THE EASTAFRICANPOET

Sunday Salon - December 21 December 17, 2008 This month’s Sunday Salon will feature readings from Kwani? 05 Sunday Salon Nairobi A Prose Reading Series This month’s Sunday Salon will feature readings from Kwani? 05 by: Billy Kahora David Kaiza Zukiswa from Zimbabwe Music by June Gachui Four readers Four unique voices In a tranquil outdoor setting 7-9pm Sunday 21st Deecmber Kengeles, Lavington Green Entry Only KSh. 300 ABOUT THE FEATURED WRITERS Billy Kahora Billy Kahora is Kwani? and Special Projects Editor. He also writes fiction and has recently completed an MS.c in Creative Writing with distinction and as a Chevening Scholar at the University of Edinburgh. Billy studied and worked in South Africa for 8 years. After leaving South Africa Billy wrote ‘The True Story of David Munyakei’, an extended non-fiction piece with literary elements for Kwani? and joined the organization to spearhead a new kind of journalism: a journalism that can go beyond the dry official voices of the last 40 y...

be there!

Written by Kwani · November 28, 2008 To serve our fast growing portfolio of international clients like KLM, Heineken, Microsoft, Nestlé and Nike Africa Interactive is urgently looking for Freelance African reporters to do paid assignments. We are looking for: * African journalists * African photographers * African cameramen/women in all African countries, who speak English or French or Portuguese If you like to sign up, please follow this link: If you want to see who are in our reporter database now, please follow this link: If you like to read more about becoming a reporter for Africa Interactive, please follow this link: If you still want more information, please send an e-mail to Peter Vlam: peter@africanews.com Written by Kwani Filed Under Announcements

Written by Kwani · November 25, 2008 End Of Year Open Mic Slam When: December 2nd 2008 Where: Club Soundd Time: From 7 PM Sharp The first 15 poets to register will get a chance to read / perform a 3 minute poetry piece.The audience will vote for the winner through an unriggable secret ballot FIRST PRIZE : Kshs 6000 Second and Third Prize: Books from Kwani? The audience is also a winner! A raffle will be drawn where you stand a chance to win Kwani 1, 2, or 3 DON’T MISS KWANI KRISMAS NEXT WEEK!

it's amazing how luck loves smiling upon my wretched self,I dropped by a friend's room and found this truly fab' book -IN THE WORDS OF NELSON MANDELA,complete with raw photos of the bigger than life MADIBA smiling in a way nobody could describe aptly.. Now I just can't seem to let go of this jewel of a book. But to be plain and simple,it's about MANDELA'S take on a whole lot of issues,actually all the issues that pertain to living;its amazing how normal talk can go on to be really revolutionary work that inspires so many people.. There is so much to say about this book but I wont tel it all;to the youth he says this; "Young people are capable,when aroused,of brining down towers of sppression and raisng banners of freedom" To be able to be lucky enough to be let into the mind of a man who towers over so many,is proving too much for me and my humble senses,each phrase I read hits me so hard that I have to pause and re-read it afresh in my mind. NELSON ...

You cupped my face And told me; If I ever felt lost I should only look And I’ll surely find you... You would be The soft breeze That gently ruffles my trousers And yet still The harsh wind That lashes at my face You said you’d be The morning rain That the grasses love And still the ghostly storm That tears down trees You told me You’d always be there As the sunlight on my skin And the darkness to my eyes You told me again and again that You’d always be here But now That the air stands still And the yellow sun Is chained behind clouds I realize how much of me you took with you

I POURED OUT TWO GLASSES OF TEA BUT DRANK BOTH. THIS SHELL OF A MAN CAN STILL TAKE SOME ICE. THE EARTH I'M WALKING IS SLOPPING GENTLY INTO A GRAVE.. THE JULY MIST THAT ELEGANTLY COVERS THE MOUNTAINS AHEAD; NOW BARRS MY VIEW. TONIGHT MIGHT JUST BE THE ONE, THE ONE ANTICIPATED NIGHT. THAI I FLOAT AWAY. BUT I'M FIGHTING HARD AND IN THIS FIGHT I'LL KEEP WISHING- WISHING THAT YOU COME BACK