David L. Lukudu/ Blog

Inspiring message from Lee Child:

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Ngugi wa Thiong'o passes on, but his legacy will continue to shine on. Here I share two great books that I first read as a teenager many many years ago, books that still continue to stir me to this day.

It all began with an extract from A Grain of Wheat in an English composition class in school those many years ago. But that will be a topic for another day ...

It's my seventh book of the year, and it's outside my usual line of reading. The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason, first published in 1926, is a sound writing on financial management. Recognised as a classic, it should be read by everyone.

The 143-page long book commences with a first chapter, "An Historical Sketch of Babylon", that provides the background and context, referring to the renowned historical city as the most glamorous at the time of its existence; and yet, it was located in a flat and arid valley beside the Euphrates River with no forest, mines, stones, or even proximity to trade routes. It was further described as an example of a city that became rich with humans utilising whatever was at their disposal. "All of the resources supporting this large city were man-developed. All of its riches were man-made."

There are several stories and anecdotes with useful lessons and take home messages ...I include some lines in one picture below, some take away rules from the amazing work. Cheers!

Wow. Finally, I completed Raymond Carver's Where I'm Calling From, The Selected Stories, after owning it for over a decade, and only started reading several weeks ago.

This is indeed "the essential Raymond Carver story collection". Carver (b. 1938 - d. 1988) was described as "the American Chekov" in the Sunday Times and "the master craftsman of the modern American short story" in the Daily Telegraph. He was a renowned minimalist, with the writing style characterised by leanness and simplicity; the reader expected to take part in the imagination of the details.

Some of the themes explored in the book were alcoholism, blindness, middle age crisis, divorce, old age, death, etc. I found a great deal of the stories engrossing and touching. "Cathedral" with blindness as a theme, said to be Carver's very best, still stands out. But it was "A Small, Good Thing", after I had long finished reading, that got me thinking for long: about the story itself and how it was well-written; about the pressures of life reflected in it; about how we strife day in day out to make ends meet; about how we relate to each other as humans, even when we are not blood-related, and how this can impact on our very lives; about family life and family love; about how we do not accept death in our families and how we cope with it when it finally strikes; about how we console those who have lost their dear ones ... etc. ... etc.

In a few words, the writings are serious and engaging and relevant.

What an interesting short documentary on Ousmane Sembene: the Senegalese writer who became a film maker and was later dubbed, "The Father of African Cinema!" This is more so on his "social realist" film legacy with a little bit of the direction of the film industry in his country today.

Ousmane Sembene's Africa Is Everyone's Africa Africa Is a Country and Tsogo Kupa present the first in a series of video essays about African film. This first episode concentrates on the legacy of Senegal...

Some line-ups for 2024. Looking forward to these and many more. Have a blessed year ahead, everyone! 👍

Congratulations to Kenyan writer Peter Ngila Njeri on winning this prize. He was also a participant at the Ibua novel manuscript workshop in Kampala at the end of July. Looking forward to reading this book, when it becomes available. 👍

Kenyan Writer Peter Ngila Njeri Wins the 2023 James Currey Prize for African Literature Kenyan writer Peter Ngila Njeri has won the 2023 James Currey Prize for African Literature with his stunning novel manuscript Legend of Beach House. The award is administered by the James Currey Society and its director/founder Onyeka Nwelue, and named in honor of South African publisher James Cu

As someone who reads a lot of travel writing, I have always believed the best way to know a country is to travel by road, or land, generally.

Nice article on the adventurous journey of one Pedersen around all countries of the world -- by land! Here is a lesson in determination and perseverence. And there is a message about humanity as well, that: "We are far more similar than anyone would ever believe. But we are so quick to see the differences."

Looking forward to the book.🙏

Take the high road: the man who visited every country in the world – without boarding a plane At 34, Torbjørn Pedersen embarked on a seemingly impossible journey that would take 10 years – and involve cerebral malaria and being held up at gunpoint. He reflects ...

Thumbs up to these guys making South Sudanese proud! All the best in the biggest tournament, come 25th August to 10th Septemper.

Reinforced South Sudan an emerging force, not just Cinderella 😤

https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/news/team-profile-reinforced-south-sudan-an-emerging-force-not-just-cinderella

x 🇸🇸

27.07.2023. Kampala, Uganda. A 3-day novel manuscript workshop organised by a Ugandan publisher, Ibua Publishing, comes to a close. It was a useful meeting with topic areas discussed as follows: Practicalities of Writing the Novel; Writing the Novel (practical sharing of experience by an author); Overview of Literary Prizes and Manuscript Projects; The Ugandan Novel; Understanding the African Novel and its Contexts; Rewriting and Editing the Novel, and; Novel Production -- What Writers Need to Know.

This workshop was more interactive with facilitators in country as well as outside, including Billy Kahora, Irenosen Okojie, Doseline Kiguru, James Ocita, Stacy Hardy, and Otieno Owino.

Participants were drawn from the East African Region and had the opportunity to discuss their manuscripts in progress with most of the works at an early stage.

Next plan is, there will be an open call out for manuscripts from the region in a couple of weeks.

25-27 July 2023; Kampala, Uganda: Ibua Publishing Novel Manuscript Workshop. How wonderful it is to take part in this East African project and great to meet the main facilitator, Kenyan writer, Billy Kahora, after over ten years! Billy was the managing editor of the reknowned Kenyan literary magazine, Kwani? for many many years but is now teaching creative writing at the University of Bristol, in the UK.

I recall back in 2011, when he visited South Sudan, as part of a "pilgrimages" project sponsored by the Chinua Achebe Center at Bard College, in New York; then directed by the late Binyavanga Wainaina. Fellow South Sudanese writer and friend, Victor Lugala, linked him up with me, and I was happy to help out, especially him finding his way around Juba: a city which was just blossoming with the joys and possibilities of a newly independent state.

The Achebe Center's project involved 14 African writers sent to 13 African cities, and one city in Brazil, for two weeks, to explore the complexities of disparate urban landscapes. It was an interesting venture that not only encampassed collecting information, but also touring the cities both during day time and at night to get a better grasp of the outlook.

And, yes, I remember the brilliant pilgrimage writings were later published on the Chimurenga Chronic website: www.chimurengachronic.co.za.

It is always a pleasure to me to meet and converse with writers and like-minded people. 👍