Austin Bukenya

Last updated

Austin Bukenya
BornAustin Bukenya
(1944-02-10) 10 February 1944 (age 79)
Masaka, Uganda
OccupationPoet, playwright, novelist and academic administrator
Nationality Ugandan
Alma mater Makerere University Namilyango College
GenreNovels, plays, poetry
Notable worksThe People's Bachelor (1972); The Bride (1987)

Austin Bukenya (born 10 February 1944) is a Ugandan poet, playwright, novelist and academic administrator. [1] He is the author of the novel The People's Bachelor, [2] and a play, The Bride. [3] He has taught languages, literature and drama at Makerere University in Uganda and universities in the UK, Tanzania and Kenya since the late 1960s. He has also held residences at universities in Rwanda and Germany. Bukenya is also a literary critic, novelist, poet and dramatist. An accomplished stage and screen actor, he was for several years Director of the Creative and Performing Arts Centre at Kenyatta University, Nairobi. [4]

Contents

Early life and education

Bukenya, who prefers to be called Mwalimu, was born in 1944 in Masaka town, Southern Uganda, where his father worked as a policeman. His family later moved to Kitukutwe 15 miles from Kampala. His father was a staunch Catholic who would narrate biblical stories which he would alternate with his mother's folk stories. According to Bukenya, these stories inspired his imagination. [5]

He attended Gayaza primary school and joined Kisubi Seminary where he studied three languages, French, English and Latin. This would soon inform his literary thinking and future academic career. His growing passion for literature was soon cemented at Namilyango College, where he took his O- and A-level exams. [6] In 1965, he went to Dar es Salaam University where he continued to nurture his keen interest in Language and Linguistics in addition to a growing interest in Kiswahili. He studied the Language Linguistics and Literature and Education (LLLE) for his undergraduate course. Most of Bukenya's writings are in Kiswahili, he attributes this to his grandmother, whose roots can be traced back to Dar es Salaam. He was also inspired by linguistic teachers including Wilson Whitely, a British author famous for his book Kiswahili: the Rising of a National Language. Bukenya joined Makerere as a postgraduate student in 1968 and later developed the oral literature course. [5] He also studied at universities in Madagascar and England, and took his higher degrees at Makerere and Kenyatta Universities. He has taught languages, literature and drama at Makerere University in Uganda and universities in the UK, Tanzania and Kenya since the late 1960s. [4]

Writing

A poet, a novelist and a keen actor, Bukenya was introduced to theatre and inspired to become a writer by his parents who were strong believers of Kiganda traditions. This immersion of theatre in everyday life was also a part of Bukenya’s education who grew up in a Ugandan village where he “witnessed numerous performances of children’s traditional songs and dances, games and rhythms” that inspired and influenced his writing career. Bukenya wrote his first prizewinning play in 1964, based on stories told to him by his mother. He has since written numerous plays and radio dramas, but only managed to publish two of his plays, The Secret and The Bride. [3]

Bukenya’s works include The Mermaid of Msambweni, The Bride – a play in four parts, and John Ruganda’s The Floods, among others. He has taught in Kenya at Kenyatta University, and also Bayreuth University, Department of African Studies in Germany. His recent publication, A Hole in the Sky, focuses on the need to protect the environment and honours the late Kenyan Environmental activist and Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai. [5] Bukenya's work has been featured on the pan-African poetry platform Badilisha Poetry Radio. [4] He is an honorary member of FEMRITE. [7]

Published works

Novels

Plays

Literary Criticism

Educational books

Anthologies

Poems

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o</span> Kenyan writer (born 1938)

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o is a Kenyan author and academic who writes primarily in Gikuyu and who formerly wrote in English. He has been described as having been "considered East Africa's leading novelist". His work includes novels, plays, short stories, and essays, ranging from literary and social criticism to children's literature. He is the founder and editor of the Gikuyu-language journal Mũtĩiri. His short story The Upright Revolution: Or Why Humans Walk Upright, is translated into 100 languages from around the world.

Elvania Namukwaya Zirimu was a Ugandan poet and dramatist. She formed the Ngoma Players, with the policy of writing and producing Ugandan plays, and was actively concerned with the National Theatre. She belonged to the early generation of English-language Ugandan writers and playwrights that includes novelist Okello Oculi, playwright John Ruganda, and novelist Austin Bukenya. Her best-known work is the one-act play Keeping up with the Mukasas, included in David Cook's 1965 anthology of East African plays, Origin East Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monica Arac de Nyeko</span> Ugandan writer

Monica Arac de Nyeko is a Ugandan writer of short fiction, poetry, and essays, living in Nairobi. In 2007 she became the first Ugandan to win the Caine Prize for African Writing, with her story "Jambula Tree". She had previously been shortlisted for the prize in 2004 for "Strange Fruit", a story about child soldiers in Gulu, Northern Uganda. She is a member of FEMRITE – Uganda Women Writers Association and the chief editor of T:AP Voices. She taught literature and English at St. Mary's College Kisubi before proceeding to pursue a Master in Humanitarian Assistance at the University of Groningen. Her personal essay "In the Stars" won first prize in the Women's World, Women in War Zones essay writing competition. She has been published in Memories of Sun, The Nation, IS magazine, Poetry International and several other publications. She is one of the writers announced as part of the Africa39 project unveiled by Rainbow, Hay Festival and Bloomsbury Publishing at the London Book Fair 2014. It is a list of 39 of Sub-Saharan Africa's most promising writers under the age of 40.

Mildred Kiconco Barya is a writer and poet from Uganda. She was awarded the 2008 Pan African Literary Forum Prize for Africana Fiction, and earlier gained recognition for her poetry, particularly her first two collections, Men Love Chocolates But They Don't Say (2002) and The Price of Memory: After the Tsunami (2006).

John Ruganda was Uganda's best known playwright. Beyond his work as a playwright, Ruganda was also a professor at University of North, South Africa, University of Nairobi, and Makerere University.

Ayeta Anne Wangusa is a Ugandan writer and activist. A founding member (1995) of FEMRITE, the Uganda Women Writers Association, Wangusa first achieved broader recognition in literary circles for her novel Memoirs of a Mother (1998). She was also a founding member (2009) of the African Writers Trust, currently serving on the advisory board. She is a contributor to the 2019 anthology New Daughters of Africa, edited by Margaret Busby.

FEMRITE – Uganda Women Writers' Association, founded in 1995, is an NGO based in Kampala, Uganda, whose programmes focus on developing and publishing women writers in Uganda and—more recently—in the East African region. FEMRITE has likewise expanded its concerns to East African issues regarding the environment, literacy, education, health, women's rights and good governance.

Violet Barungi is a Ugandan writer and editor. She has edited several publications published by FEMRITE. Her published books include the novel Cassandra. She has worked as a book Production Officer at the East African Literature Bureau (1972–77), senior Book Production Officer at Uganda Literature Bureau (1978–94) and an editor at FEMRITE.

Susan Nalugwa Kiguli is a Ugandan poet and literary scholar. She is an associate professor of literature at Makerere University. Kiguli has been an advocate for creative writing in Africa, including service as a founding member of FEMRITE, a judge for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, and an advisory board member for the African Writers Trust. As a poet, Kiguli is best known for her 1998 collection The African Saga, as a scholar, and for her work on oral poetry and performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wanjiku Kabira</span>

Wanjiku Kabira is an associate professor of literature at the University of Nairobi, Kenya. She has specialized in the fields of Oral literature, African-American literature and Caribbean literature. She has been actively involved in women affairs and in gender issues. Wanjiku has served as in various capacities notably as a. Vice-Chair in the Kenya Constitutional Review Process (2000–2005) b. Chair Person Women Political Alliance (2002–2011) c. Director Collaborative Center for Gender and Development (1995–2009) d. Chair, Department of Literature, University of Nairobi

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivan Matthias Mulumba</span> Ugandan writer and valuation surveyor

Ivan Matthias Mulumba is a Ugandan writer and valuation surveyor. He is the author of two collections of poems, Poetry in Motion and Rumblings of a tree, and a novel, The Honking. His work has appeared in The Kalahari Review, Reader's Cafe Africa, Africa Book Club, Munyori literary journal, Lawino-magazine, and Sooo Many Stories. He was nominated for the 2018 Young Achievers Awards.

Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva is a Ugandan writer, poet, actress, literary activist, and biographer. She is the founder of the Babishai Niwe (BN) Poetry Foundation formerly The Beverley Nambozo Poetry Award for Ugandan women, which began in 2008 as a platform for promoting poetry. It has since grown to include all African poets and runs as an annual poetry award. In 2014, the award will extend to the entire continent, targeting both men and women. The same year, the foundation will also publish an anthology of poetry from poets of Africa. She is also the founder of the Babishai Niwe Women's Leadership Academy..Nambozo joined the Crossing Borders Scheme British Council Uganda in 2003 under the short stories genre. She was nominated for the August 2009 Arts Press Association (APA) Awards for revitalising poetry in Uganda after initiating the Beverley Nambozo Poetry Award, the first poetry award for Ugandan women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hilda Twongyeirwe</span> Ugandan writer and editor

Hilda Twongyeirwe is a Ugandan writer and editor. For ten years, she taught English language and literature in secondary school, before she retired to do development work in 2003. She is an editor, a published author of short stories and poetry, and a recipient of a National Medal of the government of Uganda in recognition of her contribution to women's Empowerment through Literary arts (2018). She is also a recipient of a Certificate of Recognition (2008) from the National Book Trust of Uganda for her children's book, Fina the Dancer. She is currently the coordinator of FEMRITE, an organization she participated in founding in 1995. She has edited fiction and creative nonfiction works, the most recent one being, No Time to Mourn (2020) by South Sudanese women. She has also edited others including; I Dare to Say: African Women Share Their Stories of Hope and Survival (2012) and Taboo? Voices of Women on Female Genital Mutilation (2013).

Beatrice Lamwaka is a Ugandan writer. She was shortlisted for the 2011 Caine Prize for her story "Butterfly Dreams".

Lillian Tindyebwa is a Ugandan writer living in Kampala. She is the author of numerous books, notably the novel Recipe for Disaster, published in 1994 as part of the Fountain youth series. She is a founding member of FEMRITE, and the founder of Uganda Faith Writers Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pio Zirimu</span> Ugandan linguist and scholar (died 1977)

Pio Zirimu was a Ugandan linguist, scholar and literary theorist. He is credited with coining the word "orature" as an alternative to the self-contradictory term, "oral literature" used to refer to the non-written expressive African traditions. Zirimu was also central in reforming the literature syllabus at Makerere University to focus on African literature and culture instead of the English canon.

Iga Zinunula is a Ugandan poet and Veterinary Assistant. He has engaged in rural development work all over Uganda since 1990. He is a member of the editorial board of FEMRITE. He has been a judge at the Babishai Niwe (BN) Poetry Foundation.

Rebecca Nandwa is a Kenyan writer who is best known for her children's books written in Swahili. She has been involved in a wide range of journalism and editorial work and used to be a teacher.

Thomas Tayebwa is a member of the Parliament of Uganda since 2016, and has served as Deputy Speaker of the Parliament since 2022. He was appointed as the Government Chief Whip by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Since 2016, he serves as the Member of Parliament for Ruhinda North County in Mitooma District and a member of NRM. He became known for beating a UMEME employee on a leaked video, for which he apologized on 29 August 2020. He served as a member of National Economy Committee and Natural Resources Committee. On 25 March 2022, he was elected by fellow MPs as the Deputy Speaker of Uganda's 11th Parliament, taking over from Among who moved up to be the Speaker of the Parliament, all events following the death of Speaker Jacob Oulanyah.

Achola Pala is a Kenyan anthropologist, sociologist, and women's policy specialist. Born in a small town in western Kenya, Pala completed her education at the University of East Africa and Harvard. She worked as a researcher with the University of Nairobi and later was the head of social science research at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology. Concerned about women's empowerment and the impact of public policies on women, she worked with numerous divisions of the United Nations including UNESCO, UNICEF, the United Nations University, and the World Food Council, before becoming chief of the Africa Section of UNIFEM. She also participated in numerous conferences on women including the 1980, 1985, and 1995 World Conferences on Women. She worked with Esther Jonathan Wandeka to gain governmental support for the 1985 conference held in Nairobi and was instrumental in introducing the peace torch at the 1995 Beijing conference.

References

  1. ↑ Prof. challenges gov’t on role of humanities newvision.co.ug. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  2. ↑ "The People’s Bachelor – the greatest Ugandan novel" Archived 8 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine , edirisa.org. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  3. 1 2 The Bride… a review Words on Austin Lwanga Bukenya’s The Bride, joankivanda.wordpress.com. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 Austin Bukenya Archived 20 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine , badilishapoetry.com. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 The Future for Young Writers is Online – Bukenya redpepper.co.ug. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  6. ↑ Student Alumini Archived 26 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine namilyangocollege.sc.ug. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  7. ↑ FEMRITE Membership, femriteug.org. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.