WEALTH OF IDEAS

July 31, 2009 - This week marks the launch of the second annual Baobab Prize, an international literary award established to encourage the writing of African literature for young readers. “The success of our inaugural year gives us confidence as we launch today. We received entries from nine African countries and our participating writers ranged in age from eleven to sixty-four years. It is clear that the Baobab Prize is here to stay and to revolutionize African literature as we know it,” said the co-founder and director of the prize, Ghanaian Deborah Ahenkorah. The Baobab Prize invites entries of unpublished African short stories written for audiences either 8-11 years or 12-15 years. This year the prize will award $1,000 to the best story in each category and $800 to the most promising young writer (18 years and below). Also all short-listed stories will be considered for publication. The Baobab Prize is open to African citizens of all ages. Deadline for submission is April 15, 2010...

Ignatius Mabasa at the Western Addition Libray in downtown San Francisco. This has got to be one of the best poetry events in the United States, its magnitude and the display of international talent. Listening to the poets read in their languages, you could tell that they had to be some of the best in their countries. Syrian poet Maram al-Massri who read with Mabasa. Of course, there was one of Zimbabwe's best poets, Ignatius Mabasa, who read in Shona. I caught him in action at an event that featured him and the Syrian poet Maram al-Massri. It was a wonderful reading. Each poem was read twice, first in Shona, then in English. Mabasa was paired with San Francisco poet Michael Warr, who read the English versions of the poems. Of course, I sat there laughing long before anyone else in the room understood what was happening. It felt like an honor for my family to be the only people in the audience who understood what the poet was saying in Shona; then I laughed again (there is humor...

THE second edition of the Dzimbabwe Arts Festival is scheduled to have opened today in Masvingo, Zimbabwe, according to an email I received early this week. The Zimbabwe Herald has reported that "a series of shows will be screened at the campus and several other venues in the city... under the theme: "Celebrating Culture In Unity." Participants have been drawn from different areas of the arts: theatre, visual arts, music, film and drama. Mokoomba,Gwarimba and African Destiny, Uncle Jahunda, Capota Band, Chaka Trinity (Mashava), Mwezha WeMbira, GZU Band, X-Factor and Nsukuzonke Stars are all scheduled to perform. Memory Chirere will host a Short Story Writing workshop with aspiring writers on July 24 at the Civic Centre. A round table on arts and media will be held at Charles Austin Theatre. The Women Film Makers of Zimbabwe will present "I Want A Wedding Dress", "Sharing Day" and "Pamvura." The organisation will also screen short films at th...

Mbare, where the launch occurred. Photo by Ethel Kabwato A new project named Slum Cinema has just begun in Zimbabwe. Funded by BasicViews Foundation (Netherlands), the project aims promotes "the screening of feature films and documentaries in slums and deprived areas for the purpose of creating awareness of issues affecting such communities, for example, HIV and AIDS, human trafficking, peace and conflict, migration, teenage pregnancies, youth human rights issues, bullying in schools, alcohol and drug abuse." The program coordinator, Ethel Kabwato, has said: "These screenings are followed by discussion forums which aim at engaging the youth in dialogue and raising awareness of communities, stake holders, policymakers and decision makers and thereby enabling them to contribute to policymaking and employment creation." "Slum Cinema (Zimbabwe) realises that film is a widely accessible medium that can reach those with limited literacy skills and has the added adva...

The current issue of Munyori features the following writers: Jennifer Armstrong, answering questions about Dambudzo Marechera Georgia Ann Banks-Martin, poetry Doeba Bropleh, with a short story entitled "Foya's Moon" NoViolet Mkha Bulawayo, with a short story entitled "The Watcher", which is already a big hit on the site. Memory Chirere, leading scholar on Zimbabwean literature, talks about the Dambudzo Marechera Celebration held at Oxford University in May Aleathia Drehmer, poetry Arabella Grayson, creative non-fiction Sushma Joshi, who was longlisted for the 2009 Frank O'Connor Short Story Award Salisu Ahmed Koki, a poet based in Kano, Nigeria Anish Kumar, poetry Joseph Masanga, a Congolese poet based in Hungary Colwin Mhlahlo, with a long poem tracing Zimbabwean history since 1980 Jennifer Pickering, Sacramento-based poet and artist Sunil Sharma, with a short short entitled "Cacti"

Two writers who have recently been featured on international awards will have their work featured in the new issue of Munyori Literary Journal. NoViolet Mkha Bulawayo was shortlisted for the PEN/Studzinski Award for her short story "Snapshots", which has since been published in the Award's collection. Munyori is featuring NoViolet's "The Watcher", a must read. The other writer is Sushma Joshi from Nepal, whose short story collection, "End of the World" was longlisted for the 2009 Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award. Munyori will feature her story "After the Floods", a harrowing story about the moonsoon seasons. The same issue with present interviews with Memory Chirere and Jennifer Armstrong, who attended the Dambudzo Marechera Celebration at Oxford University in May. And there are more stories, poems and essays.

The new issue of Munyori Literary Journal is going to feature Memory Chirere, Jennifer Armstrong, NoViolet Mkha Bulawayo, Sunil Sharma, Joseph Masanga, Colwin Mhlahlo, Georgia Banks-Martin, Salisu Ahmed Koki, Jennifer Pickering, and more. It showcases short stories, interviews, poetry,and essays... I am in the process of updating the site, which should be up by Friday.

Tonight's was a well-attended reading; we ran out of chairs! Thanks to all who came, especially to my CRC students who came in big numbers. The reading featured Neal Whitman from Pacific Grove and Danny Romero of Sacramento. My connection to Neal Whitman was established through Munyori Literary Journal , when I published three of his poems. He is a retired professor, but though he writes a monthly column for the online journal Getting Something to Read , under the byline "Poetry Prof", he was not an English professor. He began writing in 2005 when his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer; he says writing poetry was his spousal therapy. Neal drove to Sacramento with Elaine, his wife. Below are some photos: Neal and Elaine Whitman, center, , enjoying some open mic performances. Danny Romero read new poems first and finished with some of his favorites from his old publications. He is the author of the novel Calle 10 , and he teaches English at Sacramento City College.Below...

To understand the short story form, I am reading any story I can lay my hands on, good or bad, classic or contemporary. Since I started this exploration in April, I have since discovered, but haven't read all, the leading names in the genre. This weekend I am reading stories from these books: Homeland and other stories by Barbara Kingsolver Mothers and Sons by Colm Toibin African Stories by Doris Lessing These are authors I have always known as novelists, yet they have also written some great stories. I met Kingsolver in The Poisonwood Bible , which I reviewed for a publication called English Tales. I remember admiring the research that Kingsolver did for the novel, and the way she exposed the stereotypes of Africa, critically revisiting the concept of the Dark Continent. Beyond these issues, the novel displayed great craft, especially in Point of View. Doris tends to be overwhelming, and I have only read two or three of her novels, but my all-time favorite is The Grass is Sing...

I will be teaching the course "Tools for the Writer's Craft" at the UC Davis Extension . Here is the course catalogue description: "When writers move past the initial inspiration the act and the art of writing gives them, they often find themselves developing an interest in craft, and craft is the emphasis of this workshop. How do we develop character and reveal plot without resorting to dull exposition? Render autobiographical incidents into useful fictional material? Reveal character motivation while maintaining plot momentum? Subtly but effectively sound thematic concerns? With the help of published examples and a discussion of how these writers are effective, weekly assignments give you opportunities to put theory into practice. These assignments are discussed in a workshop forum, which further enhances your ability to discern what goes into a piece of effective writing." This course is part of the certificate program in Creative Writing, and it runs from Oc...

This year's Caine Prize for African Writing goes to EC Osondu for "Waiting", which is described by The Guardian as " spare, poignant", a story abour "about a child waiting to be rescued from a refugee camp" Known as the African Booker, the 10-year-old prize goes to a short story by an African writer published in English. Past winners include Zimbabwe's Brian Chikwava,Uganda's Monica Arac de Nyeko, South Africa's Henrietta Rose-Innes, and others. Osondu was recently interviewed by Bookaholic. The winning story was originally published by Guernica, an online publication. This is a great step in validating the increasing credibility of online journals.

On Monday, July 13, I will be hosting two poets, Neal Whitman and Danny Romero. Venue: Sacramento Poetry Center Time: 7:30 pm Neal Whitman lives in Pacific Grove, California, where he is a member of its Public Library Board and its Cultural Arts Commission, and, in nearby Carmel, is a volunteer docent and life member of the Robinson Jeffers Tor House Foundation. His poems have been published in Monterey Poetry Review, Vermont Literary Review, The MacGuffin, International Journal for Healthcare and Humanities, Getting Something Read, The Pedestal Magazine, and New Verse News. He also is an editor for the medical humanities online journal, Pulse. Neal likes to write haiku and teach others how; he is a member of the Yuki Teikei Haiku Society, the Haiku Poets of Northern California, and the Haiku Society of America. Neal says, "Long ago I took to heart a piece of advice from former Poet Laureate Donald Hall that the poetry recital is public confirmation of a private labor. When I read...

What I like about writing in a specific genre is that I get to read a lot. Perhaps I write in order to read. It is like I reward myself, for finishing a short story draft, by reading someone's short story. Since I am putting together a collection set in rural and urban Zimbabwe, I have been drawn to authors who have dealt with the same issues, dichotomies, etc. So for this weekend, these are the books I have lined up: The Collector of Other Treasures & Other Botswana Village Stories by Bessie Head The Setting Sun & the Rolling World by Charles Mungoshi No Sweetness Here and Other Stories by Ama Ata Aidoo African Short Stories , edited by Chinua Achebe and CL Innes The Unwinding Threads: Writing by Women in Africa , edited by Charlotte Bruner The Henemann Book of Contemporary African Short Stories edited by Chinua Achebe and C.L. Innes Since these are collections of short stories, they are easy to read at the same time, one story from this book, another from that one, an...

Zimbabwe International Book Fair 2009 INDABA Theme: “Reading and Writing Zimbabwe” The ZIBFA Indaba is an annual Conference which is the major forum for debating critical issues to the book industry in Africa. It is also a unique national platform for networking and collaboration among stakeholders. This year's Indaba, whose theme is: “Reading and Writing Zimbabwe”, will be held on 27 and 28 July 2009 at Crowne Plaza from 0815 to 1700 hours, with Wednesday, 29 July 2009 reserved for the young persons Indaba. The Book Fair is scheduled to run from July 30 to August 1.

I am featured in an interview on India's Creative Saplings forum , under the topic, "Voices: near and far-off". Very thoughtful questions from Sunil Sharma, a writer and scholar based in India. Here, in part, is the interview: Sunil --Do you think writing is important in to-day’s global world? Emmanuel: Writing is more important now than it has ever been. For one, there is increased literacy in the world and more access to technology, and with the internet, we read about places we would known about otherwise. Our world abounds with news of disasters and sometimes it seems that as we draw closer to each other we are still in many ways separated by the specificity of our experiences. For this and many reasons, writing can be used to help us understand each other as we work together in the global world. As cultures interact, it is important to gain literacy about them, and one way to ensure that this happens is through writing. Who knew that HBO, for instance, would be runni...