Kwani Trust Seeks Applicants for 2015 Fiction Workshop

Kwani Trust invites applications for a fiction workshop to be held from June 17th to June 23^rd 2015 in Mombasa. Following Kwani?'s pursuit of developing new contemporary fiction, the workshop seeks to incubate writing from 12 emerging voices with particular focus on writers between the ages of 18 and 36 from the Coast Region or the former Coast Province.
This workshop is part of Kwani Trust's plans in putting together a collection of essays, fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, testimonials, and photography based on the Coast Region.
 

This will be part of an up-coming edition of Kwani?'s flagship journal, which will explore various themes emerging in Kenya after the 2013 general elections, including debates about and on the Kenyan coast. These include contextual issues around 'terror' and insecurity, and competing geographies and histories of the former Coast Province.

 

The project also seeks to address what we see as a false divide between literary and creative production emanating from 'up-country' Kenya in English, and the rich oral and written traditions in Kiswahili that have a long history spanning hundreds of years on Kenya's coast. The project's main point of departure is how the work of Kwani? that relies on contemporary and alternative forms of creative and literary work can address the aforementioned issues on the Kenyan coast in its oral and written traditions in Kiswahili.

 

The workshop will incubate creative writers from the Coast working with short prose fiction. Though not limited to the above, the workshop will also broadly explore what new narratives can emerge from the 'Coast' in the context of the aforementioned social and political issues. We hope that the writers invited to the workshop will work with the above as broad thematic concerns. The seven-day workshop will allow the writers enough time to produce substantial work, learn aspects of the writer's craft and develop style with Kwani?'s guest tutors and mentors. The invited writers will also form a meaningful working relationship with the other writers on the programme.

 

We will advise of the workshop venue and other practical details in due course.

 

At the end of the workshop we will ask writers to submit drafts suitable for submission to the forthcoming issue of Kwani Trust's flagship literary journal.

 

To apply, please email submissions@kwani.org by Friday, June 12th that midnight with the following:

Email Subject Line: 2015 Fiction Workshop Application

A short fiction sample (2500-3000 words) (Word or PDF)

Age:

Location:

Phone number:

Email address:

 

ONLY successful candidates will be advised of their attendance by Monday 15th June by 5.00 p.m.

 

*Writers must be available for the duration of the workshop. Please do not apply if you are not sure of your availability. Writers will also be asked to provide proof of their Coastal origins. Transport and meals will be provided.