Mkenya Hosted by Hisia Zangu Poetry

Mkenya

We are living in a challenging era where threats to nationhood abound. Terrorism has grown to be the most talked about topic in Kenya. We continue to lose our brothers and sisters and hatred, in all its forms, is blowing the Kenyan communal fabric to shreds. People who were supposedly accepted as being Kenyans are being dehumanized and denied their identities. Ethnic and tribal profiling is reaching a new height in Kenya. #KasaraniConcentrationCamp has not been closed. In the face of these challenges, we want to ask you -

• Who are you?


• What is Kenya to you?


• What makes you Kenyan?


• What defines your Kenyanness?


• Have your Kenyanness ever been doubted?


• Have you ever been robbed of your Kenyanness?


• How do you celebrate your Kenyanness?

FIRST SESSION OF THE WORKSHOP:

We will look at identity, and the different ways in which identity is created and reinforced by our environments. We are looking for poetry (30 lines max), spoken word (5 minutes performance max), short stories (1000 words max) and essays (1000 words max) that tackles these issues. The collection will be discussed during our July workshop (6th 2014). Selected pieces also be published in our website www.hisiazangu.org after the workshop. We request you to thoroughly edit your work before submission to hisiazangupoetry@gmail.com by 25th June 2014.

SECOND SESSION OF THE WORKSHOP:

In preparation for the launch of 'True Citizen' by Oduor Jagero, we will read and discuss sections of the much awaited novel and acquaint ourselves with its beauty before it hits mass market. We are lucky to be the first group to be given a glimpse. Read excerpts at http://truecitizen.oduorjagero.com/ or call Oduor Jagero to pre-order a copy of the novel in preparation for the workshop.

Mkenya