Key notes from the fourth African Writers Conference

By Caroline Uliwa

From left on the front row Tanzanian Writer
Richard Mabala, Publisher Hermes Damian
& Princely Glorious Director of
ONA Stories at the African Writers Conference 2021

Having never set foot in the new library at the University of Dar es Salaam constructed under the China Aid project. It was a pleasure to see the expansive modern building come to life, with the African Writers Conference on the 9^th of October. Now in its fourth edition, this annual conference debuted in 2018 is a partnership between Writers Space Africa (WSA) and the African Writers Development Trust (AWDT). In previous years it was held in Nigeria, Kenya & Zambia arriving in Tanzania, Dar es Salaam for the first time this year.

Audiences engage with booksellers at their stalls
present at the African Writers Conference in TZ 2021

The conference had begun on the previous evening with a teaser event at Alliance Française grounds in Dar es Salaam; inviting soft discussions with literary stakeholders from Tanzania & the rest of the continent. Like Mkuki Bgoya (publisher) TZ, Deus Lubacha (writer)TZ, Anthony Onugba (Writer and Trainer) Nigeria and Malama Katulwende (Author, Editor and Entrepreneur) Zambia.

Dr. Rose A. Upor -
Principal of the College of Humanities
at the University of Dar es Salaam
inside the AWC 2021

At the wake of the Tanzanian native Abdulrazak Gurnah’s win of the Nobel Prize in literature, this conference unfurled a lively topic. To wager a global narrative on the future of the African writer, the state of African literature and the hope of a renaissance, here the presentation by veteran author from Tanzania Mr. Richard Mabala sparked a lively discussion.

As he ascertained that there is not one genre termed ‘African literature’ rather it is ‘African literatures’. His presentation stressed the importance of hailing Kiswahili & other indigenous African languages literature. He went on to question the current gatekeepers of the publishing industry in Tanzania, who he feared and many concurred were derailing the creativity of the literary works of its writers. “Imagination is key in any country’s development even Einsten said so…” Here Mr. Mabala, went on to criticize the government’s decision since 2015 which only allows TIE (Tanzania Institute of Education) to publish official textbooks for all government schools in the country. A move that was agreed to have dire consequences for generations to come as it has adversely affected, the private publishing industry who are the main publishers of Tanzanian literature in the country.

It was Professor Emmanuel Mbogo from Tanzania who summed it nicely by encouraging writers & Africans to read books not just the internet. “We need to return those literary competitions at national levels from primary to universities so as to encourage young writers to develop their skills from a young age.”