PRESENTERS:

1. KITOOKE AMONI

2. NAMATA SHERINAH

3. KAYEZU ELIZABETH

4. AYESIGA PATRICK

5. MUGUME PETER

6. TURYASINGURA GIFT

7. NANSOBYA CATHERINE

POETRY HALL OF FAME - 2013

SUSAN NALUGWA KIGULI

• “The leading intellectually astute voice in contemporary East African poetry,”

- (Alex Smith)

Introduction:

Introduction:Susan Nalugwa Kiguli (PhD) is a Ugandan poet, literary scholar and critic.She is currently a Senior Lecturer of Literature at Makerere University (with an observably strong passion and delight in teaching poetry)She is the Head of Department, LiteratureShe is the delegated Dean of the School of Languages, Literature, and Communication (as at Friday 15th November, 2013; when Dr. Ernest Okello Ogwang is out of the country). Her major areas of research and literary interest include creative writing, oral poetry and performance, and feminist assertion.

Brief Family BackgroundIn a family of seven children, Dr. Susan Kiguli was born on Tuesday 24 June 1969, in Luweero District of Uganda. Her father died when she was two years; so she was brought up by her mother, and under the guardianship of her uncle, the late James Nsibirwa Mukasa.(Shall we, please, take one minute of silence in

honour of him who brought her up so well)

Early Literary Background

Her literary passion and career dates back in time when she was about four years when she read the first books which she calls the “Nakku Series”. She says she does not remember the right name of the book series.In an interview with Beatrice Lamwaka, Susan Kiguli says her most vivid memory of beginning to write was at Gayaza High School where she wrote poems to read to her class in teacher-guided sessions. Her classmates’ approval of her writings, she says, gave her courage to advance higher in writing.

Educational Background

Educational Background2005 - Susan Kiguli was awarded a PhD in English from the University of Leeds, UK.1996 - She was awarded a Masters of Letters in

Literary Linguistics from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.

1994 - She was awarded a Masters of Arts (Literature) of Makerere University, Uganda1991 - She was awarded a Bachelor of Arts with

Education, English Language and Literature of Makerere University, Uganda.

Major Worksand

Publications

Major Works and Publications• The African Saga (1998); a

collection of her poems, which won the National Book Trust of Uganda Poetry Award (1999), and the Editors’ Choice Award of the USA National Library of Poetry (1999). It was reviewed more than six times in two moths; and sold out in six months. It was reprinted in 1999 and 2003.

Major Works and Publications

The African Saga is a collection deeply rooted in the exploration of female marginalisation with particular focus on the African continent. It is one of the first three books that were published by FEMRITE on Wednesday 29 April 1998.

Major Works and Publications

Home Floats in a Distance/Zuhause Treibt in der Ferne (GEDICHTE) (2012); It’s a bilingual English-German collection of “poems mainly explore contemporary gender, social, political issues, and at times, delve into nature and the cosmos which the poet renders with powerful images rarely encountered.” (Ekyagonza).

Major Works and Publications

She has written poems for children, four of which were featured by Books LIVE as Animal Portraits by Susan Kiguli (Note of Affection #4 Love Africa Carnival).The four poems are: Tortoise, The Swan, A Cockerel at the Break of Day, and A Walk With The Lion.

Major Works and Publications

She has also contributed poems for children to the collection, Michael's Eyes: The War against the Ugandan Child, edited by Raoul J. Granqvist. This was in an international effort intended to raise global awareness of the situation in Northern Uganda, orchestrated by the Lord’s Resistance Army.

Major Works and Publications

She wrote the poems that appear in Eye of the Storm: A Photographic Journey Across Uganda / L'oeil du Cyclone: A travers l'Ouganda; with photos by David Pluth and Francois Didek; and Nicholas Michel as the translator (between French and English).

Major Works and Publications

She wrote a paper entitled Oral Poetry and Popular Song in South Africa and Uganda: A Study of Contemporary Performance (2010); In its abstract, it is stated that “This study explores the process and practice of contemporary oral performance in post-apartheid South Africa and post-civil war Uganda, and particularly focuses upon the practice of oral poetry and popular song as understood by performers.”

Major Works and PublicationsShe also wrote in Performing Change (2009) with a particular focus on “Mapping the Dream of Cultural Continuity: Songs at Enkuuka Y’Omwaka”She wrote in Performing Community (2008), particularly focusing on “The Symbolism of Music Festivals in Buganda: A Case Study of Ekitoobero and Enkuuka Y’omwaka”

Major Works and Publications

In 2007, she co-authored, I Dare to Say: Five Testimonies by Ugandan Women Living Positively with HIV/AIDS (2007) with Violet Barungi.

Major Works and Publications

Susan Kiguli’s other poems appear in many other collections, including among others, Arthur I. Luvai and Kwamchetsi Makokha’s Echos Across the Valley (2000) and Okot Benge and Alex Bangirana’s Uganda Poetry Anthology 2000

Awards

Awards:• Dr. Susan Kiguli has won several awards; both in the

Poetry field and elsewhere (like in athletics). The following are some of the awards she has won in her Literary Career.

• 1999 – The National Book Trust of Uganda Poetry Award for The African Saga

• 1998–The Editors Choice Award of the USA National Library of Poetry for The African Saga – 1999

• 1998 – Old Girl Distinguished Award for Excellence in Public and Literary Work

• 1998 – Old Girl Distinguished Award for Excellence in Public and Literary Work

Major conferences, Events

and Responsibilities

Major conferences, Events and Responsibilities

She is the African Studies Association Presidential Fellow, 2011. This gave her an opportunity to read her poetry at the Library of Congress, Washington DC in November – 2011.

She has also held the American Council of Learned Societies / African Humanities Fellowship – 2010-2011

Major conferences, Events and Responsibilities

She has served as the Chairperson of FEMRITE (Uganda Women Writers’ Association)

She attended and performed at the International Literature Festival Berlin – 2008. At this, he appeased the President of Germany, His Excellency Horst Kohler. As such, the President honoured her as one of the poets to appear in his book on Africa entitled Schiskal Afrika (2010).

Major conferences, Events and Responsibilities

She attended the Summer Institute on Contemporary American Literature – 2008 – at the University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA.

She was a Poet in Residence at Stiftung Kunst: Raum Sylt Quelle, Germany between October – November – 2008.

Major conferences, Events and Responsibilities

• She has appeared twice as a Guest Poet at the Poetry African Festival in Kwazulu – Natal.

Major conferences, Events and Responsibilities

She attended and performed at the World Social Forum Poetry Africa: Poetic Perspectives on Migration, Nairobi – 19-23 January, 2007.

She served on the Board of Advisors for Beyond Boarders: A Festival of Contemporary African Writing (Interaction Event) British Council, Uganda – 2005.

Major Conferences, Events and Responsibilities

She was a Special Participant in the Yorkshire Professional Development for Writers of African and Asian Descent (INSCRIBE) – 2005-2006 Project initiated by Arts Council England, Yorkshire in partnership with Peepal Tree Press in Leeds.She was a Commonwealth Researcher in Residence at the University of Natal from September 2001 – February 2002.

Major Conferences, Events and Responsibilities

She also served as one of the Regional Coordinators for the Women Writing Africa Project (Eastern region, 1999-2000)

Very notably, she served on the panel of judges for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize (African Region – 1999). Here, she worked on the panel with Kofi Anyidoho and Elinor Sisuhu among others.

Susan Kiguli is one of the founding members of FEMRITE. She is one of the women who met in the office of Hon. Mary Karooro Okurut (then a lecturer at Makerere University) to discuss her idea that birthed the famous FEMRITE

The people who have influenced her:

The people have influenced her:

Susan Kiguli primarily acknowledges and actually dedicates The African Saga to her late uncle and guardian, James Nsibirwa Mukasa, for the fact that he believed in her, even when she doubted herself.

The people who have influenced her:

•Professor David Rubadiri•Professor Timothy Wangusa•Dr. Sam Kasule•Professor Shullenberger•Professor Macpherson•Professor Austin Bukenya•Dr. Ernest Okello Ogwang•Professor Abasi Kiyimba•Mr. James Taabu Busimba•David Yatuta•And many others

The people who have influenced her:

She also acknowledges Sheelagh Warren, Dr. Robinah Kyeyune and Harriet Mutumba for the literary foundation they laid for her.

The people she has influenced:

Having generously contributed to the revival of the love for poetry in Uganda, many poets have come up, either individually or in groups, like:•The Lantern Meet of Poets•The luminous Sorrels; like Paul Kasami

The people she has influenced

The people she has influenced:

Having generously contributed to the revival of the love for poetry in Uganda, many poets have come up, either individually or in groups, like:•The Lantern Meet of Poets•The luminous Sorrels; like Paul Kasami

Why we choseDr. Susan N. Kiguli

Seven Reasons for Our Choice:Besides being our very own, every member of our group gave their reason for the choice of this poet, as follows:1. Namata Sherinah – I admire the effort and energy this poet

devotes to her literary works especially the creative eye behind the letters on paper.

2. Kayezu Elizabeth – She writes and talks reality.Something that we can identify with as Ugandans but also as humanity on a whole.

3. Turyasingura Gift – Feminist Assertion4. Mugume Peter – She reads interestingly.(Her art poetry

perfomance)5. Nansobya Catherine – There is humour in her poetry6. Ayesiga Patrick – She is a celebrated Ugandan Poet7. Kitooke Amoni – She is an inspiration.I am inspired to work hard,

through her works and literary achivements.