Mototi
prominent
V
confluence
of
two
rivers
that
agreed
to
roll
this
beast
to
the
seas.
Showing posts with label Emmanuel Sigauke. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Emmanuel Sigauke. Show all posts
Author Profile - Emmanuel Sigauke
Biography:
Five Questions with Emmanuel Sigauke:
Contact Emmanuel:
Emmanuel Sigauke was born in Zimbabwe, where he started writing at the age of thirteen. After graduating from the University of Zimbabwe with a BA in English, he moved to California, where he completed graduate studies. He teaches English at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento, where he is an editor for the Cosumnes River Journal.
"Home" was first published at Chisiya Echoes.
Five Questions with Emmanuel Sigauke:
1. "Home" is almost a "word sonnet" - a poem of 14 lines in which every line contains only one word. Were you familiar with that form when writing this poem? If not, what drew you to writing a poem with only one word per line?
I knew about word sonnets, but I hadn't made the connection between them and "Home". It's safe to say that the poem dictated its own form, and I'm happy about it. My goal was to make each word stand alone in a sort of empowered position. Currently, I am reading poets like William Carlos Williams, Derek Walcott, Dambudzo Marechera, Dennis Schmitz, and the San Francisco surrealist poet Chad Sweeney. The more I read, the more I become aware of the importance of craft. I believe that freeing the word can be one of the most important characteristics of poetry as an art.
2. Speaking of your "Home", can you update us on how the political upheaval in Zimbabwe has affected Mototi?
Like most of the villages in Zimbabwe, Mototi is experiencing high levels of poverty. Recent droughts have weakened the subsistence of the village, and instead of it being the supplier of grain and produce to nearby towns, it's increasingly depending on the little the towns have to offer. As to the full impact of the political upheaval, I can just guess what's likely to be happening. Mototi usually has little political conflict; a recipient of government food assistance for many years, it used to be the stronghold of the ruling party and would not let any opposition establish itself. I haven't heard of inter-party strife: the most important need for the village is food and the most basic acquisitions. My focus, as is that of other Zimbabweans in the diaspora, is to make sure my family is taken care of. My writing, of course, shows that Mototi is always on my mind.
3. It seems every time we profile a poem of yours you have started a new literary project, the latest being "Mototi Litscape". Could you tell our readers a bit about this project?
Mototi Litscape actually started at the same time as Munyori Poetry Journal, but I never promoted it. I intend to use it as an expansion of the work I am doing with Munyori, to present it as a multi-genre journal for writers from all over Africa. The fact that writers haven't discovered it on their own makes me question the feasibility of the project. I am increasingly discovering that these internet-based projects don't run as planned, but I certainly love the talent that Munyori has managed to attract. Not all literary projects are created equal.
On a more positive note, when Mototi Litscape finally takes off, when I register and promote it, it might turn into a small press. Since there is a need for more publishers of African writing, I have given myself the challenge to start working towards that role.
4. Is it difficult to keep so many projects on the go? How do you manage your time between these projects, your working life, your writing life, and your personal life?
Managing these projects, I have found out, is easy. You concentrate on those that are doing well and ignore ones that are struggling. Given my busy life, I sometimes cannot manage all of them at once, so I wait for a time like now - Summer. I am not as busy anymore, which means I can take another look at Mototi Litscape and say, "Okay what do you want me to do with you?"
I am fortunate in that my work life is connected to my writing. I just finished teaching a fiction-writing course, and along the way I have renewed my interest in short story writing (I have a story coming out in the summer issue of SNReview). My college is also very active in the poetry scene, being the home of several poets. We have a poetry series and we publish a literary journal, which I help edit. So at work I exist as a writer in one capacity or another.
Personal life? I have plenty of that, and it's always the one triggering things to write about. Having believed I am a writer since I turned thirteen, I don't know how to separate the writer from, say, the man pumping gas, calling relatives in Mototi, or shopping at Safeway. But, as I said, I prioritize some projects over others, and when necessary, I use what corporate America taught very well: multi-tasking.
5. To steal a question you ask poets at your Munyori Poetry Journal, what writing projects are you involved in currently?
When I started writing I did everything: I wrote plays when I was a teacher at Glen View High in Harare; I wrote things I called novels; I wrote poetry and short stories; and I even attempted to write an English grammar textbook once (and I am close to doing this again). This summer I am going to perfect the craft of short story writing. I will continue to edit my poetry, but I am currently in a state of satisfaction since my poetry collection, Forever Let Me Go, is coming out at the end of June. I like the short story because there are a lot of competitions which pay well, so you can say I am writing short stories for the wrong reasons. Remember, I said I want to start a literary press eventually. Winning a good prize may bring me closer to doing this. Look at Binyavanga Wainaina of Kenya, who started Kwani? after the Caine Prize. Those prizes validate you and give you the right exposure, and targeting a prize because I want to fund a literary press helps me keep focused (on the art and the money).
Also, I was recently accepted into the Sacramento Poetry Center Board, where I host poetry readings every second Monday, and I contribute book reviews to their publication Poetry Now. Working with the SPC has shown me that Sacramento has a lot going on in the writing, especially poetry, scene. I am attending book launches and writing workshops. Somehow, this involvement will benefit Mototi and help bring an aspect of African writing to Northern California.
The new issue of Munyori Poetry Journal will be out on June 15. I like the range of talent and variety of poets in the issue, which features an international mix of writers from Zimbabwe, India, Cote d’Ivoire, the United States and other countries. The interview with Louie Crew of Poetry Publishers Who Accept Electronic Submissions is worth reading. I plan to include a book review page, the first installment of which will feature Quinton Duval's Among the Summer Pines, published by Rattlesnake Press of Sacramento.
Oh, I am reading too. Poetry--lot's of poetry. I mentioned some writers earlier, but I also finally purchased a copy of Harold Bloom's The Best Poems of the English Language: from Chaucer through Frost. I like Bloom's confidence in himself as a "colossus among critics"; he has done great service to English & American Literature. That he ignores other literatures is just as inspiring, as it serves to show that you can't always expect others to promote your literature. So I am also reading Dambudzo Marechera, Charles Mungoshi, Yvonne Vera and other African writers to find ways of presenting analyses of their best works.
Contact Emmanuel:
Email: Sigauke(at)crc.losrios.edu
Websites: chisiya echoes: new zimbabwe poetry
Munyori Poetry Journal
A Sack of Words - Emmanuel Sigauke
Something
lives
in this place
no one cares
to talk
about;
something like
a sack
of words,
remembered only
when nothing else
is there
to forget.
lives
in this place
no one cares
to talk
about;
something like
a sack
of words,
remembered only
when nothing else
is there
to forget.
Author Profile - Emmanuel Sigauke
Biography:
Five Questions with Emmanuel Sigauke:
Contact Emmanuel:
Emmanuel's Past Profiles:
Issue 1.27, September 22nd - 27th, 2007
"A Sack of Words" was first published at Chisiya Echoes.
Five Questions with Emmanuel Sigauke:
1. Since your last profile, you have launched the Munyori Poetry Journal. How have you found this experience so far? Have you been able to promote African poetry as much as you hoped to?
Publishing Munyori Poetry Journal has been a rewarding experience, connecting me to the promotional aspects of writing. The journal is intended to showcase works by poets from all over the world, and so far it has attracted contributions from this target group, although a large percentage of contributors has been from the United States and several African countries.
Naturally, I am happy each time I receive works from Africa, a continent whose authors (especially the emerging ones) need promotion the most. Of course, I was constantly reminded of my struggles to find publishers when I was in Zimbabwe; so I hope that Munyori will become a trusted name in the showcasing of the talent Africa has to offer.
2. In the latest issue of Munyori, you feature fellow OGOV poet Prince Mensah, introducing Prince's writing to a new audience. Conversely, is there someone who you've featured at Munyori that you would like to promote to OGOV readers?
It was an honor to publish Prince Mensah's insightful interview and captivating poetry. I like what he had to say about the state of African poetry, and his call for writers to start utilizing the world wide web to promote their works. There are several Munyori names that I hope OGOV will discover, names like Zvisinei Sandi (February/March issue), Jabulani Mzinyathi (December), and Shilla Mutamba (October issue). These are highly promising African writers.
3. You have a poetry blog, Chisiya Echoes, on which "A Sack of Words" was originally published. What impact does having a personal place to publish have on the frequency and quality of your writing, if any?
A blog is a special gift to a writer. Drafting poetry at Chisiya Echoes has helped me produce over 400 pieces in a year. I like the tracking of dates which I can use to measure the frequency of my writing. I realize, of course, that mass-producing poetry may have negative effects; although the blog allows me to "publish" a draft within seconds, I know that much of the poetry is at the draft level. My goal is to draft-publish a substantial number of poems (say 300) and transfer them to a local document that will undergo more serious editing. On lucky days I can just blog a poem that just comes out complete, with little or no need for further editing. I hope that as I gain more experience blogging my poetry, I will be able to produce solid pieces in the first or second attempt.
4. You participated in our last Roundable Discussion for Africans Abroad. What was the best idea you took away from that discussion? What activities do you hope will result from it?
The discussion has made me realize that there is need for African writers to engage in self-promotion without waiting to be discovered by some outside organizations all the time. One way of helping the continent self-promote is by making those African writers who have access to resources promote fellow writers who lack resources.
Somehow, participating in the discussion has also made me consider the need to lead by example in being part of a team of African writers that seek to "promote" other writers back home.
On one hand there is the question of entitlement: Does my being in the USA automatically entitle me to assist writers in Africa? Often, I have told myself it is my responsibility to help make Africa attain a level of self-sufficiency in the promotion of its own literature. On other other hand, there has been the question of credibility: What experience and success record have I attained to be able to help beginning writers? This question has prompted me to become more aggressive in marketing my own works in order to gain experience in the process through which I am seeking to direct others.
Now that we have discussed the need to do something, I look forward to the implementation of some of the planned activities. Even if we are to start "small", I would like to see something concrete; so we are going to distribute flyers at schools and colleges in Ghana? [ed. note - see our News and Notices section for info on this]. Let's identify key writers who can help with this. I know Zimbabwe has a budding writers organization with an office in Harare and branches all over the country; that can be used as a viable avenue in announcing the existence of a manuscript review service, or a poetry competition. I see myself becoming part of a sub-committee that is involved with manuscript assistance (editing, etc).
5. As a professor at a college in California, how do you find American students respond to African literature, compared to African students? For instance, does an American student read Achebe's Things Fall Apart differently from an African, and if so, how?
Some American students who get a chance to learn African literature bring to it expectations influenced by the image of Africa that the media has given. At first the world in a novel like Tsitsi Dangarembga's Nervous Conditions starts off as a distant and unfamiliar place, and without the proper context of the literature, most students are at a loss.
Hurdles to understanding the literature often range from difficulty with the character's names to cultural practices that seem strange. For instance, the few times I have taught Nervous Conditions and Things Fall Apart, I have had to clarify to the students that these are novels set in a specific time, which is different from what present-day Zimbabwe or Nigeria is. But I try not to influence the way students interpret the literature too much to allow them to add to the richness of the discourse.
By mid-semester, after they have done some research, most students begin to connect to the stories, at once realizing that literature exposes a specific story in which universal qualities of life can be found. Most students begin to relate with Nyasha and her struggles with anorexia, and with Tambudzai and her desire to attain a high level of education to change her destiny. The same applies to Things Fall Apart - students begin to validate it as a story that could have happened anywhere, a story that applies to them as it applies to African readers. Those discoveries are often rewarding and are indicative of the power of literature to communicate the specific and the universal aspects of our lives.
Contact Emmanuel:
Email: Sigauke(at)crc.losrios.edu
Websites: chisiya echoes: new zimbabwe poetry
Munyori Poetry Journal
Emmanuel's Past Profiles:
Issue 1.27, September 22nd - 27th, 2007
OGOV Roundtable Discussion #2 - Africans Abroad
For the second time here at OGOV, in lieu of a poem this week we will receive the privilege of "listening in" on a conversation on poetry held between some of Ghana's (and Africa's) brightest up and coming poets, moderated by One Ghana, One Voice's own Julian Adomako-Gyimah, and featuring Prince Mensah, Martin Pieterson, Emmanuel Sigauke, and Mariska Taylor-Darko. So please have a read, and be sure to use the comment section to join the conversation yourself!
Julian Adomako-Gyimah:
As Ghanaian (and Zimbabwean) writers living abroad, how best can we promote writing amongst Ghanaians at home?
Emmanuel Sigauke:
This question applies to the idea of what African writers in general should do to promote writing back home. If we go back to the classical argument of the writer as teacher, visionary, voice of the people, we find ourselves subscribing to a type of thinking that associates writing with advocacy or social responsibility. So, having lived away from home, I find myself seeking a true definition of self, culture and belonging through my writing.
But at one time I was a writer based in Africa, concerned about the importance of my Africanness to me, but there was also the temptation of departing from home artistically, wooed by schools of writing associating themselves with radicalism, individualism, loneliness. This applied to all forms of artistic expression, for instance, music -- I remember my generation's general attachment to foreign music, but once I was away, I started to rediscover the beauty of art produced at home. Not everyone enters exile in order to discover the necessary artistic self hood, so it is the duty of the ex-pat writer to share the renewed (sometimes just new) vision with the artists back home.
One best way of helping writers back home is to take advantage of the access to resources that being an exile often provides to help out the talented but often disadvantaged writers back home. One way I have offered to help writers back home (in my case Zimbabwe) has been to start a literary journal that the writers can submit to. But I have noticed that since the journal is internet-based, it has not yet reached those most in need.
So I have been thinking of ways in which I can work with writers groups to provide access to needy writers. This is no easy task, which is why a forum like this one will definitely help us brainstorm (and act on) the various ways we can help.
Prince Mensah:
Powerful point, Emmanuel.
There has to be a concerted effort with foreign-based African writers, local universities and stations (TV and Radio) to encourage writing among our people. There is an over-emphasis on ways to get rich quick. Even the smartest people get caught in this tyranny of becoming 'rich' by any means necessary. This is the bane of our countries. There is so much poverty that the only tangible thing to do is to hustle. Our countries are caught up in the illusion of unrealistic sitcoms and movies that are nothing but fiction. The fact of life is that you have to work and work hard at anything worth having. Our people also have to be taught to not only work hard, but work smart.
We, as writers in other countries, must challenge the status quo by becoming leaders on issues we talk about. For the sake of writing in our countries, we can apply for grants, collectively or individually, directed to providing an intellectual infrastructure wherein literary institutions and competitions can be established. There has to be several steps taken in making the writing and appreciation of poetry, novels, plays and essays an accepted norm in our societies. Local radio and TV stations can become partners in the creation of programmes that reward writing efforts.
In Africa, a huge chunk of the general readership is semi-illiterate or illiterate. This makes an interest in written and spoken English extremely difficult. We have to adopt towns or areas in our home countries where we can channel resources in the forms of books and study aids. These things do not have to come out of pocket, necessarily. All we have to do is raise interest in the foreign countries where we live in, by writing to libraries, publishers, schools and literary organizations.
In Ghana, slapstick shows, popularly known as concert parties, have more patronage than theatrical productions. The sad thing is that inasmuch that concert parties are popular, they have no marketability to outside markets. Our literary efforts must enable our local writers to attain marketability to the outside world as well. There is a dire need for us to do something in 2008. A campaign to world literary circles would not be a step in the bad direction. We need to unearth the great stories that lie hidden in the minds of our people.
Emmanuel:
Let's do something in 2008. We could become one of the groups that writers back home can rely on at different levels of support. Something as simple as contributing resources (a little bit of money, publicity, etc) will go a long way in helping writers back home. Often we look to other people's endowments as sources of support -- what if we could provide one. We as a group can start a fund that helps writing activities back home. I have always had visions to fund a poetry contest through one of the writers' groups back home. What we need to bear in mind, though, is how to ensure that the money, the support, goes to help those it's intended to support.
Prince:
A monthly literary prize of $50 will not be bad. However, that $50 should be in the form of books that assist with writing. A quarterly prize of $100 can be organized to not only give books but to assist the writer with stationary for their manuscript. An annual prize of $500 can be given to a writer who has completed a manuscript and needs a publisher to complete the project. The numbers are all suggestions and emanate from conservative projection. We have to agree to everything as a group.
Martin Pieterson:
In my opinion, writing in Ghana can be promoted by setting up writing clubs in communities and in schools (primary, secondary and tertiary). Not only do we need to set up these clubs, we need to ensure they are run professionally. Especially in the 1st and 2nd cycle institutions, writers must be made to know all that goes into the craft such as finding markets, analyzing the publications to submit work to, approaching the various genres (short stories, poetry, articles, religious writing, travel writing etc..), using grammar and punctuation, finding inspiration, handling writers' block, and much more.
Some writers clubs have sprung up in the past in Ghana but many haven't worked because people don't see what they gain from them. One of the problems up-and-coming writers face in Ghana is the issue of getting published. Many submit pieces to publications without analyzing what kind of work the publication accept (if it's sports, leisure, travel, politics, etc.), length of articles, style of writing etc.., and when they aren’t published they give up entirely on writing. I believe if people know some of these things they will do things correctly and thus stay in the craft.
I would like to take this opportunity to request all poets who have been published on OGOV to begin thinking of setting up writers' clubs in their communities so that we get this professional approach into our writing. Writing has so many benefits: apart from making us advocates, it also helps us to sharpen our skills of observation and communication. The latter is very important for us Ghanaians and Africans now that the world has become a Global Village. It also helps us improve on our vocabulary and thus become more confident.
Another point is that every fun activity that is done in the running of these clubs should be that which will add to the competence of the writers. During excursions to places of interest, for example, writers should be told not only to go and have fun but also to observe everything and report. In this way, we can help produce many travel writers.
In addition to setting up writers' clubs and running them professionally, there is the need to have more publications. One of the joys of writing is getting published, and this is why I would like to commend OGOV for making it possible for many talented Ghanaian and African writers, who may otherwise have had difficulty in getting published, to get published. OGOV has shown us that we have more quality and great writers than we thought. I believe there are even many more to emerge once given the opportunity.
I would like to suggest that OGOV begins a corner for teenagers and kids or 1st and 2nd Cycle institutions so we can get the spirit into them. Many of them would love to see their poems published. [ed. note: we currently have a call out for poems by children and youth - visit the Submission Guidelines page for more details]
Congrats Julian for your help in getting Ex-pat writers published. Let's do the same for many of the great writers in Ghana. Prince and Emmanuel, thanks for your wonderful ideas as to how we can sponsor writing events.
I am sure if we organise ourselves properly, there could be a time when people could even take writing as a full-time job in Ghana, we just have to start discussing the business side of it. We can begin to organize poetry evenings first free of charge and later charge a little money depending on the interest and then we can move to other literary events. KSM did it with his shows; we can also do it with writing. We just need to begin talking.
Friends, I see a great hope for Ghana and Africa from this corner. I see we are the generation to make Africa what it is supposed to be. Let's keep this spirit. And after our forums, let's move on to implementing our decisions. This is what our present leadership is not doing. And as a generation of hope, let's begin to do this.
Prince:
Great idea, Martin.
There is the need for a multiple-pronged approach to this issue. Writer's clubs are definitely the way to go. We need to identify people and organizations who share this vision. We have to build the foundation so that when the real job is done, it won't collapse. Let's brainstorm, brethren. The world is watching.
Emmanuel:
Working with writers who are serious is a prerequisite to successful literary promotion. Clubs are a good starting point, and sponsoring contests, and helping writers gain access to publishers and agents would be a great step in this process. Although we all live in places where publishing resources are available, it is not always easy to break our ways into publication since the issues we deal with may not appeal to publishers here. There is thus the issue of which publishers and promoters should be involved in the nurturing of talent back home.
Mariska Taylor-Darko:
Hi all of you.
First of all I must say that it was only after being abroad that I saw what other countries do to promote the work of their writers. Apart from the intellectuals in Ghana and among the ex-pats, the average Ghanaian only heard of poetry when they were in school - for Literature lessons. As a writer who commutes between countries I feel that one of the ways we could help would be to organise poetry readings, get published in the media, get some good PR, have competitions among the youth and try to get sponsors interested in writing of all forms with attractive rewards for talent. The Universities should invite outsiders to participate in events regardless of their educational background. The TV and Radio stations should also give exposure to the up and coming writers with fun programmes - not the serious heavy events that have been seen.
In Ghana it seems that poetry (I mention this because its my area of interest) is not given much regard outside the tertiary establishment, although a few poetry reading sessions are being organised - all late at night and in venues that are not easily accessible. We have to make events more accessible to the masses and get more youth interested.
Emmanuel:
Mariska, the issue of access, as you pointed out, is very important. Most writers nowadays self-market on the internet through forums like Myspace and Youtube. While I am happy about the proliferation of online poetry journals, I am aware that some talented young writers in Africa do not have access to a computer, or cannot afford the rates of the internet cafes. So to ensure access, we need to help in the provision of resources, without waiting for the "generous Western sponsor" of writing. Of course, access is not everything; trainers would need to identify interested and talented writers who can be helped to realize their dreams. As you stated, Mariska, writing contests, conferences, excursion, etc. would help.
Mariska:
Emmanuel, I agree with you also. The lack of access to the electronic world would be a hindrance to a lot of budding writers. I think we all agree that closer interaction between writers would be a major development, as we’ve mentioned wanting locally organised programmes in nearly all our comments. So now, how do we start? The biggest hurdle would be the funds to set up these programmes. Where do the youth meet a lot? In clubs, churches, sports grounds, etc. Clubs could, on days when they have not much patronage, arrange poetry reading sessions to bring exposure. Meeting the youth groups in churches and organising such events would also be a possibility. Making use of the churches weekly bulletins and monthly magazines is another outlet. These are just a few ways we could start without depending on any Western sponsors...
This way the talented writers would gain acknowledgement, a following of friends and like minded persons and the encouragement to continue with their dreams.
For those of us who can speak pidgin or local dialects, poetry recitals could be organised in these dialects to reach a wider audience. Even mixtures of good English and pidgin would make things more interesting.
We should show our love for what we do to the point that it touches and awakens the feelings in others. We should be vocal and vibrant in our delivery of both written poetry and spoken word and let other writers know that just because they are not living outside of their own countries does not mean that they do not have much to offer. They do have much to offer, and should be passionate about it without fear of criticism. It is better to keep on trying than never try at all.
Emmanuel:
Yes, Mariska. As we assume this task of inspiring others, we are called upon by that responsibility to lead by example: we have to demonstrate that we are writing and publishing works. The fellow writers back home are not just recipients of our encouragement, but partners in this effort. What I remember working with young writers in Zimbabwe in the 90s was the passion they had; we had the passion, but persistence was another matter.
As Mariska pointed out, the passion has to turn into persistent writing that does not get easily discouraged by criticism or rejections. As most us would attest, publication is difficult even here (especially here, where sometimes the editors turn down our works because they don't seem to address a familiar world). So let there be a balance in approach: we should inspire and encourage each other without so much as hinting that this is an easy process. We also don't want to give false impressions about art and livelihood, or to steer aspiring writers towards a disabling dependence policy. Often, we feel, as aspiring writers, that we are the chosen few, but, really, writing demands great effort, knowledge (if not respect) of your market or readership, and realistic goals.
Prince:
Writing, like any other human talent, gets better with use. The rubber band principle must be applied wherein we stretch ourselves to a point in our careers where we have exhausted everything we are capable of producing. This enables us to accommodate the happiness and heartbreaks of a career in writing.
I think action must be 75% with us and words be the rest. In as much as we serve hope as breakfast, reality must be served as lunch. We have to sponsor groups in our country, by exposing their works to people and groups we know. We must give our people an audience. Most of us have personal websites, why don't we get poetry from a bunch of good, but struggling, writers from our countries and post them on our sites? Why don't we organize a monthly newsletter that will give our people a list of places they can get help from? Why don't we use our network of friends to promote our brothers and sisters? The concept of community, as we are doing now, can be inculcated in our sibling-scribes at home.
Leading by example, as Emmanuel suggested, can start by all of us agreeing to do something and sticking to it. If it is funding, let us agree on a ball park figure. If it is logistics, let's figure a solution out. Remember, a problem is an opportunity wrapped with rags.
Let's get going on our plans because not only is African suffering from economic and intellectual dysfunction---our people are living under an iron sky. It is up to us to let them believe in themselves once again. The world is respectful of one who knows his destination.
Julian Adomako-Gyimah:
As Ghanaian (and Zimbabwean) writers living abroad, how best can we promote writing amongst Ghanaians at home?
Emmanuel Sigauke:
This question applies to the idea of what African writers in general should do to promote writing back home. If we go back to the classical argument of the writer as teacher, visionary, voice of the people, we find ourselves subscribing to a type of thinking that associates writing with advocacy or social responsibility. So, having lived away from home, I find myself seeking a true definition of self, culture and belonging through my writing.
But at one time I was a writer based in Africa, concerned about the importance of my Africanness to me, but there was also the temptation of departing from home artistically, wooed by schools of writing associating themselves with radicalism, individualism, loneliness. This applied to all forms of artistic expression, for instance, music -- I remember my generation's general attachment to foreign music, but once I was away, I started to rediscover the beauty of art produced at home. Not everyone enters exile in order to discover the necessary artistic self hood, so it is the duty of the ex-pat writer to share the renewed (sometimes just new) vision with the artists back home.
One best way of helping writers back home is to take advantage of the access to resources that being an exile often provides to help out the talented but often disadvantaged writers back home. One way I have offered to help writers back home (in my case Zimbabwe) has been to start a literary journal that the writers can submit to. But I have noticed that since the journal is internet-based, it has not yet reached those most in need.
So I have been thinking of ways in which I can work with writers groups to provide access to needy writers. This is no easy task, which is why a forum like this one will definitely help us brainstorm (and act on) the various ways we can help.
Prince Mensah:
Powerful point, Emmanuel.
There has to be a concerted effort with foreign-based African writers, local universities and stations (TV and Radio) to encourage writing among our people. There is an over-emphasis on ways to get rich quick. Even the smartest people get caught in this tyranny of becoming 'rich' by any means necessary. This is the bane of our countries. There is so much poverty that the only tangible thing to do is to hustle. Our countries are caught up in the illusion of unrealistic sitcoms and movies that are nothing but fiction. The fact of life is that you have to work and work hard at anything worth having. Our people also have to be taught to not only work hard, but work smart.
We, as writers in other countries, must challenge the status quo by becoming leaders on issues we talk about. For the sake of writing in our countries, we can apply for grants, collectively or individually, directed to providing an intellectual infrastructure wherein literary institutions and competitions can be established. There has to be several steps taken in making the writing and appreciation of poetry, novels, plays and essays an accepted norm in our societies. Local radio and TV stations can become partners in the creation of programmes that reward writing efforts.
In Africa, a huge chunk of the general readership is semi-illiterate or illiterate. This makes an interest in written and spoken English extremely difficult. We have to adopt towns or areas in our home countries where we can channel resources in the forms of books and study aids. These things do not have to come out of pocket, necessarily. All we have to do is raise interest in the foreign countries where we live in, by writing to libraries, publishers, schools and literary organizations.
In Ghana, slapstick shows, popularly known as concert parties, have more patronage than theatrical productions. The sad thing is that inasmuch that concert parties are popular, they have no marketability to outside markets. Our literary efforts must enable our local writers to attain marketability to the outside world as well. There is a dire need for us to do something in 2008. A campaign to world literary circles would not be a step in the bad direction. We need to unearth the great stories that lie hidden in the minds of our people.
Emmanuel:
Let's do something in 2008. We could become one of the groups that writers back home can rely on at different levels of support. Something as simple as contributing resources (a little bit of money, publicity, etc) will go a long way in helping writers back home. Often we look to other people's endowments as sources of support -- what if we could provide one. We as a group can start a fund that helps writing activities back home. I have always had visions to fund a poetry contest through one of the writers' groups back home. What we need to bear in mind, though, is how to ensure that the money, the support, goes to help those it's intended to support.
Prince:
A monthly literary prize of $50 will not be bad. However, that $50 should be in the form of books that assist with writing. A quarterly prize of $100 can be organized to not only give books but to assist the writer with stationary for their manuscript. An annual prize of $500 can be given to a writer who has completed a manuscript and needs a publisher to complete the project. The numbers are all suggestions and emanate from conservative projection. We have to agree to everything as a group.
Martin Pieterson:
In my opinion, writing in Ghana can be promoted by setting up writing clubs in communities and in schools (primary, secondary and tertiary). Not only do we need to set up these clubs, we need to ensure they are run professionally. Especially in the 1st and 2nd cycle institutions, writers must be made to know all that goes into the craft such as finding markets, analyzing the publications to submit work to, approaching the various genres (short stories, poetry, articles, religious writing, travel writing etc..), using grammar and punctuation, finding inspiration, handling writers' block, and much more.
Some writers clubs have sprung up in the past in Ghana but many haven't worked because people don't see what they gain from them. One of the problems up-and-coming writers face in Ghana is the issue of getting published. Many submit pieces to publications without analyzing what kind of work the publication accept (if it's sports, leisure, travel, politics, etc.), length of articles, style of writing etc.., and when they aren’t published they give up entirely on writing. I believe if people know some of these things they will do things correctly and thus stay in the craft.
I would like to take this opportunity to request all poets who have been published on OGOV to begin thinking of setting up writers' clubs in their communities so that we get this professional approach into our writing. Writing has so many benefits: apart from making us advocates, it also helps us to sharpen our skills of observation and communication. The latter is very important for us Ghanaians and Africans now that the world has become a Global Village. It also helps us improve on our vocabulary and thus become more confident.
Another point is that every fun activity that is done in the running of these clubs should be that which will add to the competence of the writers. During excursions to places of interest, for example, writers should be told not only to go and have fun but also to observe everything and report. In this way, we can help produce many travel writers.
In addition to setting up writers' clubs and running them professionally, there is the need to have more publications. One of the joys of writing is getting published, and this is why I would like to commend OGOV for making it possible for many talented Ghanaian and African writers, who may otherwise have had difficulty in getting published, to get published. OGOV has shown us that we have more quality and great writers than we thought. I believe there are even many more to emerge once given the opportunity.
I would like to suggest that OGOV begins a corner for teenagers and kids or 1st and 2nd Cycle institutions so we can get the spirit into them. Many of them would love to see their poems published. [ed. note: we currently have a call out for poems by children and youth - visit the Submission Guidelines page for more details]
Congrats Julian for your help in getting Ex-pat writers published. Let's do the same for many of the great writers in Ghana. Prince and Emmanuel, thanks for your wonderful ideas as to how we can sponsor writing events.
I am sure if we organise ourselves properly, there could be a time when people could even take writing as a full-time job in Ghana, we just have to start discussing the business side of it. We can begin to organize poetry evenings first free of charge and later charge a little money depending on the interest and then we can move to other literary events. KSM did it with his shows; we can also do it with writing. We just need to begin talking.
Friends, I see a great hope for Ghana and Africa from this corner. I see we are the generation to make Africa what it is supposed to be. Let's keep this spirit. And after our forums, let's move on to implementing our decisions. This is what our present leadership is not doing. And as a generation of hope, let's begin to do this.
Prince:
Great idea, Martin.
There is the need for a multiple-pronged approach to this issue. Writer's clubs are definitely the way to go. We need to identify people and organizations who share this vision. We have to build the foundation so that when the real job is done, it won't collapse. Let's brainstorm, brethren. The world is watching.
Emmanuel:
Working with writers who are serious is a prerequisite to successful literary promotion. Clubs are a good starting point, and sponsoring contests, and helping writers gain access to publishers and agents would be a great step in this process. Although we all live in places where publishing resources are available, it is not always easy to break our ways into publication since the issues we deal with may not appeal to publishers here. There is thus the issue of which publishers and promoters should be involved in the nurturing of talent back home.
Mariska Taylor-Darko:
Hi all of you.
First of all I must say that it was only after being abroad that I saw what other countries do to promote the work of their writers. Apart from the intellectuals in Ghana and among the ex-pats, the average Ghanaian only heard of poetry when they were in school - for Literature lessons. As a writer who commutes between countries I feel that one of the ways we could help would be to organise poetry readings, get published in the media, get some good PR, have competitions among the youth and try to get sponsors interested in writing of all forms with attractive rewards for talent. The Universities should invite outsiders to participate in events regardless of their educational background. The TV and Radio stations should also give exposure to the up and coming writers with fun programmes - not the serious heavy events that have been seen.
In Ghana it seems that poetry (I mention this because its my area of interest) is not given much regard outside the tertiary establishment, although a few poetry reading sessions are being organised - all late at night and in venues that are not easily accessible. We have to make events more accessible to the masses and get more youth interested.
Emmanuel:
Mariska, the issue of access, as you pointed out, is very important. Most writers nowadays self-market on the internet through forums like Myspace and Youtube. While I am happy about the proliferation of online poetry journals, I am aware that some talented young writers in Africa do not have access to a computer, or cannot afford the rates of the internet cafes. So to ensure access, we need to help in the provision of resources, without waiting for the "generous Western sponsor" of writing. Of course, access is not everything; trainers would need to identify interested and talented writers who can be helped to realize their dreams. As you stated, Mariska, writing contests, conferences, excursion, etc. would help.
Mariska:
Emmanuel, I agree with you also. The lack of access to the electronic world would be a hindrance to a lot of budding writers. I think we all agree that closer interaction between writers would be a major development, as we’ve mentioned wanting locally organised programmes in nearly all our comments. So now, how do we start? The biggest hurdle would be the funds to set up these programmes. Where do the youth meet a lot? In clubs, churches, sports grounds, etc. Clubs could, on days when they have not much patronage, arrange poetry reading sessions to bring exposure. Meeting the youth groups in churches and organising such events would also be a possibility. Making use of the churches weekly bulletins and monthly magazines is another outlet. These are just a few ways we could start without depending on any Western sponsors...
This way the talented writers would gain acknowledgement, a following of friends and like minded persons and the encouragement to continue with their dreams.
For those of us who can speak pidgin or local dialects, poetry recitals could be organised in these dialects to reach a wider audience. Even mixtures of good English and pidgin would make things more interesting.
We should show our love for what we do to the point that it touches and awakens the feelings in others. We should be vocal and vibrant in our delivery of both written poetry and spoken word and let other writers know that just because they are not living outside of their own countries does not mean that they do not have much to offer. They do have much to offer, and should be passionate about it without fear of criticism. It is better to keep on trying than never try at all.
Emmanuel:
Yes, Mariska. As we assume this task of inspiring others, we are called upon by that responsibility to lead by example: we have to demonstrate that we are writing and publishing works. The fellow writers back home are not just recipients of our encouragement, but partners in this effort. What I remember working with young writers in Zimbabwe in the 90s was the passion they had; we had the passion, but persistence was another matter.
As Mariska pointed out, the passion has to turn into persistent writing that does not get easily discouraged by criticism or rejections. As most us would attest, publication is difficult even here (especially here, where sometimes the editors turn down our works because they don't seem to address a familiar world). So let there be a balance in approach: we should inspire and encourage each other without so much as hinting that this is an easy process. We also don't want to give false impressions about art and livelihood, or to steer aspiring writers towards a disabling dependence policy. Often, we feel, as aspiring writers, that we are the chosen few, but, really, writing demands great effort, knowledge (if not respect) of your market or readership, and realistic goals.
Prince:
Writing, like any other human talent, gets better with use. The rubber band principle must be applied wherein we stretch ourselves to a point in our careers where we have exhausted everything we are capable of producing. This enables us to accommodate the happiness and heartbreaks of a career in writing.
I think action must be 75% with us and words be the rest. In as much as we serve hope as breakfast, reality must be served as lunch. We have to sponsor groups in our country, by exposing their works to people and groups we know. We must give our people an audience. Most of us have personal websites, why don't we get poetry from a bunch of good, but struggling, writers from our countries and post them on our sites? Why don't we organize a monthly newsletter that will give our people a list of places they can get help from? Why don't we use our network of friends to promote our brothers and sisters? The concept of community, as we are doing now, can be inculcated in our sibling-scribes at home.
Leading by example, as Emmanuel suggested, can start by all of us agreeing to do something and sticking to it. If it is funding, let us agree on a ball park figure. If it is logistics, let's figure a solution out. Remember, a problem is an opportunity wrapped with rags.
Let's get going on our plans because not only is African suffering from economic and intellectual dysfunction---our people are living under an iron sky. It is up to us to let them believe in themselves once again. The world is respectful of one who knows his destination.
Read Previous Roundtable Discussions:
#1 Politics and the Power of Poetry (Issue 1.32)
OGOV Roundtable Discussion #2 - About the Participants
Julian Adomako-Gyimah:
Julian is an alum of Presby Boys Secondary School, Legon. He holds a B.A. in Business Studies at the Kensington College of Business, London, a Diploma in Journalism at the Writers Bureau College of Journalism, Manchester, UK, Executive Diplomas in Strategic Management and Management, a Diploma in Management Studies and an Executive MBA at the Huddersfield University, UK. He has worked as a Financial Controller at Brook & Whittle, after working as an Accounts Manager at Ryder Plc, both in the UK. Additionally, he is a Chartered Manager and a member of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), also in the UK.
Julian is also the proud author of two bestsellers, namely Smile Africa and Recall, which are both available on amazon.com, bn.com, borders.com, and in major retail outlets around the globe.
Julian is a co-founder of One Ghana, One Voice.Prince Mensah:
Prince was born in August 1977 to Dr. Louis and Rose Mensah. He attended Adisadel College, Extra Mural Academy, African-American HIV University(USA) and Mediation Training Institute(USA). He has written an extensive body of work including plays that have been staged at the Arts Center in Accra.Martin Pieterson:
Martin holds a BSc in Business Administration from the Central University College, Accra, a Post-Graduate Certificate in Public Administration from GIMPA (Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration), Accra and a Masters in Media and Communication from the International University in Geneva, Switzerland.
He did his National Service at the Ghana National Commission on Children and continued as an Assistant Administrator in the same organisation for two years. He then left to the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research where he worked as an Intern/Project Assistant for one and a half years.
He is currently a Research Consultant at the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research Department of the WHO in Geneva.Emmanuel Sigauke:
Emmanuel Sigauke was born in Zimbabwe, where he started writing at the age of thirteen. After graduating from the University of Zimbabwe with a BA in English, he moved to California, where he completed graduate studies. He teaches English at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento, where he is an editor for the Cosumnes River Journal.Mariska Taylor-Darko:
Born in Manchester, England in 1956, Mariska attended Holy Child Secondary School in Cape Coast and St. Mary's Secondary School, Mamprobi. She then returned to the UK and attended Beresford College of English and Commerce, Margate, Kent and later Harrow College of Further Education, Harrow, Middlesex.
Mariska currently resides in Accra. She has two sons, one married and living in London, the other attending Golden Sunbeam Montessori School, Adenta, Accra in JSS1. She is a motivational speaker, poet, writer, beautician, fire walker and lover of jazz, blues, reggae and old time highlife.
The Other Side of the River - Emmanuel Sigauke
Growing up where I dream about
Was gritty, and the exhaustion is all
I remember when you talk
about celebrations of selves and nations
who harvested from the stampede.
No stampede, that I declare -
even the Olympian dreamer would purchase
his way out of it, even where it offered gold medals tenfold.
Growing up where I dream about now -
those scorching dawns
when on Mainini's back I lied
supposed to be napping.
I triggered birds off-balance
with my eyes' piercing curiosity -
when for her chores
Mainini had to carry me all day
while she scared birds off the millet heads-
the elders (my grandmother and her sons) were
at the big farm, already harvesting maize.
Growing up where I dream about now
remains the one line
that refuses to anchor my verses
as it sprints, chases sense to squash.
The crime? Those early days with Mainini
just vanished, wasted into memory's clogged donga.
Was gritty, and the exhaustion is all
I remember when you talk
about celebrations of selves and nations
who harvested from the stampede.
No stampede, that I declare -
even the Olympian dreamer would purchase
his way out of it, even where it offered gold medals tenfold.
Growing up where I dream about now -
those scorching dawns
when on Mainini's back I lied
supposed to be napping.
I triggered birds off-balance
with my eyes' piercing curiosity -
when for her chores
Mainini had to carry me all day
while she scared birds off the millet heads-
the elders (my grandmother and her sons) were
at the big farm, already harvesting maize.
Growing up where I dream about now
remains the one line
that refuses to anchor my verses
as it sprints, chases sense to squash.
The crime? Those early days with Mainini
just vanished, wasted into memory's clogged donga.
Author Profile - Emmanuel Sigauke
Biography:
Five Questions with Emmanuel Sigauke:
Contact Emmanuel:
Emmanuel Sigauke was born in Zimbabwe, where he started writing at the age of thirteen. After graduating from the University of Zimbabwe with a BA in English, he moved to California, where he completed graduate studies. He teaches English at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento, where he is an editor for the Cosumnes River Journal.
Five Questions with Emmanuel Sigauke:
1. Who are your favorite poets? Which authors have most inspired or informed your work?
I am addicted to Dambudzo Marechera, William Butler Yeats, Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, and Freedom T.V. Nyamubaya. I read all kinds of poets too; I am an equal opportunity reader.
2. What do you hope to accomplish with your poetry?
At first I was just writing to send two or three poems to Memory Chirere of the University of Zimbabwe, who had asked me to send a few lines for an anthology he was editing.That was in August of 2006. The anthology was derailed by the economic meltdown in Zimbabwe, but I have since written over 370 poems, so now I plan to publish collections, once I arrange the poems thematically.
3. "The Other Side of the River" speaks of how being away from your homeland has affected you. What has been your personal reaction to Zimbabwe's current economic and political crisis? Does your distance change your reaction? If so, how?
I left Zimbabwe before the crisis began, about eleven years ago, but I have been deeply affected by the changes, especially in the sense that I have had to take financial care of my entire extended family every month. Inflation there has tended to create a dent in my wallet here, and I believe that the diaspora has contributed to the country's survival. The distance has had the effect of helping me respond to the crisis through poetry. As a writer, I find myself digging deeper into the crisis, and seeking to ponder on its root causes, going beyond the superficial depictions in the media. The poetry is not necessarily a political response, but it seeks to expose the true Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe I remember, the Zimbabwe I envision.
4. What can be done to better promote and support African writing in the United States?
We have to start publishing ourselves. Thank you for One Ghana, One Voice. On October 5, I am launching Munyori Poetry Journal, which focuses on works by authors from anywhere on earth. I value the fact that it is going to be an online journal published by an African editor. I am also going to join Zonet Online Radio (run by Zimbabwean DJ's) to introduce an African Writers segment. Of course, African writing is already promoting itself here. African writers are attracting mainstream publishers through their award-winning works, and I see a shift and increased interest toward Africa as a source of creative talent. For African writers who want to promote the African image in world literature, this is the best time to do so.
5. How would you compare the English education you received at the University of Zimbabwe and that which people receive in America. Do the students and/or staff approach the subject differently?
I attended the University of Zimbabwe at a time of great transition. I emerged from A-Level drunk with British and American literatures, but the University of Zimbabwe exposed me to African writers. For the first time we called Achebe, Ngugi, Soyinka and other African authors real literature. The students had been starved of a literature to which they could easily relate; thus this exposure was necessary therapy. Now, that's not to say we forgot British and America Literature altogether. After that first year of emersion into African literature, taught by young (and sometimes old) African professors, we then returned to Shakespeare, Milton, Dickens, Yeats, Faulkner, the same writers who had influenced a majority of the African authors we were studying. We then widened to other world literatures - we had gulps of Russian, Caribbean, and Indian literature. We went on to add an important dimension to our studies: most of us discovered Toni Morrison, Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, and Alice Walker. In short, our English studies had a wider scope than that I found was offered at most American universities. Now as a college professor in the United States, I stress the importance of expanding the canon to include more world literatures, something that an American English degree should deservedly reflect.
Contact Emmanuel:
Email: Sigauke(at)crc.losrios.edu
Websites: chisiya echoes: new zimbabwe poetry
Munyori Poetry Journal
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