Upya Fresh

  1 st slide: All protocols observed… 2 nd slide: Intro – Respect authors smiley emoji 3 rd slide: This animal called ‘writing’ 4 th slide: Writing – the process 5 th slide: Both academic & creative, writing is 6 th slide: Writing as prose 7 th slide: Writing, the plan 8 th slide: ‘Ws’ and ‘H’ 9 th slide: Writing, pre- 10 th slide: You just can’t get away with it, can you? – Research 11 th slide: Research for creative writing 12 th slide: Research – its importance in creative writing 13 th slide: Research – its purpose in creative writing 14 th slide: Research – its importance, stressed 15 th slide: Research – the different types for creative writing 16 th slide: Research – back to the roots 17 th slide: Research – interviewing 18 th slide: The research process in writing 19 th slide: Research activities for creative writing 20 th slide: Focused research 21 st slide: Don’t be embarrassed – double check details 22 nd sl

  I was, I will be, I am… as a human being, the most powerful thing we have at our disposal is the ability to tell stories, and the tools to do so… Language, technology, creativity… These have borne and advanced civilisations; nations; political, social, economic orderings; and so on. At the individual level, we are more or less bound by what we allow ourselves to be. My wings unfurl, tease the winds… at whatever level you are in life, it is importance to exercise your skills and talents, that way, you will be able to progress in life. This way, you give wings to your dreams to become a person of value to yourself and to others. Promises, they take life in deeds, in doubts… Once you make a promise to yourself to rise up above your current circumstances, it follows that you have to take action. And action you must take, in fear and in doubts, for at times – as the adage goes, showing up is half the battle won. Pirates, this life needs adventure… the process is the becoming, and yo

 If I were to give it a monetary value, I’d say, around 300-500K, both the audio recording and the video recording. So, thank you all who made it happen, more so, KBC's Studio Mashinani, Langata. So, you’ve been writing songs, doing practice, knocking on studio’s doors. Well, recording and production costs are out of your reach. Still, you hope and pray. You trust in the Lord. Years go by. You write more songs, for the urge is always there and tomorrow might be your day. You are there, listening to KBC Radio Taifa. Are you talented? In music, in jingles, in poetry? If yes, don’t sit on your talent at home. Hasten to the nearest Studio Mashinani. The government cares for you. The government understands the Creative Economy as having the potential to create thousands of jobs. The next morning finds you at the national broadcaster’s headquarters at Nairobi’s CBD. The very next day, you are at Langata, the Studio Mashinani that’s closest to you. Thing is, there are several around the c

Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize: A True Friend (On Mic) Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize: A True Friend (Getting into the Groove) Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize: A True Friend (Getting Emoshono) Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize: A True Friend (With the CEO Himuselefu, Vincent de Paul, and the Great Zimbabwean Performer, Obert Dube) Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize: Photo-op Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize: A True Friend (Rehearsal for when I'll Address the World) 24 th /August/2023 Of course, I must begin with an address. This as it is not every day yours truly gets to address an important gathering. Protocols observed, I equate the song I am about to perform to a true friend… the persona in the song who is there during hard times. Specifically to the occasion, I am addressing the self-published /indie authors in the same… it is a torturous journey, but with friends like Mystery Publishers and Nuria, it’s totally worth it. 1. Through life's valleys low When you are fe

  The Winner/Chief Guest: Jerusha Kananu Marete, 'Echoes of Military Souls' Your truly, Sant Mark, 'A Funeral Dress for Nyasuguta', with the esteemed writer and musician, Tee Ngugi 24 th /August/2023 Venue? Alliance Française, Nairobi. The event? Afrika Redefined Indie Book Prize. The organisers? Mystery Publishers. The forward thinking companies that have come on board as the sponsors? CLAVIS Fashion Hub, U.M. Gallery, kamaNu, GL, Sayari Insurance Agencies, Alliance Française (and the French Embassy), and Nuria Bookstore. Subsequent stories will reveal why these are forward thinking companies. Well, you can always   tell how big an event is by looking at the list of speakers and the notable attendees therein. The speakers: Prof. Mugubi, Prof. Wangari Mwai, Prof. Ngugi, Prof. Austin Bukenya, Alice Kairichi, Hon. Dr. John Kanyuithia Mutunga, Prof. PLO Lumumba, Prof. Mohammed Bakari, Justice (Retired) Aaron Ringera, Dr. Muthomi Thiankolu, Dr. Gameli Tordzro, Vincent d

19 th /August/2023. Some minutes past 8am. Panic! Total panic!! Like a Nairobi lady who forgot to carry a sugar bag in her purse and the grey skies are about to pour on her head. 110% panic! On my side. I am a writer and little details (overlooked) get to me. I definitely was meant to be a writer, not a politician – the devil is literary in the details. Why the panic? You ask. A group of us – five writers who responded to a call by one of us – were meant to get a stand at the #KileFest by pooling our resources. However, due to unavoidable circumstances (peculiarly Kenyan – the cliché), two of us pulled out at the 11 th hour. This meant that the three remaining members of our literary group had to top up the deficit. Almost at zero, #HustlerFund comes to my rescue (thank you GOK). Some minutes past 8am, I am almost shutting down. The guy booking a stand is yet to respond. Twenty minutes later, after licking some glucose to get the energy to place a call to him, he reports on the

  I was I will be I am yet to be who I was to be who I am who I will be. My wings unfurl tease the wind draft the current glide soar this bee this sparrow this hawk this eagle take to the skies. Promises they take life in deeds in doubts in the falling in the rising icy storms the caress of the shine. Pirates, this life needs a dare striking boldly there is death there is honour there is adventure there is treasure. Bland turns to colour a carnival for the seeker the dreamer the wanderer for the man who grasps beyond his reach. In dreams I in deeds I in adventure I in loving I in song I in dance I in prayer I become a child of the gods of the earth.

  There is so much that can be learned in tilling land or keeping livestock. Topmost is patience. This story has a character named Patience. It’s a Saturday. An ordinary Saturday, right off a working week somewhere in March. There are two blocks of houses, all stone, containing twenty houses that are single and double rooms. A couple of the double rooms have a kitchen with piped water; almost bed-sitter in status. It’s a Saturday and the communal type is starting to fill up, 8am. Water – rationed – visits this plot (and adjacent plots) twice a week: Wednesdays and Saturdays. Saturday water, full tap water unlike Wednesday water with a hint of borehole to it. Meaning that Saturday’s water is much coveted as it is soft to launder and sweet to drink. Hence, the occasional fight as every woman tries to fill their jerry cans before the tap is closed at 6pm. Patience. Light, petite and with a quick smile. Hair, very soft, like an Indian – says her grandmother has Egyptian ancestry. The

  Mr. Steven Akumu won the lottery… more appropriately; he did a deal that netted him a few hundred thousand shillings. The months preceding this, he had really suffered, become an economic vegetarian. In true Kenyan fashion, he had to apologise to his body for all this sufferation – ‘kuambia mwili pole’. Now, Mr. Steven Akumu was a much travelled man… Mombasa, Lamu, Isiolo, Meru… thus, there was no particular locale that held awe to him. He nearly went down to the coast, but remembered that time when Fatuma, the jinn, nearly drowned him. Drawing lots, Nakuru was to be his destination. Plus, he could always move about there, scouting for opportunities. Perhaps, sell the folks there cold storage facilities for their ‘warus’. It was a cold evening when Njoro called him. Thing was, Grace, his common wife, was mad at him – probably over those frisky chats on his WhatsApp from one Wanja; really a tragedy as he couldn’t zero in on who this Wanja was… Ah, the travails of a successful man!