THE EASTAFRICANPOET

p'Bitek is and will always be a timeless colossus in the east African literary scene; his sharp and examining mind has had him referred to as the writer with the Scorpion-tail tongue and razor-sharp pen . This is a fact. His works; some of which remain unfinished like the much anticipated 'Song of Soldier' and the classic 'Wer pa Lawino' - Song of Lawino , whose original 1956 version of only 32 pages is found at the University of Nairobi library and is only available for restricted use; are very much sought after. My favorite work from Okot is a collection of essays - 'Artist The Ruler' Heinemann Kenya 1986. In this collection; to which Okot attached great importance, is a collection of essays to which Okot contends that all foreign missions (whether christian or Islamic) and foreign political ideologies (whether Capitalism or Socialism) have failed and will never be living philosophies in the lives of black African peoples. He goes ahead to expound on...

In celebration of Okot p'Bitek who has been gone for a full 32 years today. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Okot p'Bitek (7 June 1931 – 20 July 1982) was a Ugandan poet, who achieved wide international recognition for Song of Lawino, a long poem dealing with the tribulations of a rural African wife whose husband has taken up urban life and wishes everything to be westernised. Song of Lawino was originally written in Acholi language, and self-translated to English, and published in 1966. It was a breakthrough work, creating an audience amongst anglophone Africans for direct, topical poetry in English; and incorporating traditional attitudes and thinking in an accessible yet faithful literary vehicle. It was followed by the pendant Song of Ocol (1970), the husband's reply. The East African Song School or Okot School poetry is now an academic identification of the work following his direction, also popularly called "comic singing": a forceful type of dra...

This remains the best poem I ever heard and read... By Elizabeth Barrett Browning How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of being and ideal grace. I love thee to the level of every day's Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for right. I love thee purely, as they turn from praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death.

Funny how time flies; (so cliche).. This here blog is now a full five years old; I remember talking to one Muthoni Njeri (of the kenyanpoet thing) and telling her how she made me do this. What more can be said? We have to just keep celebrating the love that the kenyan artistic space exudes. There's another five to go and another fifty to celebrate.

New venue, new life..kesho it all goes down. Open Mic is a monthly poetry and spoken word event held every first Tuesday of the month @ Club Soundd on Kaunda street from 7-9pm. We feature a poet / spoken word artist who has shown consistency and growth in performance and audience pull. Past features include Njeri Wangari, Ngwatilo Mawiyoo, Phyllis Muthoni, Winyo, Eko dydda, Just a band, Kenyan Poet, Uko Fulani Mau Mau and others. The rest of the evening is open for anyone to perform / read their work: Sign-ups happen between 5-7pm. See you there! Kwani? Open Mic Reloaded February 2012 Featured Poet: Benson Kimani (Winner 2011 Kwani? Open Mic Slam) Featured Artist: Anto and Paragasha Band MC: Cindy Ogana Date: 7th February 2012 Time: 7 -9 pm Venue: Insomnia Club (Eternity City), 3rd floor of the T-MALL (Off Langata Road-Mbagathi way roundabout) Entry: 200 Ksh

Wamathai.com presents Wamathai Spoken Word December on Saturday 3rd December 2011 at The Michael Joseph Centre, Safaricom House on Waiyaki Way. The event will be hosted by TV personality Anyiko Owoko & Blogger and Auditor Robert Kunga. There will be Poetry Performances by: Wanjiku Mwaurah, Asali, Pearl, Jeremy Levinger, Lonesome Bounty, Mike Kwambo, Kennet B, Nuru Bahati,Kevin ‘Man Njoro’, M.K, Abu Sense, Claude Baus, Ngartia, Dave Ndirangu, Aisha Salim, Ami, Mugambi Nthiga, Vickie Zosi, Mark Anthony, PotentAsh and many more Music by: Elani & Afrology The event will feature an exhibition of poetographs from the Koroga II project, a collaboration between Kenyan poets and photographers. Other Details Time: 4pm – 7pm Charges: Kshs. 300 in advance & Kshs. 400 at the gate Advance tickets are available from WWW.TICKETSASA.COM & at the Michael Joseph Centre reception desk.