Lyrical presentations, new players unveiled at fourth poetry awards
Piwang is congratulated by Mutyabule. PHOTO BY ABUBAKER LUBOWA
What you need to know:
Poetry. The participants were comfortable with this year’s theme.
The Beverley Nambozo Poetry Award (BNPA) has gotten bigger and musical. On the evening of June 29, Susan Piwang was announced the winner of the award’s fourth edition.
The winning poem, “Musical Man” mesmerised the audience with its vivid imagery that tells the story of an old man seated by a street corner, playing his guitar for whoever will listen.
In second place was Paula Biraaro for her poem “Nyamwezi” and third was Betty Kituyi for her poem “Falling.”
The three poems were judged to possess a strength and beauty that takes readers through an imaginative journey of exploration, reflection and new meaning.
Piwang walked away with $500, an autographed copy of Half of a Yellow Sun by award-winning author Chimamanda Adichie, an autographed copy of Fables out of Nyanja by Bwesigye Brian, an autographed copy of Tropical Fish, a collection of short stories by Doreen Baingana and an autographed copy of Eilyeena’s Sorbonne by Hannah “Saint C.A” Nanyanzi.
Storymoja
In addition, the first three winners of the award will also be attending the Literary Storymoja Hay Festival in Nairobi in September this year.
Music was this year’s theme to write and express and according to Apuuli Mugasa. Mildred Kiconco Barya, one of the judges, complimented the poetry of the winners Ife Piankhi and Pamela Acaye, with her participatory poem that left the audience amused, awed and thoughtful with its provocative phrases.
Tom Forrest, a poet from an older generation likewise shared his poetic thoughts with the audience.
To hand out the awards was Florence Mutyabule, the chairperson of the Uganda Children’s Parliamentary Forum.
She congratulated Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva, the founder of BNPA, for pioneering the initiative. She called on the Government of Uganda to support literature and promote a reading culture.
