Q. Tell us about yourself.
A. I try to come to grips on who I really am on daily basis. For now, I identify myself as a writer and artist—if by definition the two exist in isolation. Which means I write poems, short stories and essays, and have experience in copywriting.
I’m currently working on my first short story collection. Next year I would love to see it in print. I’m already in touch with a literary agent. On the sides, when I’m not writing, I sample beats: hiphop and chillhop. I’ve already completed a beat tape and will release it late this year, once I’m back in Kenya.
I love reading and I make sure I read 2-3 books a week, or less. I’m not trying to reach any target. Technically, no day is spent idling for me. Which means contact with other people is pretty minimal. I can’t call myself an introvert yet, because I don’t own cats. I blog on the side, but I took a break for a whole year to focus my energy on these projects.
Q. Tell us about the poetry scene in your country.
Poetry in Kenya is a highly recognized field. Some of the loudest, boldest voices in Kenya are either on the page (written poetry) or on the stage (spoken word). Some of these voices have initiated several platforms for poetry like One-Night Stand Poetry (now defunct), Poetry Slam Africa, ANIKA Forum, Nyanza Literary Fest among others. These platforms have churned out award winning poets and very competent writers. It’s a very competitive genre and I’m happy to be part of this generation of expressionists who have used poetry as an outlet.
Q. What influences your creativity? When and how did you get to be a poet?
Primarily, I’m influenced by my search for the meaning of life. I’m inspired by my feelings and attitude. I’m enthused by other poets and writers. I can’t drop names (because the more and the wider you read, the more you lose track on who is your favorite. You realize every writer is exceptional.) Then there’s the urge to just sit, punch the keyboard and see what comes up. Sometimes an idea just pops up and it leads to a story, to a poem, to a beat.
I started writing a few years ago after reading other established writers' works. After falling in love. After falling out of love. After falling in love again. After seeing tears in my mother's eyes. After growing up and realizing how empty life is, and I have to fill this emptiness with something: my own thoughts and biases. After meeting guys who just want to be poets because it feels good to write a poem and read it and write another one and so on and so forth. And that at some point I can stop writing and making beats entirely and move on to another existential remedy—whatever that may be. Creativity is that supple for me.
Ka”
africa: the bible came floating down the red sea
africa: the san(sun)/son
africa: afar: dust
africa: ifran: cave
africa: -ica: a land
africa: aprica: sunny – an ember off of hell's kitchen
africa: ka: the womb
africa: africus: rain/wind/rainy wind
africa: lucy: the essence; our godform/lucy: lucifer: the light
africa: broken china in the sun
africa: her literature is post-colonial, post-slavery trauma
africa: 70 coups; 13 presidential assassinations.
Q. It’s a beautiful experimental poem. It talks of Africa, so let’s talk about your poem and Africa.
A. Africa has always been a mystery for me. Her stories as told through post-colonial narrative, music, poem, film and dance, is all we know (especially we the “millennials”). When I try to explore on a personal level pegged on my experiences and observations, I feel that nobody understands Africa beyond what she has to offer—you know, sad stories and minerals.
The first line in this poem for instance, talks about how religion came with war and division. It's one of those historical happenstances that were unnecessary in the evolution of Africa.
The overall rhetoric in the poem is identity. What's Africa—as a name? What's Africa—as a voice? What's Africa—as a colour? Therefore, what's the name of Africa as a voice of colour?
The structure of the poem is deliberate. The word “africa” remains constant throughout the poem and stands alone against a myriad of these definitions.
“broken china in the sun” denotes the current capitalistic invasion of China in Africa.
Q. If you were a poem, what type or form will you be in, and why?
A. If I were a poem I would be an erasure form. You know, writing a poem then erasing some words and only leaving out abstract, disjointed, meaningless words that are subject to misinterpretation. I admire personalities shrouded in mystery.
Q. You are working in war torn Sudan, tell us what you think is the way forward for Sudan and Africa to stop or avoid these recurring war situations.
After decades, Africa is still reeling from colonial backwardness. The idea that was planted that power means violence, intimidation, divide-and-concur tactics and greed. Then there is the phenomenon of resistance to the undercurrents of change. There's the deeply-rooted biases of religion. Then the population surge. Tribe and race are simply used as scapegoats.
I hate to sound politically analytical in a sense that I have a solution to problems affecting a vast country like Sudan, let alone Africa. But I have to say, Africa has to try and redeem herself from continual bloodshed, poverty and political addiction by shaking off the colonial curse; by educating her women; by embracing emerging social dynamics; by dumping religious affiliations and by reducing birthrates. Young Africans should invest in agriculture, business, and technology, and avoid over-analyzing everything on social media. The people who run the affairs of Africa have little time for Facebook stale rhetoric and cropping memes.
Q. Tells us about your other poems in BNAP.
“I Write” has undertones of Zen enlightenment. How writing is a mystical force. How writing can build or destroy. How writing reflects all these chaos and patterns around us. It is a personal revelation on why I write and why I love the written word.
“The Night” is a memoir in verse. It’s my first time in Sudan. At night there are bombs reverberating a few kilometers from where I live. The night temperature is 40 degrees. I’m lying outside at around midnight, without clothes on, sky gazing. I’m homesick. I’m drunk. I miss my family. I'm drenched in sweat. I miss my girlfriend. I’m lost in this sea of melancholy and nostalgia. That’s when the poem was written on February last year.
Q. What do you think can be done to improve BNAP anthology, in the future editions; marketing, editorial etc…?
BNAP is a special thing because it is giving emerging voices like me a global platform. It’s building confidence in that our poems in this era are not just scrolled by on Facebook and WordPress, but are archived in a hardcover. It’s a great feeling that the poems in the anthology have been read in South Africa, Zimbabwe and UK. And the distribution of hard copies is well co-ordinated.
However, the editorial team should be a little bit more demanding on quality of work submitted so as to elevate the effort invested in writing poetry. And of course, contributors have to be paid for their work through a fair share of royalties.
A. I try to come to grips on who I really am on daily basis. For now, I identify myself as a writer and artist—if by definition the two exist in isolation. Which means I write poems, short stories and essays, and have experience in copywriting.
I’m currently working on my first short story collection. Next year I would love to see it in print. I’m already in touch with a literary agent. On the sides, when I’m not writing, I sample beats: hiphop and chillhop. I’ve already completed a beat tape and will release it late this year, once I’m back in Kenya.
I love reading and I make sure I read 2-3 books a week, or less. I’m not trying to reach any target. Technically, no day is spent idling for me. Which means contact with other people is pretty minimal. I can’t call myself an introvert yet, because I don’t own cats. I blog on the side, but I took a break for a whole year to focus my energy on these projects.
Q. Tell us about the poetry scene in your country.
Poetry in Kenya is a highly recognized field. Some of the loudest, boldest voices in Kenya are either on the page (written poetry) or on the stage (spoken word). Some of these voices have initiated several platforms for poetry like One-Night Stand Poetry (now defunct), Poetry Slam Africa, ANIKA Forum, Nyanza Literary Fest among others. These platforms have churned out award winning poets and very competent writers. It’s a very competitive genre and I’m happy to be part of this generation of expressionists who have used poetry as an outlet.
Q. What influences your creativity? When and how did you get to be a poet?
Primarily, I’m influenced by my search for the meaning of life. I’m inspired by my feelings and attitude. I’m enthused by other poets and writers. I can’t drop names (because the more and the wider you read, the more you lose track on who is your favorite. You realize every writer is exceptional.) Then there’s the urge to just sit, punch the keyboard and see what comes up. Sometimes an idea just pops up and it leads to a story, to a poem, to a beat.
I started writing a few years ago after reading other established writers' works. After falling in love. After falling out of love. After falling in love again. After seeing tears in my mother's eyes. After growing up and realizing how empty life is, and I have to fill this emptiness with something: my own thoughts and biases. After meeting guys who just want to be poets because it feels good to write a poem and read it and write another one and so on and so forth. And that at some point I can stop writing and making beats entirely and move on to another existential remedy—whatever that may be. Creativity is that supple for me.
Ka”
africa: the bible came floating down the red sea
africa: the san(sun)/son
africa: afar: dust
africa: ifran: cave
africa: -ica: a land
africa: aprica: sunny – an ember off of hell's kitchen
africa: ka: the womb
africa: africus: rain/wind/rainy wind
africa: lucy: the essence; our godform/lucy: lucifer: the light
africa: broken china in the sun
africa: her literature is post-colonial, post-slavery trauma
africa: 70 coups; 13 presidential assassinations.
Q. It’s a beautiful experimental poem. It talks of Africa, so let’s talk about your poem and Africa.
A. Africa has always been a mystery for me. Her stories as told through post-colonial narrative, music, poem, film and dance, is all we know (especially we the “millennials”). When I try to explore on a personal level pegged on my experiences and observations, I feel that nobody understands Africa beyond what she has to offer—you know, sad stories and minerals.
The first line in this poem for instance, talks about how religion came with war and division. It's one of those historical happenstances that were unnecessary in the evolution of Africa.
The overall rhetoric in the poem is identity. What's Africa—as a name? What's Africa—as a voice? What's Africa—as a colour? Therefore, what's the name of Africa as a voice of colour?
The structure of the poem is deliberate. The word “africa” remains constant throughout the poem and stands alone against a myriad of these definitions.
“broken china in the sun” denotes the current capitalistic invasion of China in Africa.
Q. If you were a poem, what type or form will you be in, and why?
A. If I were a poem I would be an erasure form. You know, writing a poem then erasing some words and only leaving out abstract, disjointed, meaningless words that are subject to misinterpretation. I admire personalities shrouded in mystery.
Q. You are working in war torn Sudan, tell us what you think is the way forward for Sudan and Africa to stop or avoid these recurring war situations.
After decades, Africa is still reeling from colonial backwardness. The idea that was planted that power means violence, intimidation, divide-and-concur tactics and greed. Then there is the phenomenon of resistance to the undercurrents of change. There's the deeply-rooted biases of religion. Then the population surge. Tribe and race are simply used as scapegoats.
I hate to sound politically analytical in a sense that I have a solution to problems affecting a vast country like Sudan, let alone Africa. But I have to say, Africa has to try and redeem herself from continual bloodshed, poverty and political addiction by shaking off the colonial curse; by educating her women; by embracing emerging social dynamics; by dumping religious affiliations and by reducing birthrates. Young Africans should invest in agriculture, business, and technology, and avoid over-analyzing everything on social media. The people who run the affairs of Africa have little time for Facebook stale rhetoric and cropping memes.
Q. Tells us about your other poems in BNAP.
“I Write” has undertones of Zen enlightenment. How writing is a mystical force. How writing can build or destroy. How writing reflects all these chaos and patterns around us. It is a personal revelation on why I write and why I love the written word.
“The Night” is a memoir in verse. It’s my first time in Sudan. At night there are bombs reverberating a few kilometers from where I live. The night temperature is 40 degrees. I’m lying outside at around midnight, without clothes on, sky gazing. I’m homesick. I’m drunk. I miss my family. I'm drenched in sweat. I miss my girlfriend. I’m lost in this sea of melancholy and nostalgia. That’s when the poem was written on February last year.
Q. What do you think can be done to improve BNAP anthology, in the future editions; marketing, editorial etc…?
BNAP is a special thing because it is giving emerging voices like me a global platform. It’s building confidence in that our poems in this era are not just scrolled by on Facebook and WordPress, but are archived in a hardcover. It’s a great feeling that the poems in the anthology have been read in South Africa, Zimbabwe and UK. And the distribution of hard copies is well co-ordinated.
However, the editorial team should be a little bit more demanding on quality of work submitted so as to elevate the effort invested in writing poetry. And of course, contributors have to be paid for their work through a fair share of royalties.
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