every opportunity that comes.   

Inspiring words for poets in Uganda

Send your work out. There are countless online journals today looking for work. Many of them are free, others offer submission fee waivers. I’m often puzzled every time I get an email from writers asking me where they should submit their work. As long as you can afford to be on social media, you should be able to Google search literary journals or look at the bios of your favorite writers. They always list the publications their work appears in. There will be rejections, but the acceptances will come too. And, read. Buy books by writers whose work you admire and learn from them. Attend writing workshops and readings. You never know where your inspiration or the next big break will come from.  

What's next?

I’ll be working with my editor to bring the memoir to your bookshelves by Fall 2026. I’m also working on completing my PhD and hoping for the publication of my next poetry collection. So fingers and toes crossed.

We're extremely pleased for Anena and are waiting agog for more super news.

Interview by Beverley N Nsengiyunva

A Poetic Peak and A Rise

From when I was a child, I loved the musicality of words. I knew that this made me different and it still does. 

I have never been moved by the things that many girls like to do, like talking for hours about hairstyles and makeup. Some are able to entertain crowds this way and earn. Not I. I was born with hair which grows effortlessly. I was born with skin that maintains its suppleness, even after a run.

God gave me these attributes so that I could focus on what was on the inside, the poetry. Poetry is not just words that rhyme or lyrics that sound pleasant, it is expression, it is joy, fear, helplessness, courage, openness, vulnerability, the future, the past, silence, noise, playfulness, and all the in-between. 

I have written, published and performed in the name of poetry. I have supported hundreds of African poets with their writing, publishing and performance through the Babishai Niwe Poetry Foundation. I have pored over dozens of poetry manuscripts with teams across the world and yet I feel I have just begun. It is an enthralling time to be a poet.

Some of my favourite poetry collections are 'The Animals of My Earth School,' by Dr. Mildred Barya, 'Wheels,' by Prof. Kwame Dawes, 'Weeping Becomes a River,' by Siphokazi Jonas, 'Teaching my Mother to Give Birth,' by Warsan Shire and various collections by Emily Dickinson. 

In my poetry journey, certain individuals have paved the way for me, cut through hedgegrow and roughness to ensure that I flourish. As a writer, studying for my Master's in Poetry at Lancaster University in England provided the impetus to focus in the intellectual space. Thanks to Prof. Graham Mort, who was instrumental.

As an arts entrepreneur, Prof. Kwame Dawes, who runs the African Poetry Book Fund, has supported the Babishai Niwe Poetry Foundation through various collaborations. He makes every dream seem reachable.

As a friend and one whose writing inspires and speaks volumes, Dr. Mildred Barya is one of a kind. There are others with whom I have held conversations and whose work I admire. These are Ber Anena, Lillian Aujo, and after participating in the Poetry Africa Festival in 2024, a dozen more poets across the world.

"The invitation to the Poetry Africa Festival in Durban came when my poetry was seeking a home where it would thrive and burst at the seams without censorship or reductionism." Beverley N Nsengiyunva

Courtesy photo

I have been introduced by certain individuals in public settings and whenever they mention my name, they reduce my poetic journey to a mere reduction of their own myopic sense of self. 

And then there other places in Uganda and abroad where people mention my name and it is as if a diamond shines between their teeth. They uplift me. They show me to the world with pride. They see me for my worth and want the world to witness this gem. I am grateful to those people.

I am grateful to Poetry Africa. The experience in Durban was unrivalled and the best one so far, in 2024. What a time to be a poet! Because I am a public speaking trainer, I enjoy audience engagement and my poetry performance came from that place, where I engage, share a story and hold a dialogue with the unsuspecting audience. A little but of theatre didn't hurt, either.

Courtesy photo

The applause and the encouragement. I was home. Meeting exceptionally talented poets from across the world. Their published works, their performances, their articulation of their journeys, their stories in various languages and just being there with them. I moved me to places I did not even know existed. There was so much synergy and it will ripple into something new. I feel it. I know it.

Two other Ugandans, Dr. Nick Makoha based in the UK, who participated online and also spoken word performer Hawa Kimbugwe with her pieces on parts of the female experience.

Immersed in knowledge and the abundance of those willing to share about how to maintain a high standard as a poet, the journey of branding and marketing and building a network of credible people. 

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo

At the finale, the Grand Slam Competition, I almost fell off the edge of my seat witnessing one overpowering talent after another. The winner, Olive Olusegun delivered with such intensity and imagination. In second place, Masai Sepuru was equally positioned to share deeply vulnerable poetry about men, choices and prejudices. It was a night above any other night, in poetry.

Courtesy photo

I am deeply grateful to Siphindile Hlongwa and Quaz Roodt, the co-curators who managed the Johannesburg and Durban segments of the poetry festival seamlessly. The Center of Creative Arts at Kwa-Zulu Natal University, the entire organising team, supporters and friends.

Beverley N Nsengiyunva

'Weeping Becomes A River' Poetry collection by Siphokazi Jonas

 My idea of a sound poetry collection, is when I read it like a story and reimagine it in various contexts. To top it off, is when I have the pleasure of meeting the poet themselves.

The Poetry Africa 2024 festival, was an assortment of the finest wine, delicacies and feasts of poetry. There were numerous bits of excellence to select from. I shall begin with 'Weeping Becomes A River,' a poetry collection by Siphokazi Jonas, a South African poet, playwright and actor, which was also launched at the festival. Poetry Africa is co-curated by Siphindile Hlongwa and Quaz Roodt, with several huge partners from Center of Creative Arts at Kwa Zulu Natal University, University of Johannesburg and more.

Siphokazi does not come in small parts but brings her entirety to her reading, her writing and her storytelling, which is why the poetry becomes a collection of poems, which  are also able to form stories.

Siphokazi Jonas. (Courtesy photo)

'First baptism,' is one of the most retold stories we have heard, of how boys and girls who have been raised in traditional Sub-Saharan African homes are raised differently, and yet Siphokazi's imagination is unfettered and her specific detail builds a powerful storyline of time and place. She reawakens our own pasts, as we recall some of the pleasures and displeasures of growing up.

I had the pleasure of sharing a Branding and Masterclass session with Siphokazi and Emma Mabye, moderated by Lakin Morgan-Baatjies. During this session, we see how she takes her poetry seriously, removing as many of life's distractions so that she can invest real time to her work.

'White people's things and other translations,' is a theme that many poets grasp. Siphokazi treats this enormous theme with specificity, which makes the experience authentic and palatable. In this, she also questions her own prejudices.

'Weeping Becomes a River,' published by Penguin Random House South Africa, is available online. With a talent like Siphokazi's, a foreword by famous South African composer of film and television series, Dr. Trevor Jones, and a publisher of high note, this is a collection worth reading. Her manager, Martin Myers, does a tremendous job of promoting her.

More details of her work at Siphokazi Jonas

Review by Beverley N Nsengiyunva

P.S I shall be writing about Poetry Africa 2024 in regular doses. 

The Professor Senteza Kajubi Fulbright Memorial Lecture

The Yusuf Lule Lecture Hall at Makerere University, named after former President of Uganda, Yusuf Lule, was packed with students, academics, Ambassadors, members of the private sector and interested individuals.

Thursday 3 October, Makerere University, in partnership with the US Embassy in Uganda, hosted the Professor Senteza Kajubi Fulbright Memorial Lecture. The scholarship was named after the former U.S Senator, Fulbright. Professor Senteza Kajubi was Africa's first Fulbright scholar. where he studied at the University of Chicago from 1952. Kajubi also chaired the National Symbols Committee that decided upon the National Anthem, National Flag and Uganda Coat of Arms.

Kajubi's Family

During the fifth lecture of this kind, this one thematized 'The Role of Higher Education in Building Active Citizens,' there was a panel discussion with Guild President Lubega Nsamba, Dr Pamela Tibihikirra-Kalyegira, Director of Law Development Centre and Dr. Biyinzika Kasolo, Director of GROW at Private Sector Foundation Uganda.

They heartily discussed practical ways of nurturing active citizens proud of their countries starting from home, providing them with opportunities in businesses and teaching them citizenship as a way of shaping Uganda. 

U.S Ambassador William Popp to Uganda, acknowledged the academic milestones of Prof. Kajubi, including being elected Vice Chancellor to Makerere University, twice. He also mentioned Hon. Joyce Mpanga, who was Uganda's first female Fulbright scholar and third female graduate in East Africa, including first Women's Minister of State Affairs in Uganda.

Ambassador William Popp, U.S to Uganda

Ambassador Popp spoke of the introduction of American Studies in the Political Sciences Department of Makerere University and appreciated the efforts that Makerere had made in the past. 

Chairperson of Makerere University Council, Lorna Magara, the first woman in 100 years to be appointed to the position, was lauded for her work towards the university's progress.

...