The program for the Swahili Literary Festival 2019 set to happen in Mombasa, Kenya from March 1-3, 2019 has been unveiled.
In December, a new initiative set to be hosted on the coast of Kenya called the Swahili Literary Festival emerged. It was aimed at celebrating the achievements of individuals who had and have contributed to the preservation and promotion of Swahili Cultural Heritage through various forms.
The Hekaya Arts Initiative which is running the initiative has this week announced the program of what will be happening at the festival set to run next weekend. Here is the program.
Friday, March 1, 2019.
6:00 – 8:00pm – Literature in the Swahili Coast.
At this event will be a keynote address entitled “Past, Present & Future of Coastal Literature” by Prof Rocha Chimera. Prof Rocha Chimera is one of the most important figures as regards Kiswahili scholarship in the country and has had the opportunity of interacting in depth with the life and works of the five prominent individuals to be honored in the Swahili Roll of Honour later in the festival.
Saturday, March 2, 2019
There will be two main activities on Saturday.
10:00am – 3:00pm – Mentoring a generation of writers.
At this event, there will be high school students in conversation as well as shairi performances with Alamin Siwa Somo as moderator. This is handy as this is how we get the next generation of Kiswahili language warriors.
4:00pm – 6:00pm -Conversations with writers, artists, and poets
This will be a panel moderated by Nima N’zani Kassim who is the official voice of the festival. Some of the panellists will be Dr Suleiman Ndoro, Lubnah Abdulhalim, Salma Abdulatif, and Amina Suleiman.
Sunday, March 3, 2019.
10:00am – 1:00pm – Swahili roll of honour
This session will celebrate the life and works of Muyaka Bin Haji, Shaaban Bin Robert, Maalim Shihabudin Chiraghdin, Prof Nabhany Sheikh, Prof Ali Mazrui and Ustadh Ahmed Nassir Juma Bhalo (Malenga Wa Mvita).
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