By Jacky Kemigisa
Starting August 17, 2017, Kampala will be the center of focus, as writers, readers, journalists, academics, bloggers and other thinkers ponder the future of African Literature. The Writivism Literary Festival, in its fifth year is themed: Reinventing the future. The keynote addresses will be delivered by Daniel Kalinaki (Uganda), Thando Mgqolozana (South Africa), Nii Ayikwei Parkes (Ghana) and EC Osondu (Nigeria).
Daniel Kalinaki, the joint CEO for Nation Media Group in Uganda will speak about the future for newspaper publishing, given the changing modes of information sharing.
Thando Mgqolozana, founder of the Abantu Books Festival, will speak about the race politics of publishing and literary culture, from a South African point of view. Nii Ayikwei Parkes, Founding Director of the Ama Atta Aidoo Centre for Creative.
Writing will on his part address arts managers and literary activists on the sustainability of creative writing instruction models while EC Osondu, Nigerian novelist and a creative writing professor will talk about the relationship between advertising and creative writing.
Notable Ugandan online personalities, like Daudi Ogutu, Pipes aka Kreative Addict, and Pyepar Faisal, alongside bloggers Ruth Aine, Prudence Nyamishana and Joel Ntwatwa will consider the future of storytelling in a panel discussion and a Happy Hour with a well stocked bar.
There will also be a one-woman play, in which Kemiyondo Coutinho will act nine different characters in 90 minutes. To complete the re-invention of literature at Writivism, a film, Music is our Weapon will be screened and A Ka Dope band will play live music.
“The idea of the festival this year, is to ensure that people have fun, while having insightful conversations’, Henry Brefo, the head of strategy at Writivism said. The festival is free entry for all attendees and will take place from 2pm on Thursday August 17, and Friday, while it will start at 10am on Saturday and Sunday.
