Writivism

The Writivism Literary Initiative, in collaboration with Afridiaspora are publishing a mini anthology of creative nonfiction titled Daughters who become Lovers today, the 17^th of April, 2017. The anthology compiles stories written by emerging African writers. Ten of the stories were written for and through the 2016 Writivism Creative Non Fiction workshop held in Accra and the mentoring that followed. As a bonus, YKO Tetteh’s A Guide to Losing Love, which won the 2016 inaugural Koffi Addo Prize for Creative Nonfiction has been added.

The anthology is edited by Otieno Owira and will be available for free download on the Afridiaspora website. The title story, Daughters who become Lovers by Jennifer Chinenye Emelife will be co-published by nine other digital and print publishers besides Afridiaspora including Munyori Literary Journal, Deyu African, Bakwa Magazine, HOLAA, Praxis Magazine, Chimurenga, Kalahari Review, Afrikult and Kwani.

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The title story is important to us at Writivism and our partners in its publication not only because it addresses a sensitive subject for all of us in the creative world, but also because the creative world is not removed from society itself. Yewande Omotoso, who facilitated the Accra workshop with most of the writers in this anthology writes in the foreword to the anthology:

“When you read the title essay to this publication be prepared for deep streams of anger mixed with anger mixed with anger. If like me, like many, you have survived rape and sexual violence, when you begin to read the title essay you might wish to stop. You might come back to it in another moment or you might not come back at all. The author is brave and so are we.”

We hope that the title story will enable us to reflect on the complexity of sexual exploitation and abuse of power. As convenors of a mentorship programme, where emerging writers are paired with more established writers who are in a position of power, this story is a continuation of our reflection on the safety of emerging writers in mentoring relationships. The bulk of the stories in the anthology were written under the guidance of mentors. We are grateful to Rachel Zadok, Tiah Beautemont, Melissa Kiguwa and Neelika Jayawardane among others for donating their time to mentor writers on the 2016 creative nonfiction programme.

We are also grateful to Saraba Magazine and Deyu African who published some of the stories in the mini anthology as part of our old partnerships. Yewande Omotoso facilitated the Accra workshop where some of the stories were discussed and developed and judged the Koffi Addo nonfiction prize. We are grateful. Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah and MAKEDA did not only handle the logistics of the workshop in Accra but also endowed the Koffi Addo Prize for Creative nonfiction and was part of its judging panel. No Violet Bulawayo chaired the panel of judges for the Koffi Addo prize. The African Women Development Fund donated money that made the workshop in Accra and presentation of the prize to the winner, possible. We are also grateful to Otieno Owira for accepting to edit this mini anthology. Joshua Rukundo designed the cover. Thank you. Sumayya Lee coordinated the publishing process. To each of our publishing partners, namely, Afridiaspora, Munyori Literary Journal, Deyu African, Bakwa Magazine, HOLAA, Praxis Magazine, Chimurenga, Kalahari Review, Afrikult and Kwani, we are grateful.

Most importantly, we are grateful to you, the reader, for sparing time for beautiful creative nonfiction from emerging African writers. Some stories may make you weep, others will entertain you, others will inform you, others will exasperate you, and we hope that some will edify.

Esther Mirembe

Editor, Writivism.

KEY FACTS ABOUT THE WRITIVISM MINI ANTHOLOGY SERIES

• The mini anthology series includes stories by emerging African writers from the Writivism mentoring programme.
• The mini anthologies are published digitally in collaboration with African digital publishers.
• The first mini anthology, My Maths Teacher Hates Me and Other Stories was published in 2015 by Jalada.
• The second mini anthology, Your Heart Will Skip A Beat and Other Stories was published in 2016 by Bahati Books.
• Daughters who Become Lovers is the third mini anthology and is published by Afridiaspora.
• Daughters who Become Lovers is the first creative nonfiction anthology in the series.
• The cover story of the third mini anthology will be co-published by ten different African digital and print publishers, including Afridiaspora, Munyori Literary Journal, Deyu African, Bakwa Magazine, HOLAA, Praxis Magazine, Chimurenga, Kalahari Review, Afrikult and Kwani.

Some of the stories in the mini anthologies are usually published individually at the time of the mentoring programme and collected later.