Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi’s East African tour for her new short story collection Manchester Happened runs from May 9 – 17, 2019.
Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi came to the attention of many African bibliophiles when she won the Kwani Manuscript prize in 2013. That manuscript would end up being Kintu, one of the most beloved books to come from the continent in recent years. It would earn the writer many accolades including being longlisted for the Etisalat Prize in 2014.
The Ugandan also showed that she was no slouch in the short story arena winning the Commonwealth Short Story Prize both for Africa and for the world in 2014. She is also a recipient of the Windham Campbell Prize.
Manchester Happened is the new short story collection published by One World from the East African which is blurbed thus;
If there’s one thing the characters in Jennifer Makumbi’s stories know, it’s how to field an uncomfortable question.
‘Let me buy you a cup of tea…what are you doing in England?’
‘Do these children of yours speak any Luganda?’
‘Did you know that man Idi Amin?’
But perhaps the most difficult question of all is the one they ask themselves: ‘You mean this is England?’
Told with empathy, humour and compassion, these vibrant, kaleidoscopic stories re-imagine the journey of Ugandans who choose to make England their home. Weaving between Manchester and Kampala, this dazzling collection will captivate anyone who has ever wondered what it means to truly belong.
The book which had a publication date of May 2, 2019 is set to be experienced first hand by the people who are the main focus of her writing, East Africans. Here is her schedule;
- Nairobi – May 9 at Goethe Institut, May 10 at Prestige Books.
The Manchester-based author will start her tour in Nairobi which is the first East African capital to embrace her writing. She will start on Thursday, May 9 at the Goethe Institut, the home of literary activity in Nairobi, in a moderated discussion with publisher and author Zukiswa Wanner. On May 10 she will have a book signing at Prestige Books on Mama Ngina Street. This section of the tour has been supported by Prestige Books proprietor Ahmed.
- Kigali – May 11 at Goethe-Institut Kigali.
On Saturday, May 11, the author will do a book signing at the Goethe-Institut Kigali courtesy of the institute and Huza Press.
- Kampala – May 15-17 at the Uganda International Writers Conference 2019.
She will complete her tour in the capital city of her home country as she attends the Ugandan International Writers’ Conference from May 15-17. That conference will be quite the treat for bibliophiles in that part of the continent as they get to meet some really cool writers like Jackie Kay.
There you have it my fellow East Africans. Pick your dates and get a chance to meet one of the hottest writers from the continent right now.
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