By Laura Cenge
“I lean more towards literary arts and into African literature and into Ugandan literature because these literatures continue to remain on the margin despite the great strides of key writers like Ngugi Wa Thiongo, Timothy Wangusa, Mary Karooro Okurut and many others,”said Hilda Twongyeirwe, the Executive Director (ED)of FEMRITE Uganda Women Writers’ Association.
On Monday, October 10,2022, Uganda Christian University (UCU), the School of Education, launched the UCU Writing Centre at the university library, Hamu Mukasa. The center is set to help not only the students studying education but the whole UCU fraternity with their writing skills.
With a donation of over 71 books from FEMRITE to the writing center, Hilda noted that a lot of attention is paid to books written by writers from the western world, forgetting the new ones written by our key writers like Timothy Wangusa, Mary Karooro Okurut, and Ngugi Wa Thing, among others.
Even as the university is starting up a writing centre in which the members get a chance to write that one book or story they have wished to write or read, she encouraged the audience to spend some time reading some books by African writers. This is because it helps with the canonisation of their literary works.
Canonisation of literature simply is the experience in which books, narratives, or other texts are considered to be important and influential. The more these books are read by scholars and critics, the higher their chances are to be eventually accepted and recognised as talented and original creative works, hence more recommendations.
Hilda noted that, despite the fact that they have only read four books so far, she has yet to select a book by an African writer to read and appreciate their works in one of her book clubs, where she enjoys discovering more stories by different writers.
The ED stated that if we do not read our own write-ups, who will read them for us or incorporate them into our teaching curriculum? For the time being, the National Curriculum Development Centre makes public calls in the media for the public to submit book titles for consideration.
“If we, as Ugandan writers in our book clubs, do not read Ugandan writers and do not read African writers, who is going to read them for us? “Who is going to integrate them into the teaching curriculum?” said Hilda.
Furthermore, she stated that we sometimes blame our governments and policymakers, but what we really need is for us to be a part of their think tanks, whether directly or indirectly.
She also appreciated that the writing center will not be limited to students pursuing a degree in education, but will also invite the community to participate in this exciting learning experience.
It is also from this that we will be able to expel the politics of female writers remaining on the margins when it comes to their works gaining a larger audience in the near future. This is because they have suffered the most as a result of their work’s canonization process.
The Writing Centre thus begins with the announcement of a writing competition open to all interested undergraduates on the theme “Food,” whether in the form of a poem, essay, or other form. The deadline is set for February 29, 2023.
Some of the books donated to the Writing Centre by FEMRITE Publications are:
This Bridge Called Woman-
Brave Hunter-Mary Karooro Okurut
Memoirs of a Mother-Ayeta Anne Wangusa
Potiphar’s Grand Daughter-Mary Karooro Okurut
