The 2014 Writivism Creative Writing Program Begins

By Ngila Peter
The 2014 Writivism literary program started on the Saturday of 8th February simultaneously in 5 African cities with a workshop. In Kenya, the workshop was hosted at The University of Nairobi. It was initially designed to be led by author Claudette Oduor, who is currently abroad for a literary function.

Zukiswa Wanner, the prolific South African writer took over Claudette’s role. She told the 10 participating writers that writing and getting published is not an easy task. She narrated how her first book was initially severally ignored and rejected by publishers.

To the question about whether a writer should be paid, she answered in the affirmative.

“Writing is a profession that pays. A writer who writes for free demoralizes others, unless he or she is in early stages of the writing career. ” She added that those are days when a writer needs a lot of motivation.

For publicity of literary works, Zukiswa counseled that writers should use social media. The writer of 4 books and the world’s first biographer of the late South African anti-Apartheid hero, Nelson Mandela, also maintained that African writers should colonize the English language in literature.

“This makes a literary work accountable and interesting. People can easily identify with such a book,” she added.

Jacqueline Kamau, an upcoming Kenyan writer published in Fresh paint; Literary vignettes by Kenyan Women, wanted to know how Zukiswa Wanner deals with literary criticism. Confidently, Zukiswa answered;

“After writing a book and having it published, it’s no longer yours. Leave it to critics and readers.”   

Zukiswa Wanner advised that writers should be themselves and try not to write like others. She maintained that after writing a literary work, a writer should give it to a trusted friend; not a person who will comment to please the author. She also pleaded with the participants not to write for literary contests; but to pass a message to society.

The Writivism literary mentorship program, organized by The Center for African Cultural Excellence (CACEAfrica),  is set to run until June 2014, with submission of flash fiction for newspaper publication and annual Writivism short story completion by the 10 ten writers. There would also be public readings by the participants from each of the five African cities.

© Ngila Peter, 2014