Items by the Binj

KWANI LIT FEST

• Important announcement about Kwani LitFest

  Posted: July 23, 2007, 6:05 am by the Binj

  Dear Friends, fellow writers, readers and supporters of Kwani Liftest and SLS Kenya.

  After much thinking and planning, the Kwani? team has decided to make some major changes to the structure and timing of the Litfest. Instead of holding the annual Litfest every December, we have decided to hold the Litfest every August. The next Litfest will take place during the month of August in 2008.

  There are several reasons behind this.

  1. Airfares. The Christmas period is the worst time of the year to organize international and local flights. The whole world, it seems is traveling. Flights get overbooked, tickets become expensive; and strange things happen in Detroit – that involve a white Christmas, and families gathered in the lobby, children crying and adults unwrapping gifts – and storms of violent cotton wool fly across the Northern Hemisphere.

  2. For this year, certainly, the elections are a big question. No. I want to vote. I think every Kenyan should vote. How do we do this and run the Litfest?

  3. Last year, we were unable to work with the universities because they were writing exams, and then closed for Christmas. It was important to us to host readings and events, and to host them in our universities. This is not possible in the second half of December.

  4. Family commitments. The Kwani team, and many other people interested in the Litfest are sometimes torn between family commitments and the Litfest work. Christmas is often the only time whole clans and families gather.

  5. Accomodation. We feel Lamu is special, even with all the organizational challenges it offers. But, last year, we took up all the available accommodation in Lamu. How do we grow? Prices of accommodation during this period are high. We can probably secure much accommodation 30 percent less in August. The Lamu season begins in December – and much is available in August.

  6. In order to get paying students from the US, both as part of the SLS network, and also Africans abroad, and Black British writers – it is easier to market a program that operates in Summer. They have three free months. No family commitments, necessarily. Most writers in the US and UK are associated with universities. Their universities often fund summer activities. It will be easier to market an international festival and workshops when people have more room to maneuver.

  7. Also, because of this, we can now organize to have a small number of writers in residence who can work with local writers in longer workshops during the summer, which build up to the main workshops in August.

  8. There is a developing African circuit. The Sable Litfest every July. The Ghana Program that starts next June. It means we can share certain costs (bringing some writers), use joint publicity, and take advantage of other synergies to grow.

  Last year, in June, we set out an impossible challenge. To have a large and vibrant litfest, bring in many writers from all over the world. We were desperately sort of money and time. We rose to the occasion, and surprised ourselves. We managed to almost break even. The response from participants was much larger than we expected. Many of the logistical challenges (banks closed over holidays) were a direct result of the season. Now, with a growing team in place, and new potential partners (watch this space) – we can watch this beautiful thing take off and grow.

  Many thanks for all your support.

  Much love to you all, and see you in August 2008.

  
  

  
  

  Binyavanga Wainaina

  Founding Editor

  KWANI TRUST

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