I had the pleasure of interviewing the poet, writer and scholar Otoniya J Okot Bitek on her debut novel, We, The Kindling. A hugely important book. Thank you #PrairieSchooner for giving our conversation a home.
prairieschooner.unl.edu/digital-scho...
"There are so many stories that still have to be told as we figure out this particular time in the history of Uganda, and Acholi in particular."
On the blog today: Otoniya J. Okot Bitek in Conversation with Ber Anena @beranena.bsky.social
prairieschooner.unl.edu/digital-scho...
The Weganda Review is looking for creative nonfiction for our next issue. We publish essays on any topic highlighting Ugandans and Africans all over the world. If you have a solid essay, send it to us and weâll consider publishing it. We pay. Check our website for #guidelines & how to submit.
Special gratitude to the women friends & sisters who have held me up when life took me to another corner of the world; the ones who make me believe that friendship, sisterhood & connection can survive anything if we want them to. I see you, I appreciate you & wish you boundless joy & fulfillment.
Happy Womenâs Day, daughters of the universe, for all you do to sustain life through every means imaginable. May the world be gentle with you, acknowledge and reward your every sweat.
COVER REVEAL!!
I still canât believe this memoir is almost here.
Out on November 10, 2026.
You can now #preorder at the link below:
us.macmillan.com/books/978125...
Huge gratitude to my publisher, Flatiron Books and Macmillan.
GOOD AND MAD by Rebecca Traister on womenâs anger (in the US). I loved that the author provided historical contexts of anger, what role anger plays in securing and undoing womenâs positions in politics, who gets applauded and punished for being angry, and more. A necessary read.
THE EDGE OF WATER by Olufunke Grace Bankole. A protagonistâs dream for America, a prophecy that spells doom if she leaves home, a deadly storm & a family bond at stake. Beautifully rendered. It made me think of the reward society bestows on abusive men & the cascading impact of violent acts.
What I #read in #Jan2026 #Booksky
ONE DAY EVERYONE WILL HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AGAINST THIS by Omar El Akkad. Beautifully written, powerful and intelligent reflection on the war in Gaza and all the attendant issues â who gets to be human, geopolitics, what language can do & more.
You will receive a lot of entreaties today, all of them worthy. I just want to bring your attention to Hope for Haiti, which does amazing work. My dad is on the board and one of the best things about HfH is that in the ground it is run by Haitians hopeforhaiti.com/givingtuesday/
3. DEATH DOES NOT END AT THE SEA by Gbenga Adesina. Iâm so glad this poetry collection exists. So much depth and beauty in the language, stories and craft. Such a gift!
2. HANDS IN CLAY by Mildred Kiconco Barya. Itâs been a while since I read a poem or poetry collection that made me laugh. Thereâs humor here, and heartbreak too, fantastical worlds and real ones too. As a fellow Ugandan, I resonated with the country-specific poems. Exciting!
#Read in #October & #November
1. THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN by Marjan Kamali. A story of friendship, immigration, social class, and how women navigate cultural and political hurdles. A deeply moving novel. Thanks for recommending it, @tryphenayeboah
Cover image of the Fall 2024 issue of the Schooner, featuring a photograph of a hallway lined with autumn leaves. Text above and below the cover reads "New Issue."
Volume 98 Number 3 Contributors Brenda Cårdenas Nina C. Pelåez Bruce Parker Clare Rossini Natalie Scenters-Zapico Amy Nolan John Kinsella Dana Fang Hajjar Baban Page Hill Starzinger iheoma uzomba Preeti Vangani Amber Flora Thomas Urvi Kumbhat Kyoko Uchida James Scruton Glen Vecchione ire'ne lara silva Sonja Livingston Matthew Daddona Tsahai Makeda Laura Wetherington Michael Loyd Gray Michael Imossan Emily M. Green Rachel Neve-Midbar Lena Khalaf Tuffaha Daniel Millar Kat Finch Swati Rana Divya Mehrish Gabriel Houck Katie Hartsock Marcia Lynx Qualey Catalina Ocampo Londoño
Our latest issue is now available for purchase! Featuring work by @bcar.bsky.social, @lenakt.bsky.social, @ninacpelaez.bsky.social, @pagestar.bsky.social, @preetivangani.bsky.social, @michaelimossan.bsky.social, and more.
Order the issue here: prairieschooner.unl.edu/issue/fall-2...
THE MOTHER OF ALL QUESTIONS by Rebecca Solnit. Always a big fun of Solnitâs mind! Totally enjoyed this one.
WOMB CITY by @tlotlotsamaase. Iâve never come across a novel with such brilliant, creative world building! Gosh! And sheâs my friend đ
SPEAK TO ME OF HOME by Jeanine Cummins. I struggled with this one but glad l finished it. As someone who writes about home, l appreciated that overarching theme.
What l #read in #July
1. THEY CANâT KILL US UNTIL THEY KILL US by Hanif Abdurrakib. A master of words. Brilliant thinker. The poet in him shines through the prose. I love music and the way he writes about music and performance is justâŠbreathtaking.
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Beautiful poems! I love the conceit of the kidney tree and how you connect it to your father. So brilliantly done
Itâs July 11 â my birthday.
Happy to announce that my poems are published in Lolwe Issue 11 alongside Loic Ekinga (DR Congo), Frank Njugi (Kenya), Susan Goffe (Jamaica), David Emeka (Nigeria) & Amanda Nechesa (Kenya).
Many thanks to editor Nadia Bongo (Gabon) for her guidance.
bit.ly/KidneyTree
Brunel University of London is hosting a series of writing workshops and publishing webinars for aspiring writers.
Sign up for the free online workshops here: bit.ly/4evXE6M
"A gripping roller coaster ride of escalating danger"
King of Ashes is on sale now!! đ„
www.nytimes.com/2025/06/10/b...
BEHOLD THE DREAMERS by lmbolo Mbue. Loved the storytelling here. Lots of relevance for this novel today.
AFTERLIVES by Abdulrazak Gurnah. Loved this one for its world building, vivid characters and moving portrayal of Tanzania
What l #read in #May
ON EARTH WEâRE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS by Ocean Vuong. Started reading his new novel but put it aside to try this one and Gosh was l moved! Iâve never read a book with such beautiful language. âSometimes being offered tenderness feels like the very proof that youâve been ruined.â
One of the books l read as a child was by Ngugi wa Thiongâo. He was among the authors who stirred my love for writing. Iâm sad to hear of his passing today. What a loss to the world and to literature. May God receive him with mercy.
Photo: UCI Podcast
Aww! Itâs a sob inducer for sure
Youâre very welcome đ„°
6/6: GIOVANNIâs ROOM by James Baldwin. I love Baldwinâs mind, and his intellect is quite visible in this novel. He doesnât try to impress because he doesnât need to. Totally enjoyed this one.
5/6: THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING by Joan Didion. Sheâs an expert in interiority. How she intellectualizes her storytelling, even one about the death of loved ones, elevates the nonfiction genre in a great great way.
