Monday, September 5, 2016

CALL FOR POEMS: BEST NEW AFRICAN POETS 2016 ANTHOLOGY

BEST “NEW” AFRICAN POETS 2016 ANTHOLOGY
We are calling for BEST 1-3 poems per poet from Africa (living in Africa) or of African diasporas (one of the parents originated from Africa) to be included in BEST “NEW” AFRICAN POETS 2016 ANTHOLOGY. Poems of any topic, form…preferably less than 40 lines but we will read and consider longer poems, must be in any African indigenous language plus French, English, and Portuguese. Those in local African indigenous languages should be accompanied by a translation into French, English or Portuguese.
Deadline for entries is 15 October, 2016
“New” maybe newness of form or newness to the genre…, preference will be given to younger poets to help them grow as poets but we are open to older mature poets
Entries should be in one doc, include also your contact information, country of stay or country of origin and a bio note of not more than 50 words

Unfortunately due to financial constraints we won’t be offering contributors free copies but poets will benefit immensely from this exposure.
Entries should be sent to Tendai Mwanaka, Daniel Purificacao, Beto Saica on these emails:
mwanaka@yahoo.com, danieljose26@yahoo.com.br, betosaica@yahoo.fr

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

INDEPTH INTERVIEW SERIES week of 27 June 2016





an interview with Zimbabwean poet Christopher Kudyahakudadirwe

1.    Tell us about yourself

First and foremost, I’m an avid reader of contemporary literature especially literature written by Africans or anything written about Africans or simply anything written about black people. It doesn’t matter who wrote it, but as long as it is literature that focuses on the narratives of African people, then I’m ready to gnaw my way into it.

Secondly, I’m a poet who started writing poetry by accident many, many years ago and never thought it would be appreciated by poetry lovers out there. And when I say many years ago, I mean some time in 1989. One day I was invigilating an examination paper and then this line popped into my mind: The Bible is buyable dah, dah, dah. Every time I repeated this line, I heard the rhythm in it and voila, my love for verse was born! Today I’ve over 70 poems appearing on my pages on writerslounge.net.

Thirdly, I’m also a prose writer who has written several short stories and novels with very little seeing publication until a few years ago when the internet allowed people like ‘us’ to write and post there. Some of my work was read on BBC Network Africa; my short story, ‘Garden of Agony’, was published in an anthology entitled Ghost Eater and Other Stories; another one, ‘The Class’, was published in Moxy Campus, a University of the Western Cape Digital Cultures Class project. My recent triumph is when the opening chapters of my yet-to-be-published novel, You Are Not Alone, were published as a short story in New Contrast: Manifesto, South Africa’s oldest literary magazine.

I’m also into stage acting after I was invited to appear in a play entitled De Waarheidscommissie 1913-2013 (The Truth Commission 1913-2013) by a visiting Dutch theatre group called Action Zoo Humain. The play was written by ElsOpsomer and is a fierce condemnation of the infamous Ghent World Exposition of 1913. I heard the play was screened on Cape Town TV. It was filmed at UWC but because I don’t watch TV I never bothered to find out.

So, there that’s who I am in a nutshell.




2.    What inspires you to create, what traditions in your country or outside that have inspired your creativity.

People and silence. People living in those parts of the world that I’ve so far traversed have had a great influence on what I write and how I write. First of all, I consider the world as a human zoo and I’m the tourist who is visiting there. The behaviour of human beings – how they interact, their actions, their trials and tribulations, their joy, their sadness – has been my source of inspiration.

Silence has played a great role in my writing career. Although my other name is Voice, and this must suggest one who speaks a lot, but that is a misnomer because it is in my silence that most of my writing was born. I like listening more than speaking because I believe ears will never get me into trouble but my mouth can. I listen to people speaking in buses, trains, at work, at the wells or in drinking spaces – wherever I go! – and I ‘poach’ their narratives and then from them and recreate my creative creations.

The literary culture in my country, Zimbabwe, died with the unprecedented death of a literary organisation going by the title: The Literature Bureau. This organisation published accessible and successful Shona novels such as Nzvengamutsvairo by Bernard Chidzero, TambaogaMwanangu by Giles Kuimba – just to name a few. It also had an itinerant programme which took books around the countryside informing rural folk like us about what the country was reading and who was writing what was being read. And now this is not happening anymore. Thus, I think The Literature Bureau deserves a grave at the National Heroes Acres.

3.    Tell us about the poetry scene in your country & your books or work so far

Beside the few ‘connected’ writers and poets who have been published or are still getting published, not much literary ripples are coming out of Zimbabwe. Nowadays, with the advent of the cancerous corruption it is the ‘connected’ who get published. I struggled a lot trying to break into the published world back in my country. I’ve written a number of Shona and English novels that have died a still-birth while I was there. The culture of reading has also declined to such an extent that it has strangled the book industry – and that does not mean I’m writing for monetary gains. No! I just like mirroring people’s lived experiences for them to see how many shards of their Hunhuism/Ubuntu remain. Furthermore, most people don’t have the money to splash around buying books in my country these days.

From where I am I can see my work as resurrecting from the dead. I have people willing to listen to silence, people with an ear for my story, people willing to publish my work and people who appreciate a piece of art and find glory in it. I’ve been writing a lot. I completed writing You Are Not Alone and I’m looking for a publisher for that novel. I think it’s a great story because it dwells on some of the ills of the society that have been exacerbated by the advent of HIV and AIDS as well as political bickering in Zimbabwe. Like I’ve already said, its opening chapters appear in New Contrast: Manifesto (Volume 44, Number 1. Autumn 2016) as ‘Voices of the Ancestors’.

4.    What sets you apart from other poets writing now?

That’s a rather tricky question because as far as I’m concerned poets will never be the same. Our life experiences and the socio-economic environments in which we grew up differ greatly and have a bearing on what we write about. To address the question directly, I would say that, for me it could be because I’m a man who likes to write about women. Many times I’ve my protagonists as females. This could stem from the fact that my mother played an important role in my upbringing. In the early 60s and the 70s, when my father was doing rounds in the country’s prisons because of his political views, it was my mother who looked after us. She worked on farms making bricks in order to raise school fees for us and that was a monumental feat for a young woman to do during those days. I believe writing about women is a tribute to her and all the other women who love their children to that extent. Thus my poetry and prose literature tend to hinge on feminism most of the time.

5.    What else do you do or like doing other than poetry?

I love road running. Actually the poem ‘My Heart Packed a Suitcase’ was composed while I was running a 21.1km race in Wellington (Western Cape, South Africa). To me road running is as good a challenge as writing is.

6.    What are you writing now?

At the moment I’m translating into English one of my Shona manuscripts that I penned in 1995. I feel that the story has relevance to what is happening today in my country and I’ve had to translate it into another language because of the reluctance of publishers in my country to see it as worthy to get out to the readers. In between I’m also churning out verses and helping young people to realise their creative side of themselves.

7.    If you were to be elected the president of your country, tell us what you would really like to see happening, what you would achieve on and how.

Freedom of speech and association, my brother. Without different voices contributing to the country’s narratives development comes to a standstill. Period.

8.    Tell us about your poem(s) in BNAP

I’ve two poems that have been featured in BNAP. These are: ‘The Passage’ and ‘My Heart Packed a Suitcase’. ‘The Passage’ is a poem which I composed while I was waiting for the traffic lights to turn green at a road intersection in Cape Town. As we sat in our cars waiting, an old lady from a nearby old people’s home needed to cross the road but because she was using a walker it took her time to cross the road and we had to wait for her to so. I didn’t think it could make the grade until I submitted it for my MA assessment. My supervisor gave it an A grade and I felt good about it. It has also been reprinted by Wordgathering Poetry, an organisation that promotes poetry for and by people with disability.

‘My Heart Packed a Suitcase’ is a protest poem that was inspired by service delivery protests in black townships in South Africa. Visuals on TV and in newspapers played an important role here. While political leaders revel in their triumphant marches to parliament after being swept to power by the poor ‘povo’ votes, they forget their promises until the next elections. The poem is an indictment of these leaders who are not only confined to South Africa but to the whole continent at large.

9.    What areas do you want future BNAP anthologies to address?

My suggestion is that future BNAP anthologies should set themes that contributing poets should address in their compositions. I believe this will help streamline anthologies according to themes. Therefore, readers seeking to understand particular poetic themes will be able to find them in one volume.  Themes such as war, migration, tradition, etc. could be set. I also think that the publishers must also be in a position to give each contributing poet a hard copy of the published anthologies. When I tell my children that I’ve been published in an anthology they ask me: where is your contributor’s copy? And when there’s nothing to show them they do not believe me.

I thank you.

Friday, May 27, 2016

IN DEPTH INTERVIEW SERIES: Week of 23 May 2016

Woman issues series, BNAP Interviews Claudia Cassoma, the Angolan poet 

1. Tell us about yourself.
I was born in one of the most beautiful countries in the world, Angola, in it’s capital city, Luanda, and I am the second of six children.  I’m constantly in the pursuit of a higher education and while in my praiseworthy journey I invest time in social work believing that the volunteer help those in need, contributing to a more just and united world. I have been passionate about writing from early age. I’ve explored different literary genres, but I must say that, for now, I’m mostly recognized for my poetry. I had my first book published in January of 2013 and since then I’ve celebrated several achievements in the literary world.



2. What inspires you to create?
Inspiration is not a constant; on the contrary, it’s ever changing. So whether it’s something I experienced, something I saw, heard, or even something I imagined, anything can inspire me. Life inspires me! The world I envisioned inspires me, so I go and I create it. On the other hand, that feeling that I can give someone a voice drives me deeply. It’s gratifying! 

3. As a woman writer what areas in writing/publishing you think needs a lot more to be done toward changing them, and what do you propose?
Although I’ve been writing for almost fifteen years, I’m just now entering the publishing world. And without separating the genders, I believe that it’s less arduous for the already renowned writers. You can be a good writer but when you try to create  your own platform it’s when it gets wearing. Particularly in the Angolan market, according to my own experience, it’s ridiculously difficult. I’ve had experiences with European and american publishers as well and things weren’t as thorny. In those, I found that  it’s really about your talent, so as long as you prove originality you have a spot, and that’s what’s in fault in some areas.

4. This week is Mother’s week, what did you do for your mother or the mother in you?
            It’s funny because, now, no matter the occasion, my family expects a message from me, poetry or not. So I did that. I wrote a new poem for my mom.

5. Give us your take on feminism, womanism…
There’s a lot of misconception around this subject. Anyone can be an advocate of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men. The more the merrier! I agree that it is somewhat complex because we have to consider both genders equal yet different and find a common ground, so that’s the challenge. I do believe that we, woman, still have some miles to go in order to reach that equilibrium.

6. What else do you do or like doing?
            So, besides writing and volunteering, I like watching TV on my down time, going to the movies and just spending time with friends.  I love some quite too; just lay and  listen to music.

7. What kind of music are you now listening to?
Interesting question. It just so happens that today I find myself listening to a lot of underground hip hop. I found that there’s just so much poetry in them that I can’t help but listen to one after the other. I proudly listen to the music made in Angola, Kizomba, Semba, RAP happens to be my favorite right now. And I’ve always liked R&B/Soul, so I listen to that too. I guess what I am trying to say is that I have ears for all kinds of music, it just depends on my mood.

8. Tell us about your poem(s) in BNAP.

Let’s start with the English one. I sent “Panties & Pots” mainly because of the reaction people had when I first recited it. It was an interesting circle, with people from different places, ages and gender, and to see the different ways they interpreted really inspired me. So when I got informed about this contest I just thought that it would be a great opportunity to talk about the issues addressed in the poem. I didn’t know people would take it so personally, but they did and I couldn’t be happier. We are in an era where the discussion is about what women were and what they are today, and what it all means. The poem is about this woman that just had an epiphany and finally understands the way she was raised and how that explains the way she lives now as a woman. What I love about the poem is that no matter the position anyone takes everyone has an opinion and they are talking about it.
            So I suggest that everybody acquires the book and read to understand exactly what I’m talking about. It’s on amazon, by that way here http://www.amazon.com/Best-African-Poets-2015-Anthology/dp/9956763489 .
My second favorite poem is Eu vou voltar (I’ll go back),  which talks about my love for my country, and how I feel about being away from everything and everyone, and just the eagerness of going back one day. The third one is a love poem, also expressing a woman’s feeling. Overall I am just honored to have these three poems on this wonderful, different and well-made anthology.

9. What areas do you want future BNAP anthologies to address?
            I can’t think of many changes you need to undergo; however, as  Achieng’ Emily discussed on her interview I think it would be interesting to see poems in other (African) languages. But just so a bigger number of people have the opportunity to read and hear our voices, I suggest a translation side-by-side. I think there’s a number of ways it can done. Otherwise, it’s amazing what you guys are doing. Keep it going!


Wednesday, May 18, 2016

IN DEPTH INTERVIEW SERIES, Week of 16 May 2016

Mother’s Week and Women Issues edition

A woman of few words, Achieng’ Emily deeply reflects on what it means to be a woman, her writing, what inspires her

1.      Tell us about yourself
I love emotions because they simply remind me how to live. I draw a lot from any place of simplicity. And this dispels the silence in me, through writing.

2.      What inspires you to create?
The scary thought that if I do not create, I might lose the idea and someone else picks it.

3.      As a woman writer what areas in writing/publishing you think needs a lot more to be done toward changing them, and  what do you propose?
I feel we need to give way to more female voices that leap off the page a little bit more. Voices that make life complete. Unapologetic voices that surprise.

4.      This week is Mother’s week, what did you for your mother or the mother in you?
Being away from home made me take lots of quiet thoughtful moments throughout the day to appreciate her. And I suddenly felt real compassion surge through me. The effect was great. A world without women would have brought us all to a strange existence.

5.      Give us your take on feminism, womanism…
I feel invisibility is something that has been quite hard to escape. Even powerful women with names experience it.  I just want a world where we can step out of this locked set of mind.

6.      What else do you do or like doing?
I love walking to scatter my thoughts and feel a sense of renewal. If I am stationed in one area for a long time, I feel the need to walk or my head will just explode.

7.      What kind of music are now listening to?
I don’t have a specific. I get new discoveries every single day.

8.      Tell us about your poem(s) in BNAP
My poems were born from that needy feeling of trying to justify my absurdity. The enthusiasm and energy of finding a balance even in imperfection.
9.      What areas do you want future BNAP anthologies to address?

African Languages.

http://www.africanbookscollective.com/books/best-new-african-poets-2015-anthology

Monday, May 9, 2016

IN DEPTH INTERVIEW SERIES: Week of 9 May 2016

John Attah Ojonugwa
 
1.Tell us about yourself:

My name is Ojonugwa John Attah. I am a Nigerian poet and short story writer. I also write football reviews and compose text messages. I teach English Language and literature. I have a poem in the Best New African Poets Anthology and I have been published on notable literary platforms in Nigeria, Uganda, The USA amongst others.

2.Tell us about the poetry scene in your country:

Poetry is a large genre in my country. These days, people get involved unlike in the past when only those involved were the poets and those who loved poetry events. The promotion of poetry is something that has been done gradually since many persons in the past believed only prose was the thing and if you weren't writing prose, you were never read. Right now, poetry is gaining ground with the number of poetry festivals, poetry workshops, award ceremonies and seminars organized for children and adults alike. The spoken word is also gaining ground as well.

3.What influences your creativity?:

My creativity is influenced by a lot of things. One of them is nature. Whenever I see trees, the sun, the moon, animals, the birds and feel the general movement of nature, I pick up something. These days, I take photographs of nature with my phone until I get a camera as a birthday gift! Secondly, people, situations and events influence my creativity. There is a part on social media and then there is a daily interaction with the tea man somewhere, the tout on the road, the tomato seller and all others. This is why I love meeting people and experiencing several situations which are likely to develop the innate part of me that tends to keep those experiences for future use. Another influencing factor on my creativity is music. It just does not matter the genre. Sometimes, it depends on what I am doing or on what I am thinking about. The music could be hip hop, blues, jazz, gospel, reggae or pop. It depends on what I listen to at a moment or what I am doing at the moment. Sometimes, I love it quiet or alone to help me think more to create.

4.How do you get around life and your creativity, how do you achieve balance between these, living and creativity?:

Combining life and creativity can be so interesting. One thing that improves my creativity is my daily interaction with all that life consists of. It is not good enough to disengage both from each other and feel alright. Life goes with creativity and that is what I feel. One thing for me is to live my life daily interacting with those I meet and with the animals or things I encounter and to an extent, bring them into my
writing.

5.What do you think is lacking in writing, or poetry-making in the continent and how do you think we can solve this?:

I will choose to speak about the problem of poetry-making in the African continent because it is very important. Prose and drama took early centre stage in and around the continent. Poetry was initially seen by many as a genre filled with complexities in language, imageries and all. Many refused to dedicate their time to interpreting in their own words, the content of poems they come across. This withdrawal led to a lot more problems. Although the continent keeps rising in this area, a lot still needs to be done. One problem I feel needs to be addressed is that of an early contact with poetry from childhood for many school children. At the primary or basic level, nursery rhymes like "Twinkle, twinkle little star" and "Old Roger" could be taught before other poems from poets around the continent and beyond are taught at intermediate and tertiary education levels. At that point, the learners would have encountered the poems and works of old poets like William Shakespeare, John Milton, Robert Burns, William Wordsworth, John Keats, Ralph Waldo Emerson, PB Shelley and co while kicking on with modern poets like Chimalum Nwankwo, Tendai Rinos Mwanaka, Shittu Fowora, Jumoke Verissimo, Damian Opata, Daniel Chikwuemeka, Chuma Mmeka, Ejiofor Ugwu and the numerous poets brought to the limelight through the publication of various anthologies of poetry in and around the world. If we begin from the grassroots, poetry will become more than a national or continental genre and not be limited to only those who read, write or critique it. This is the type of transformation the continent needs. Poets are as well not properly recognized, promoted and awarded. This has to change but we must start somewhere.

6. If you were a poem, what type of form will you be in and why?:

Waoh! That is a tough one there. If I were a poem? Well, I do not have a particular form which I love. When I initially started poetry, I loved the sonnets of Shakespeare and the pattern as well but I prefer the nature of poems these days. They barely follow a certain pattern as each person tries to develop something beautiful instead of being limited to a particular form or content.

7. What type of sports are you into?:

I love football. Although I am a Chelsea fan, I love football without borders. I prefer people discussing or arguing about football with some bit of sense and not negativity, taking in the truth no matter how painful and learning further by listening to the opinion of others whether favourable or not. I also love volleyball and basketball but I love watching and playing football more!

8.Tell us about your poem(s) in BNAP:

 I have a solitary poem in BNAP. It is titled "I Have Been Watching You." The poem is written from the point of view of a young man whose lover has done something terrible and wants to own up but remains silent. This silence makes the poetic persona to speak in these words to his lover: "I have been watching you/I know you want to say something/But you don't want to or are afraid to do so.." The lover concludes by saying "But I will keep watching you!" It is a poem I love and for it to appear in the
anthology is an achievement.

9.What do you think can be done to improve BNAP anthology in the future editions, marketing, editorial etc?:

First of, I would like to register my gratitude to Tendai Rinos Mwanaka and Daniel da Purificação for the consistent efforts in searching for good poets as well as good poems from the continent and beyond and creating a melting pot out of our varied creativity in all its forms and themes. There were challenges no doubt but the successes recorded thus far have been amazing. Although there are successes all around, there are places the anthology can still improve. One of them is in the area of promotion both of the BNAP anthology and the contributing poets. As I speak, a lot of the contributors in certain parts of the continent are yet to hold the anthology in their hands which should have been before other readers and reviewers did. The marketing as well needs to be improved upon. Besides Amazon, if there are other retail outlets, there should be co-opted into the distribution of the anthology. If possible as well, let there be publishers in at least four to five African countries so that the production and marketing stress will reduce and the anthology get to the contributors and other readers in time. All the best to all the contributing poets for the future. I am happy to have featured in this wonderful anthology!

Thank you for the interview.