The Babishai Niwe Poetry Foundation, based in Kampala, has been promoting African poetry since 2009, through annual poetry competitions, poetry publications and annual poetry festivals.  From 2009 when we began, as the Beverley Nambozo Poetry Award, holding poetry awards for Ugandan women, we have since extended the award to include all Africans, we have published three anthologies and held four highly successful annual poetry festivals. Our most recent festival was held in Kapchorwa and Mbale, Eastern Uganda. Our tenth year anniversary celebrations, scheduled for March 21-25, 2019 in Kabale, (Southwestern Uganda) and Kampala, Uganda’s capital.

Thursday 21 March 2019

Departure from Kampala, for Kabale at 8:00am (Kabale is approximately 6 hours South West of Kampala City)

 

8:00am:            The team shall depart from Kampala at The Uganda Museum, in Kamwokya,  International guests shall be picked from their hotel

1:00pm:           There shall be a lunch break in Mbarara, at Agip Hotel

3:00pm:           Arrival at Bunyonyi Safaris Resort ( Lunch is served).

7:00pm:           Barbeque and Poetry at Bunyonyi Safaris Resort Gardens

Kabale: Photo credit (Bunyonyi Safaris Resort website)

Friday 22 March 2019

7:00am to 9:00am:                 Breakfast

9:30am:                                   Departure for Kabale University

10:00am – 10:30am:               Meeting the Faculty and Administration at Kabale University

10:30am-11:00am:                 Meeting the larger University gathering in the gardens; greetings, introductions, sharing about Babishai

11:00am-11:30am:                 Performances and Readings from the Babishai team and visiting writers

11:30am –12:45pm:                Break into smaller groups of students of about 10-15 each. Each group shall have an intimate poetry discussion session with a Babishai team member; master-classes, Question and Answer, discussions on African poetry, world poetry etc.

12:45pm-1:00pm:       Group photographs, book sales, book exchanges, launch of annual Babishai poetry programme

1:15pm:                       Wrap up and Departure

1:30pm:                       Lunch in Kabale Town

2:30pm:                       Return to Bunyonyi Safaris Resort

6:00pm:                       Dinner at Bunyonyi Safaris or in Kabale town

 

Saturday 23 March 2019

Grace Villas

7:00am -9:00am:        Breakfast

9:30am:                       Departure for Grace Villas

10:00am:                     Grace Villas Arrival, Introductions, Tour of Grace Villas

11:30am:                     Performances from the visiting team, readings and book exchanges at Grace Villas

1:00pm:                       Wrap up and Departure for Lunch

1:30pm:                       Lunch in Kabale Town

 

2:30pm-3:00pm:         Return to Bunyonyi Safaris Resort

Optional (Guests may tour the town, buy craft, tour some sites)

 

6:00pm:                       Dinner at Bunyonyi Safaris Resort, or dinner at another venue

 

Sunday 24 March 2019

8:00am:      Return to Kampala

 

Monday 25 March 2019

Tour of Kampala City (Optional)

Midday:                               Visit the Poetry Library (Optional)

5:00pm-7:00pm:               Thanksgiving Evening at The Uganda Women Writers Association (Femrite) Offices, for the readers-writers club. Address: Kamwokya, Plot 147

7:30pm:                                Thanksgiving Dinner at The Great Indian Dhaba Restaurant. Interested parties should pay a fee of 60,000/- for a dinner card. Contact Sarah on +256 778 110117 or  George on +256 703 147862.

 

Tuesday 26 March 2019

Departure of International guests

 

Note:

• Kindly carry your books which we shall sell mostly in Kampala and at some point, donate a few to Kabale University
• Kabale has extreme temperatures. Hot in the day and cold at night. Kindly carry warm clothing, a torch and comfortable shoes. If you have binoculars, you’ll enjoy the sights of Kabale, tremendously.

The festival fee:

Delegates requiring airport pickup and accommodation within Kampala: $500

Delegates from within Uganda: $300

 

The fee includes return transport from Kampala to Kabale and all meals and accommodation in Kabale.

 

Do not hesitate to contact us with any inquiry. We invite you to read our website for more information on our work; www.babishainiwe.com