I propose that softness is an emotion. Think about it… Think about when you get home at 5.27 pm on a cold April day, and you’re the only one at home. Your sitting room is slightly dark from the overcast clouds outside, but there’s a faint glimmer filtering in. You make yourself a cup of [read more…]
IF I SAW HER AGAIN. Once in a while life will thrust you into the presence of an amazing person that you may or may not end up being attracted to. For me, I did. Like any life experience the beginning is always thrilling and exciting at the same time. This lady felt like a [read more…]
Artist: Ingrid Storholmen Country: Norway Ingrid Storholmen is a Norwegian poet, novelist and literary critic. Storholmen made her literary debut in 2001 with the poetry collection Krypskyttarloven. Among her other collections are Siriboka from 2007, and Tsjernobylfortellinger (Voices from Chernobyl) from 2009. She was awarded Sultprisen in 2010,and the Ole Vig-prisen in 2011.
It’s the cold season. I am seated with the jiko right in front roasting maize straight from the garden. Two things are happening here. I am warming myself up and keeping the biting cold at bay and enjoying roast maize. The ultimate prize being that l am doing it myself. An experience to behold, very [read more…]
Earth Break time in school; wet mud, dry sand, scraped knees. Your first music festival; wet grass, dry wine, the shade of trees. Your father’s funeral; wet eyes, dry flowers, your grandmother’s wheeze. Fire Roadside maize; red chilli powder, black charcoal, stuck in your teeth. Your fifth date; red lips, black tie, you can barely [read more…]
Artist: Kariuki wa Nyamu Country: Kenya Kariuki wa Nyamu is a Kenyan poet, radio playwright, translator, editor and high school teacher. He attended Kerugoya Boys’ High School and St. Lawrence Creamland Campus before joining Makerere University for a BA in Literature, English and Education and later Kenyatta University for a Master’s in Literature. His [read more…]
Profile: Dr. Mordecai Ogada Country: Kenya I am a carnivore ecologist who has been involved in conservation work for the last 16 years in Kenya and other parts of Africa, mainly on human-wildlife conflict mitigation and carnivore conservation. My professional work has included research and teaching conservation leadership at Colorado State University. Much of my [read more…]
Artist: Bushra al Fadil Country: Sudan Bushra al Fadil has published four collections of short stories in Arabic. His most recent collection Above a City’s Sky was published in 2012, the same year Bushra won the Altayeb Salih Short Story Award. Bushra holds a PhD in Russian language and literature. Bushra is shortlisted for ‘The Story of [read more…]
Artist: Lizzy Attree Country: Kenya Lizzy Attree has a PhD from SOAS, University of London on “The Literary Responses to HIV and AIDS from South Africa and Zimbabwe from 1990-2005”. She has taught African literature at Kings College and SOAS in London. In 2010 she was a Visiting Lecturer in the English Department at Rhodes [read more…]
Artist: Juliet Barnes Country: Kenya Born and brought up in Kenya, with an MA in English language and literature (St Andrew’s, Scotland), Juliet Barnes has written fiction and non-fiction for children, teenagers and adults, published both in Kenya and the UK; taught English to children all over Kenya; and travelled extensively as freelance writer, and [read more…]
