News & Events, March '09
edited by Stacy Hardy - contact
Books, pamphlets, onion skin poetry & exhibitions
Urban Scenographies (February 15 - March 15, Johannesburg) interrogates the complexities and changes of contemporary cities as well as the dependencies and differences between countries in the South and North. Artists include Billy Bidjoka, Bruno Boudjelal, Dominique Malaquais, Nastio Mosquito, Ingrid Mwangi, Unathi Sigenu/Gugulective, Hervé Yamguen, Dominique Zinkpe and more.
Tearoom Books, an independent press based in Durban, South Africa launches their first pamphlet, Glumlazi a collection of short poems by Pravasan Pillay, the majority of which run no-more than two lines. Visit their new blog here.
Jean Genet, Tahar Ben Jelloun, Camara Laye, Cheikh Hamidou Kane, Lucky Luke, Toni Morrison, Josephine Baker, Marquez, Muhammad Ali, Frantz Fanon, Miles Davis, the symbolism of Banania hot chocolate, Paris-Match, Dany Laferrière, Guigoz baby formula, André Brink, Iznogoud, Marcel Pagnol make a showing in Alain Mabanckou's Broken Glass.
Getting Heard: [Re]claiming Performance Space in Kenya Edited by Kimani Njogu features articles on politics as performance, identity politics in Kenyan popular music and Mungiki as the Fourth Estate and Kenya’s Public Enemy No. 1.
Aryan Kaganof, Blaq Pearl, Diale Thlolwe, Lebo Mashile, Mandla Langa, Petina Gappah and more at the Franschhoek Literary Festival 2009, May 15 - 17.
Kwani’s Sunday Salon on March 8 features poetry and prose readings from Kwani? 05 by Neema Mawiyoo, Mike Kwambo, Wilson Wahome, Muthoni Garland and Samuel Munene. Details here.
A Long Time Between Suns: The Otolith Group hold a two-venue solo exhibition at Gasworks in the UK, February 15 to April 5. It includes screenings of Otolith (2003) and Otolith II (2007) within a bespoke environment designed by Will Holder.
Calls, conferences & competitions
Call for submissions to anthology of novellas on crime: "In South Africa, we all have ideas of what constitutes crime... But more broadly speaking, crime could also be regarded as a transgression against society’s taboos..." Dye Hard Press is calling for submissions from southern Africa for a collection of five novellas to be published in 2010 on the subject of crime.
A call for papers for the 2nd People to People Documentary Film Conference, The World in Crisis or Time of Hope? Or: Can documentary films change the world? (an exploration of the documentary form), June 20 & 21, Johannesburg, South Africa. Details here.
A call for materials for a contemporary reader on African sexualities: send essays, fiction, poetry, web blogs, art, crafts, photographs, film, documentaries, diaries, music, theoretical discussions, empirical papers, academic publications etc, that address and inform African sexualities. Deadline for submission is October 30. Contact snyanzi@law.mak.ac.ug.
Applications are open for a 2-week workshop residency program in Shatana, Jordan from the July 3 - 17. Shatana workshop is part of the Triangle Arts Network following the model of workshops organized by artists for artists. Deadline: March 30.
A call to bring home Kenya’s Abdulmalik Mohamed from Guantánamo Bay. And EthioBlog reports on the release of Binyam Mohammed who was finally released from Guantanamo Bay and allowed to return to the UK.
International Women's Day events in March in South Africa include an academic colloquium, a launch of the Sarah Bartmann Centre of Remembrance, an achitectural competition and a cultural evening. Details here.
Wasafiri is launching a new writing prize as part of its 25th birthday celebrations. The competition is open to anyone worldwide who has not published a complete book. Send poetry, fiction or life writing. Closing date is June 30. Details here
And 2009 Bessie Head Literature Awards are calling for submissions. Residents and citizens of Botswana are invited to submit poetry, short story, and novel manuscripts before March 30.
The winners of the 17th Pan African Film And Arts Festival include South Africa/UK film Skin starring Sophie Okonedo, US film Prince of Broadway, France’s Cuba: An African Odyssey for Best Documentary Feature and Ghana’s Run Baby Run for Best Narrative Feature. Detils here.
Ken Barris, Nadia Davids, Chisanga Kabinga, Wame Molefhe, Natasha Moodley, Maik Nwosu Tolu Ogunlesi and Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi are amongst this year’s 2009 PEN/Studzinski Literary Award finalists. Full list here.
Rest in Peace
More than 10 years after it came into print as the new voice of the South Africa's black urban youth, Y Magazine closes. More here. And watch In conversation: The General and the Civilian, a film by Aryan Kaganof and read WHY, an essay by Nicole Turner in the Chimurenga Library.
"He was a king and a sinner, brother and a father, a street walker, philosopher, man about town, revolutionary, wit, weed man, stylist, multi-linguist.... unofficial executive mayor of Johannesburg." R.I.P. Arabi Mocheke, concert promoter, artist manager (Philip Tabane), writer, cultural visionary died in Joburg age 51. Sean Jacobs, Tisetso Makube, Sandile Memela and Bongani Madondo pay tribute.
Sudanese novelist short story writer and literary critic Tayeb Salih, has died in London, aged about 80. Listen to short audio remembrance by Khaled Mubarak, a friend and colleague and Salih’s. Also see an adapted version of Laila Lalami’s introduction to a new edition of Salih's classic Season of Migration in The National.
Rest in peace Angel Wainaina, who died in a fire in Nairobi in January. Angel was part of the core DJ team at Ghetto Radio in Nairobi, a talented spoken word artist, radio DJ and emcee. Listen to African hip hop’s tribute: J4, GMB & DJ Threesixty: Angel Wainaina R.I.P.