AiW Guest Zukiswa Wanner Arrivals I receive my invitation to Open Book in March 2014. Just the way I like it. It’s a good six months before the Festival and I can mark my calendar accordingly. My itinerary, tickets and… Read More ›
Reviews – Events
Africa 39 in Conversation: Review, Storymoja Festival
AiW Guest Alexander Nderitu Writers from the Africa39 list were in conversation at this year’s Storymoja Festival which took place from 17th to 21st September in Nairobi, Kenya. The young authors, ably moderated by Kenyan academic and literary critic Keguro Macharia, were: Jackee… Read More ›
Publishing in Africa and African Studies: Review, ASAUK 2014 (Part 2)
AiW Guest Stephanie Kitchen This post is the second in a two part series reviewing the panels in the Publishing Stream at ASAUK. Read Part 1: the politics of publishing in Africa. Journal publishing The ‘African journals’ roundtable at ASAUK… Read More ›
Publishing in Africa and African Studies: Review, ASAUK 2014 (Part 1)
AiW Guest Stephanie Kitchen A stream of five panels at ASAUK considered ‘practical and political aspects of publishing in African studies’. The stream brought together representatives from key publishers on the African continent, both established and newer imprints, including CODESRIA… Read More ›
Floating on the Southbank with Mulatu Astatke: Review, Africa Utopia
AiW Guest Lennon Chido Mhishi By the time the music has started playing, I am excited inside already. For a moment my mind is lost somewhere, and I only realise then that there was a solo on the piano, but… Read More ›
Walter Bgoya: Interview and Review of his Keynote Speech, ASAUK 2014
‘50 Years of Independence: Reflections on the Role of Progressive African Intellectuals’ As Walter Bgoya took to the microphone to begin his keynote speech at the African Studies Association UK’s biennial conference, I was immediately struck by his wisdom and… Read More ›
Zakes Mda, ‘No Artist is Subject to the State’. Chaired by Zoë Wicomb. Edinburgh International Book Festival, 2014.
The Zakes Mda session at the Edinburgh Book Festival, ‘No artist is subject to the state’, unfolded in all the best senses of the term. Chaired by Zoë Wicomb – who is succinctly described in The Scotsman as “a writer… Read More ›
The Responsibility of Writing in/for/about South Africa – after the Edinburgh International Book Festival, 2014
AiW Guest: James Smith. During the Edinburgh International Book Festival I managed to catch three South African authors, Lauren Buekes and C.A. Davids, and Mark Gevisser. Three authors, writing in three different genres (although I realize that ‘genre’ in itself… Read More ›
Damon Galgut at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, 19 Aug, 2014
An Edinburgh International Book Festival session with Damon Galgut: Arctic Summer (Umuzi/Atlantic, 2014). Part of the Book Festival’s ‘Voices from South Africa’ theme. Chaired by Claire Armitstead (Books Editor at the Guardian and the Observer). Arctic Summer is South African writer… Read More ›
Books for the Masses? Publishing Genre Fiction in Africa: Africa Writes, 13 July 2014
AiW Guest Emma Shercliff Review of panel discussion with Bibi Bakare-Yusuf of Cassava Republic Press; Valerie Brandes of Jacaranda Books; Verna Wilkins of Tamarind Books and Susan Yearwood, agent and founder of Susan Yearwood Literary Agency. Chaired by Simi Dosekun…. Read More ›
Ama Ata Aidoo in Conversation: Review, Africa Writes
AiW Guest Réhab Abdelghany Last month, the Royal African Society’s annual Africa Writes Festival brought to the UK an audience with the eminent Ghanaian playwright, poet, novelist and academic, Ama Ata Aidoo: a festive event in its own right. Having… Read More ›
Lauren Beukes and C.A. Davids at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, 9 Aug, 2014
AiW guest: James Smith. Broken Monsters and Broken Dreams I read Broken Monsters on a night flight from Cape Town, on my way to interview Lauren Beukes following her contribution to the Edinburgh Book Festival (2014 edition). It made the… Read More ›
Roundtable on African Popular Culture and Public Space: Review
AiW Guest Rehab Abdelghany The 3rd African Popular Cultures Workshop hosted at the University of Sussex concluded with a roundtable that brought together six academics and creative writers, who research, write from and about different parts of the African continent…. Read More ›
The Exhibition and Plenary Lecture at the African Popular Cultures Workshop: Review
The second half of the African Popular Cultures Workshop at Sussex was held in a modern studio space called the ‘Creativity Zone’. Made up of three adjoining rooms, each of these exhibited different elements of work brought together under the… Read More ›
Inua Ellams at the African Popular Cultures Workshop: Review
AiW Guest Lilly Kroll Inua Ellams is in a state of flux. He is scrolling through the iPad in front of him, searching for a poem by the American poet Terrance Hayes to read aloud to the crowd of people… Read More ›
‘Nairobi Half Life’ (2012 Film) at the 3rd African Popular Cultures Workshop: Review
At the end of March we – Katie and Kate – were lucky enough to be involved in organizing the third African Popular Cultures workshop at the University of Sussex. This collaboration between the Sussex Africa Centre PhD committee, tutors… Read More ›
Sussex Africa Centre (SAC) – Emerging Research Landscapes II, 6th March 2014
By AiW Guest: Francesca Salvi. Offering three presentations from different department across the University of Sussex, the second postgraduate Sussex Africa Centre event, “Emerging Research Landscapes II”, furthered its aims of showcasing Africa-focused postgraduate research from a variety of perspectives,… Read More ›
‘Diaspora [still] Writes Back’. Africa Writes (RAS).
AiW Guest: Ben Verghese. Africa Writes is the annual literary festival from the Royal African Society – a celebration of contemporary African literature from across the continent and the diaspora, held in early July. Last year (2013), AiW were at the festival covering… Read More ›
Event: Sussex Africa Centre. James Esson, ‘Entrepeneurs of the body? Ghanaian youth and football trafficking’
By AiW Guest: Ross Wignall. First, from us at AiW, a quick intro to the Sussex Africa Centre, a new initiative in its founding year, celebrating the University of Sussex’s history of international scholarship and engagement with the African continent…. Read More ›
Jahmil XT Qubeka’s ‘Of Good Report’ opens Film Africa 2013
AiW Guest Christine Singer. The widely anticipated film Of Good Report opened Film Africa 2013, London’s annual major celebration of film from Africa and the diaspora, on 1 November 2013 at the Hackney Picturehouse. Set in a small town in… Read More ›
