Literature and independence

Kenyan poets on 'Literature and independence' at the Stockholm International Poetry Festival

Stockholm's International Poetry Festival in October had a special focus on Kenyan women poets. and Shailja Patel shared poems and reflections on 'Literature and independence in Kenya' at the festival's headline seminar. The audience represented a sizeable contingent of Africans based in Stockholm, including Okoth Osewe, whose Kenya Stockholm Blog is the go-to resource for all things Kenyan in Sweden. Osewe videotaped portions of the seminar, and has generously made them available to the public.

Watch the seminar on YouTube:

Part I: Introduction by Madeleine Grieve, director of the Stockholm International Poetry Festival, and Ngwatilo's richly melodic poem on exile, belonging, identity, goat meat....

Part II: Shailja Patel performs 'Offering', which first appeared in Pambazuka News.

Part III: Discussion on the Kenya crisis and post-election violence.

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* Award-winning poet Shailja Patel's personal website is www.shailja.com.
* Please send comments to [email protected] or comment online at Pambazuka News.