I write it as it happened - Kagwa
Philippa Namutebi Kabali-Kagwa. PHOTO BY MICHAEL KAKUMIRIZI
What you need to know:
Philippa Namutebi Kabali-Kagwa, recently launched her book, Flame and Song, a memoir. She spoke to Edna Ninsiima about her inspiration.
Why Flame And Song?
Because that is life. Sometimes it is fire, sometimes it is ashes and joy. I also wanted to define my identity including my experiences as an “insider outsider”. I have lived in Kenya, Ethiopia, Lesotho and Cape Town, South Africa. Yet, this (Uganda) is my home.
When did you decide that the time was right to write?
I did not. I just started. You start and write. Then you edit. Then you edit. And then you give it to someone to edit. But it is your story so you direct it.
This memoir is very emotional. How did you write past the pain?
I gave myself time. When I needed to cry, I stopped and cried. Sometimes I wanted to stop. There are times I thought I should not continue. Then later I found myself back, writing.
What inspires your writing?
Life. Tears, laughter, experiences.
What do you read?
I read a lot of everything. I have recently read Jennifer Makumbi’s Kintu which I think is very profound.
What do you think about Uganda’s literature scene?
It feels like the 60s again and the arts are alive in Uganda. From the Writivism festivals and other arts events, it reminds me of the 60s when my parents used to take me to the National Theatre where I would meet people such as Timothy Wangusa and watch Bakayimbira Dramactors. It is very heartening.
As a writer, what forms your writing routine?
I have no routine. I am a seasonal writer. I will have a period when I am writing almost daily and other times I won’t even want to look at any of my writing.
What was your family’s reaction? Did they agree with all the events as narrated in your story?
Most of the response was positive. But what matters most is that this is my own story. They may recall something else but this is how I remember it.
Your style is unique. What made you choose it?
Some stories need to be written as poems, others as prose. So I did that. I made it my own.
What do you miss most about home?
The red red soil..ah...kabalagala, gonja, muwogo omusiike. I do not miss the traffic. I love home though; there is that feeling I get as I fly over Nalubaale, towards Entebbe. The feeling of “I am home”.
