'World Of Our Own'

There's a new short story anthology out by FEMRITE the Uganda Women Writers' Association. Hilda Twongyeirwe, coordinator of Femrite, is the editor of the new book, titled 'World Of Our Own' afte:r one of the stories therein.

The editor's intro to the anthology begins: "FEMRITE presents herein African Women's voices, resulting from the second African Regional Women Writers' Residency held in January 2011 in Jinja, one of Uganda's most popular tourist attraction towns. The residency was attended by writers from six country; Mamle Kabu: Ghana, Ketina Muringaniza: Zimbabwe, Wame Molefhe: Botswana, Maliya Mzyece Sililo: Zambia, Elieshi Lema: Tanzania, and from Uganda: Beatrice Lamwaka, Lilian Tindyebwa, Constance Obonyo, Elizabeth Namakula Lenana and Linda Lilian. In addition to the residency stories, the anthology includes submissions from other African women writers."

And that's how come my short story, 'Leaving Oxford Street' makes it into the anthology, as I wasn't actually at the residency. Philo Ikonya is another non-participant whose work is featured. I now have my contributor's copies and I'm very pleased with the published piece. Here's a review of the anthology; and Mamle Kabu's story is singled out for praise here.

"One of the aims of the annual regional residency is to get women writers on the continent to come together, compare experiences, share solutions and encourage one another to sustain longer writing projects," according to the editor. Femrite has just completed its 3rd residency, held last month, and another anthology will be coming out of that sometime soon.