USA Africa Dialogue Series - Introducing the Center for African Poetry

Dear All

The Centre for African Poetry http://www.centreforafricanpoetry.org/ will be launched next month, November 2013. We hope it will become an important destination for information and developments in the poetry of the African people. It is a work in progress so only Phase One of the project will be open for public participation in November. The first issue of African Poetry, a triannual literary magazine published by the Centre, will be available online free to public access next month.

 

We invite you to be part of this adventure. We are starting from the beginning to ask important questions through our interviews and other features. We would like you to lend your voice to one of these features, a community opinion poll of current perspectives on African Poetry. The subject we are seeking information or responses on is: What is African Poetry?

 

How do you personally define it? What does it mean to you? Does (or should) it even still exist in these transformational cosmopolitan times? Why? Who may be included in or excluded from it, that is who is or is not 'African'? You may approach this differently if you wish, explaining for example why African Poetry means nothing to you, nothing (if that is what you believe) to the practice of poetry by some of those who may be called 'Africans' now.

 

This is not intended to tax you unduly, taking your time with research and so many words. Our aim is to generate conversation on the subject and inform our community on what its poets think we do, who they think we are. Please send 200 words or less from your reflection on this subject, with e-mail address and brief biographical information to:

 

admin@centreforafricanpoetry.org

 

This is an open call for submissions, open even to those who consider themselves non African or only partly African, but who have an academic or other interest in African Poetry and particular opinions on the practice. Early responses to this poll have been submitted but we have 30 October 2013 as our extended deadline for submissions. We will feature as many responses as we think are useful for our purpose. Please direct any request for further information or explanation to our email address above.

 

Thank you.

 

Afam Akeh & Chielo Eze

Centre for African Poetry - Centre for African Poetry

www.centreforafricanpoetry.org

Representing African Poetry across national and language borders, connecting the poets and their public