''Chimurenga'' is a publication of arts, culture and politics from and about Africa and its diasporas, founded and edited by Ntone Edjabe. Both the magazine's name ( Chimurenga is a Shona word that loosely translates as "liberation struggle") and the content capture the connection between African cultures and politics on the continent and beyond.

History

''Chimurenga'' was launched in 2002 as a

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

promoted by Kalakuta Trust and founded by Ntone Edjabe. It is based in

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

, but its network is international. ''Chimurenga'' focuses on

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and its

diaspora A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of origin. Historically, the word was used first in reference to the dispersion of Greeks in the Hellenic world, and later Jews after ...

, aiming at capturing the connection between African cultures and politics on the continent and beyond. ''Chimurenga'' gradually began developing a series of publications, events (called ''Chimurenga Sessions'') and specific projects.

Notability

''Chimurenga'' is reviewed by newspapers and magazines and it is presented inside conferences, events and exhibitions. In 2007, it was part of the Documenta magazine project within

Documenta ''documenta'' is an exhibition of contemporary art which takes place every five years in Kassel, Germany. The ''documenta'' was founded by artist, teacher and curator Arnold Bode in 1955 as part of the Bundesgartenschau (Federal Horticultura ...

exhibition in

Kassel Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel and the district of the same name and had 201,048 inhabitants in December 2020 ...

; in 2008 it was reviewed by an article of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''. Its director Ntone Edjabe talks about the magazine and its approach during numerous interviews and conferences also at the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Art Academy in Berlin in 2005, at the

Dakar Biennale The Dakar Biennale, or Dak'Art - Biennale de l'Art Africain Contemporain, is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Dakar, Senegal. Dak'Art's focus has been on Contemporary African Art since 1996. History T ...

in 2006 and at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

in 2009. In particular the capacity of ''Chimurenga'' to influence ideas and writing and its role as an innovative educational model is recognised by initiatives such as ''Meanwhile in Africa...'' in 2005, and ''Learning Machines: Art Education and Alternative Production of Knowledge'' in 2010. In 2010 ''Chimurenga'' began a collaboration with the magazine '' Glänta'' to translate ''Chimurenga'' into Swedish.

Activities

In addition to its magazine, ''Chimurenga'' produces other publications, events and specific projects.

Magazine

The first issue of ''Chimurenga'' magazine was published in April 2002. Each issue has a specific theme. Initially a quarterly, ''Chimurenga'' now appears approximately three times a year. Interrogating the superficial has always been the core agenda of the publication. The various renegades are captured in a series of profiles "thinking out loud". ''Chimurenga'' shies away from the Q&A format and includes deconstructed and imagined interviews, surreal short stories and poetry and other devices that challenge strict notions of fact and fiction. Covers are equally indicative of the orientation of a journal which is at once theoretical, erotic, and provocative. One cover featured the words of "

Strange Fruit "Strange Fruit" is a song written and composed by Abel Meeropol (under his pseudonym Lewis Allan) and recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939. The lyrics were drawn from a poem by Meeropol published in 1937. The song protests the lynching of Black ...

", the song about Southern lynchings that

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop si ...

immortalised. Another featured Neo Muyanga's portrait of

Steve Biko Bantu Stephen Biko (18 December 1946 – 12 September 1977) was a South African anti-apartheid activist. Ideologically an African nationalist and African socialist, he was at the forefront of a grassroots anti-apartheid campaign known ...

's bruised face. The first edition showed

Peter Tosh Winston Hubert McIntosh, OM (19 October 1944 – 11 September 1987), professionally known as Peter Tosh, was a Jamaican reggae musician. Along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, he was one of the core members of the band the Wailers (1963� ...

at a gig in

Eswatini Eswatini ( ; ss, eSwatini ), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland ( ; officially renamed in 2018), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its no ...

in the early 1980s, pointing an AK-47-shaped guitar in the direction of

and chanting down Babylon. ''Chimurenga'' orients itself not only to radical people that form its immediate target group, but also to the lay reader. It is distributed in

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...

and

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

. Its distribution has seen it read on campuses in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. The magazine has featured work by emerging as well as established voices including Njabulo Ndebele,

Lesego Rampolokeng Lesego Rampolokeng (born 7 July 1965) is a South African writer, playwright and performance poet. Early life and education Lesego Rampolokeng was born in 1965 in Orlando West, Soweto, Johannesburg. He studied law at the University of the North ...

, Santu Mofokeng, Keorapetse Kgositsile, Gael Reagon,

Binyavanga Wainaina Kenneth Binyavanga Wainaina (18 January 1971 – 21 May 2019) was a Kenyan author, journalist and 2002 winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing. In April 2014, ''Time'' magazine included Wainaina in its annual ''Time'' 100 as one of the "Mo ...

, Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor,

Boubacar Boris Diop Boubacar Boris Diop (born 26 October 1946) is a Senegalese novelist, journalist and screenwriter. His best known work, ''Murambi, le livre des ossements'' (translated into English as ''Murambi: The Book of Bones''), is the fictional account ...

Tanure Ojaide Tanure Ojaide (born 1948) is a Nigerian poet and academic. As a writer, he is noted for his unique stylistic vision and for his intense criticism of imperialism, religion, and other issues. He is regarded as a socio-political and an ecocentric poe ...

, Dominique Malaquais, Stacy Hardy,

Goddy Leye Goddy Leye (24 November 1965 in Mbouda, Cameroon – 19 February 2011 in Bonendale, Cameroon) was a Cameroonian artist and intellectual. His work is focused on videos, installations, conceptual art and theoretical contributions. He is the f ...

, Zwelethu Mthethwa,

Mahmood Mamdani Mahmood Mamdani, FBA (born 23 April 1946) is an Indian-born Ugandan academic, author, and political commentator. He currently serves as the Chancellor of Kampala International University, Uganda. He was the director of the Makerere Institute o ...

, Jorge Matine, and

Greg Tate Gregory Stephen Tate (October 14, 1957December 7, 2021) was an American writer, musician, and producer. A long-time critic for ''The Village Voice'', Tate focused particularly on African-American music and culture, helping to establish hip-h ...

, among others. * ''Chimurenga'' Vol. 1, ''Music Is The Weapon'', April 2002 * ''Chimurenga'' Vol. 2, ''Dis-Covering Home'', July 2002 * ''Chimurenga'' Vol. 3, ''Biko in Parliament'', November 2002 * ''Chimurenga'' Vol. 4, ''Black Gays & Mugabes'', May 2003 * ''Chimurenga'' Vol. 5, ''Head/Body(&Tools)/Corpses'', April 2004 * ''Chimurenga'' Vol. 6, ''The Orphans Of Fanon'', October 2004 * ''Chimurenga'' Vol. 7, ''Kaapstad! (and Jozi, the night Moses died''), July 2005 * ''Chimurenga'' Vol. 8, ''We're all Nigerian!'', December 2005 * ''Chimurenga'' Vol. 9, ''Conversations in Luanda and Other Graphic Stories'', June 2006 * ''Chimurenga'' Vol. 10, ''Futbol, Politricks & Ostentatious Cripples'', December 2006 * ''Chimurenga'' Vol. 11, ''Conversations With Poets Who Refuse To Speak'', July 2007. The magazine produces a presentation video of the issue. The issue is translated into Swedish and published by the magazine '' Glänta'' 2/2010. * ''Chimurenga'' Vol. 12/13, ''Dr. Satan's Echo Chamber'', March 2008. The magazine produces a presentation video of the issue. * ''Chimurenga'' Vol. 14, ''Everyone Has Their Indian'', April 2009. Dedicated to Third World projects and links, real and imaginary, between Africa and South Asia. The magazine produces two presentation videos of the issue. * ''Chimurenga'' Vol. 15, ''The Curriculum is Everything'', May 2010. The issue is conceived as a second chance to write history: a low-tech time-machine that allows produce a back-issue of a

newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...

and to analyse xenophobic events that took place in

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

and

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

in the week 11–18 May 2008. The issue is produced by an online editorial board that involves writers, artists and journalists in collaboration with the magazines ''Chimurenga'' and

Kwani? ''Kwani?'' ( Sheng for ''so what?'') is a leading African literary magazine based in Kenya that has been called "undoubtedly the most influential journal to have emerged from sub-Saharan Africa". The magazine grew out of a series of conversatio ...

and the publishers

Cassava Republic Press Cassava Republic Press is a steering African book publishing company established in Nigeria in 2006 and headed by Bibi Bakare-Yusuf,

. * ''Chimurenga'' Vol. 16: ''The Chimurenga Chronicle'', October 2011 — described as "the once-off edition of an imaginary newspaper.... Set in the week 18–24 May 2008, the ''Chronic'' imagines the newspaper as producer of time – a time-machine.... An intervention into the newspaper as a vehicle of knowledge production and dissemination, it seeks to provide an alternative to mainstream representations of history, on the one hand filling the gap in the historical coverage of this event, whilst at the same time reopening it. The objective is not to revisit the past to bring about closure, but rather to provoke and challenge our perceptions." ''Chimurenga'' also has a monthly online edition that presents other short contributions not directly connected to the themes of the paper publication.

Chimurenganyana

Chimurenganyana is a series of low-cost publications and a distribution system. A selection of articles from ''Chimurenga'' are printed on small sizes and are sold by street vendors who normally sell cigarettes. Each edition is focused on a specific theme. * Julian Jonker, ''A Silent Way: Routes of South African Jazz, 1946-1978'' * Keziah Jones, ''When You Kill Us, We Rule!:

Fela Anikulapo Kuti Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti; 15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997), also known as Abami Eda, was a Nigerian musician, bandleader, composer, political activist, and Pan-Africanist. He is regarded as the p ...

's Last Interview'' * Dominique Malaquais, ''Blood Money: A Douala Chronicle'' * Njabulo Ndebele, ''Thinking of

Brenda Brenda is a feminine given name in the English language. Origin The overall accepted origin for the female name Brenda is the Old Nordic male name ''Brandr'' meaning both ''torch'' and ''sword'': evidently the male name Brandr took root in areas ...

'' * Achille Mbembe, ''Variations on the Beautiful in the Congolese World of Sounds'' *

Odia Ofeimun Odia Ofeimun (born 16 March 1950)"Biography: Odia Ofeimun, Nigeria"
Badilisha Poetry X ...

, ''In Defence of the Films We've Made''

Chimurenga Library

The Chimurenga Library is a selection of magazines and publications that - according to ''Chimurenga'' - influence thinking and writing in Africa. The selection is presented on an online database under

CC-BY-SA A Creative Commons (CC) license is one of several public copyright license A public license or public copyright licenses is a license by which a copyright holder as licensor can grant additional copyright permissions to any and all pers ...

compatible with Wikipedia; it presents general information on the magazines and a sort of

genealogy Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kins ...

that links publications to one another. Magazines and publications presented on the Chimurenga Library are: '' African Film'', '' Amkenah'', '' Black Images'', '' Chief Priest Say'', '' Civil Lines'', ''

Ecrans d'Afrique ''Ecrans d'Afrique: Revue Internationale de Cinema Television et Video'' (also known as ''African Screen''), founded by African filmmakers in Burkina Faso in 1992 during a period of intense worldwide interest and commentary on African T.V. and fi ...

'', ''

Frank Talk ''Frank Talk'' was a political magazine established in 1984 in South Africa, and arising out of the student-led anti-apartheid movement of the 1970s and 80s. History Frank Talk was originally the pseudonym under which Steve Biko wrote several ar ...

'', ''

Glendora Review ''Glendora Review'' is a Nigerian magazine that publishes work relating to art, literature, and culture. Origins The magazine was conceived in an atmosphere of intellectual crisis, following the brain drain from Nigeria, during the Sani Abacha r ...

'', '' Hambone'', '' Hei Voetsek!'', ''

Joe Joe or JOE may refer to: Arts Film and television * ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle * ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage * ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971 * ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...

'', '' Autre Afrique'', ''

Lamalif ''Lamalif'' was a monthly Moroccan political and cultural magazine published in French language, French between 1966 and 1988. History and profile Lamalif was launched in 1966 by Zakya Daoud and her husband Mohamed Loghlam. It took its title fr ...

'', '' Mfumu'eto'', '' Molotov Cocktail'', '' Moto'', '' Okyeame'', ''

Revue Noire Revue Noire is a specialist publisher of books and web material relating to African contemporary art and culture, based in France. From 1991 to 2001, Editions Revue Noire published the printed quarterly magazine ''Revue Noire''. Since 2001 it has ...

'', ''

Savacou ''Savacou: A Journal of the Caribbean Artists Movement'' was a journal of literature, new writing and ideas founded in 1970 as a small co-operative venture, led by Edward Kamau Brathwaite, on the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies, ...

'', '' Souffles'', ''

Spear A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fasten ...

'', ''

Staffrider ''Staffrider'' was a South African literary magazine that was published between 1978 and 1996. History and profile ''Staffrider'' was first published in March 1978. Its founder was Mike Kirkwood. The magazine took its name from slang for people h ...

'', '' Straight No Chaser'', '' The Book of Tongues'', '' The Cricket: Black Music in Evolution'', ''

The Liberator Magazine ''The Liberator Magazine'' is a publication/production company started by Brian Kasoro, Gayle Smaller, Tazz Hunter, Kenya McKnight, Marcus Harcus and Mike Clark in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The company's first release was published July 21, 200 ...

'', '' The Uncollected Writings of Greg Tate'', ''

Third Text ''Third Text'' is a leading peer-reviewed academic journal covering art in a global context. After founder and editor Rasheed Araeen's earlier art magazine ''Black Phoenix'', which started in 1978 and published only three issues, ''Third Text'' ...

'', '' Tsotso'', ''

Two Tone Two-tone or 2 tone is a genre of British popular music of the late 1970s and early 1980s that fused traditional Jamaican ska music with elements of punk rock and new wave music. Its name derives from 2 Tone Records, a record label founded in ...

'', '' Unir Cinéma'', '' Wietie'', ''

Y Magazine ''BYU Magazine'' is the alumni magazine of Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah, United States. It is published quarterly and is edited by Peter B. Gardner. History The first alumni publication for BYU was the ''Alumni Announcer'', ...

'' (first five issues). Artists, writers and intellectuals who have contributed texts and videos to the Chimurenga Library include:

Rustum Kozain Rustum Kozain (born 1966) is a South African poet and writer. Life Kozain was born in Paarl. After he matriculated, he studied at the University of Cape Town. During this time, he focus his PhD research on selected South Africa poetry in Englis ...

, Vivek Narayanan,

Patrice Nganang Alain Patrice Nganang (born 1970) is an American writer, poet and teacher of Cameroonian origin, a member of the Bamileke people. He was born in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and was educated in Cameroon and Germany. He was awarded a Ph.D. in comparative l ...

, Khulile Nxumalo,

Sean O'Toole Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish language, Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (Anglicisation of names, anglicized as ''Shaun/Shawn (giv ...

, Achal Prabhala, Suren Pillay,

Tracey Rose Tracey Rose is a South African artist who lives and works in Johannesburg. Rose is best known for her performances, video installations, and photographs. Biography Rose was born in 1974 in Durban, South Africa. She attended the University o ...

Ivan Vladislavic Ivan Vladislavić (born 17 September 1957) is a South African author, editor and professor. Vladislavić's style has been described as postmodern Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhet ...

Barbara Murray Barbara Ann Murray (27 September 1929 – 20 May 2014) was an English actress. Murray was most active in the 1940s and 1950s as a fresh-faced leading lady in many British films such as ''Passport to Pimlico'' (1949) and ''Meet Mr. Lucifer'' (19 ...

Akin Adesokan Akin Adesokan is a Nigerian writer, scholar and novelist with research interests into twentieth and twenty-first century African and African American/African Diaspora literature and cultures. He is currently the associate professor of comparat ...

Nicole Turner Nicole Turner (born 14 June 2002), of Portarlington, County Laois, Portarlington, County Laois, Laois, is an Irish para-swimmer, competing mainly in the S6, short stature category. Turner has won medals in the youth category at the 2015 British ...

, Tunde Giwa,

Brian Chikwava Brian Chikwava is a Zimbabwean writer and musician. His short story "Seventh Street Alchemy" was awarded the 2004 Caine Prize for African writing in English; Chikwava became the first Zimbabwean to do so. He has been a Charles Pick fellow at th ...

Judy Kibinge Judy Kibinge is a Kenyan filmmaker, writer and producer. She has produced, written and directed a number of films, best known are ''Something Necessary'' (2013), ''Dangerous Affair'' (2002), and ''Project Daddy'' (2004). She is also known for es ...

Olu Oguibe Olu Oguibe (born 14 October 1964) is a Nigerian-born American artist and academic.Olu Oguibe
Retrieve ...

, Sam Kahiga, Mike Abrahams, Sola Olorunyomi, Marie-Louise Bibish Mumbu, Nadi Edwards, Brent Hayes Edwards, Sharifa Rhodes Pitts,

Jean-Pierre Bekolo Jean-Pierre Bekolo (born June 8, 1966 in Yaoundé, Cameroon) is a Cameroon film director. Background and career Jean-Pierre Bekolo was born in 1966 in Yaounde, Cameroon. He studied physics at the University of Yaounde in Cameroon from 1984 to 198 ...

and

Aryan Kaganof Aryan Kaganof (born 1964 as Ian Kerkhof) is a South African film maker, novelist, poet and fine artist. In 1999 he changed his name to Aryan Kaganof. Partial filmography * 1992: ''Kyodai Makes the Big Time'' (91min, Netherlands), drama feature ...

. In 2009 Chimurenga Library is shown with the title "Chimurenga Library: An introspective of ''Chimurenga''" at Cape Town Central Library with a series of multimedia itineraries (reading routes and sound posts) and live events (music, readings, meetings with authors, projections and wiki workshop during which students are involved in producing Wikipedia articles). The idea of the presentation is to rethink a library as a laboratory which can trigger curiosity, adventures, critical thinking, activism, entertainment and random reading. The show presents panafrican independent periodicals, and the exhibition ''Why Must A Black Writer Write About Sex'', a selection of texts on sex from

African literature African literature is literature from Africa, either oral ("orature") or written in African and Afro-Asiatic languages. Examples of pre-colonial African literature can be traced back to at least the fourth century AD. The best-known is the ''Keb ...

which confront stereotypes on sexuality and literature genres.

PASS Pan African Space Station

The ''PASS Pan African Space Station'' is an annual 30-day musical intervention, that takes place through a freeform radio station and in unexpected venues across greater

. The initiative is promoted by Ntone Edjabe and Neo Muyanga (The Heliocentrics) in collaboration with Africa Centre and it is organised in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Pilgrimages

Pilgrimages is a project that sent 14 African writers to 13 African cities and one city of

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

for two weeks to explore the complexity of urban landscapes. Pilgrimages commissioned travel books which narrate the experiences and the first African World Cup. The writers selected and their cities are Akenji Ndumu in

Abidjan Abidjan ( , ; N'Ko script, N’ko: ߊߓߌߖߊ߲߬) is the economic capital of the Ivory Coast. As of the Demographics of Ivory Coast, 2021 census, Abidjan's population was 6.3 million, which is 21.5 percent of overall population of the country, ...

Kojo Laing B. Kojo Laing or Bernard Kojo Laing (1 July 1946 – 20 April 2017) was a Ghanaian novelist and poet, whose writing is characterised by its hybridity, whereby he uses Ghanaian Pidgin English and vernacular languages alongside standard English. ...

Funmi Iyanda Olufunmilola Aduke Iyanda (born 27 July 1971), better known as Funmi Iyanda, is a talk show host, broadcaster, Film and TV producer, media executive, philanthropist, journalist, and blogger. She produced and hosted a talk show, ''New Dawn with ...

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

Doreen Baingana Doreen Baingana (born 1966) is a Ugandan writer and literary arts manager. Her short story collection, ''Tropical Fish,'' won the Grace Paley Award for Short Fiction in 2003 and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for best first book, Africa Region ...

in Hargeisa,

Chris Abani Christopher Abani (born 27 December 1966) is a Nigerian-American and Los Angeles- based author. He says he is part of a new generation of Nigerian writers working to convey to an English-speaking audience the experience of those born and raise ...

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

, Victor LaValle in

Kampala Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and Ruba ...

, Nimco Mahamud Hassan in

Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing n ...

Alain Mabanckou Alain Mabanckou (born 24 February 1966) is a novelist, journalist, poet, and academic, a French citizen born in the Republic of the Congo, he is currently a Professor of Literature at UCLA. He is best known for his novels and non-fiction writing d ...

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...

Billy Kahora Billy Kahora is a Kenyan writer and editor based in Nairobi. He was commended by the 2007 Caine Prize judges for his story ''Treadmill Love''. His stories ''Urban Zoning'' and ''Gorilla’s Apprentice'' were shortlisted for the prize in 2012 a ...

Luanda Luanda () is the capital and largest city in Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Angola's administrative centre, its chief seaport ...

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...

, Abdourahman A. Waberi in

Salvador Salvador, meaning "salvation" (or "saviour") in Catalan, Spanish, and Portuguese may refer to: * Salvador (name) Arts, entertainment, and media Music *Salvador (band), a Christian band that plays both English and Spanish music ** ''Salvador'' ( ...

Uzodinma Iweala Uzodinma Iweala (born November 5) is a Nigerian-American author and medical doctor. His debut novel, ''Beasts of No Nation'', is a formation of his thesis work (in creative writing) at Harvard. It depicts a child soldier in an unnamed African ...

in Tombouctou and

in Touba. Pilgrimages is promoted by the

Chinua Achebe Center for African Writers and Artists Chinua Achebe (; 16 November 1930 – 21 March 2013) was a Nigerian novelist, poet, and Literary criticism, critic who is regarded as the dominant figure of modern African literature. His first novel and ''magnum opus'', ''Things Fall Apart'' ...

of Bard College in collaboration with Chimurenga, Kwani Trust and

Kachifo Limited Kachifo Limited is an independent publishing house based in Lagos, Nigeria. It was founded in 2004 by Muhtar Bakare. Its imprints include Farafina Books, Farafina Educational, and Prestige Books. From 2004 to 2009, it published the influential '' ...

and with the support among others of

Open Society Foundations Open Society Foundations (OSF), formerly the Open Society Institute, is a Grant (money), grantmaking network founded and chaired by business magnate George Soros. Open Society Foundations financially supports civil society groups around the wo ...

South Africa, Karibu Foundation,

Doen Foundation The DOEN Foundation (in Dutch ''Stichting DOEN'', from Dutch ''doen'' = to do, to act, take action) is a Dutch foundation supporting initiatives in the field of culture and cohesion and in the field of green and inclusive economy. The focus o ...

, Heinrich Böll Foundation and

Hivos Hivos ( nl, Humanistisch Instituut voor Ontwikkelingssamenwerking, Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation) is an international cooperation organization, with its global office in The Hague, The Netherlands. Hivos provides support to civil ...

''African Cities Reader''

The ''African Cities Reader'' is a publication dedicated to African urban transformations and produced in collaboration with the African Centre for Cities of the

Cape Town University The University of Cape Town (UCT) ( af, Universiteit van Kaapstad, xh, Yunibesithi ya yaseKapa) is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university statu ...

and with the support of

Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The second-oldest major philanthropic institution in America, after the Carneg ...

. Each issue is focussed on a specific theme and it is edited by Ntone Edjabe and Edgar Pieterse.African Cities Reader website
* ''African Cities Reader I: Pan-African Practices''. Contributors to the publication:

, Nuruddin Farah,

Gabeba Baderoon Gabeba Baderoon (born 21 February 1969) is a South African poet and academic. She is the 2005 recipient of the Daimler Chrysler Award for South African Poetry. She lives and works in Cape Town, South Africa, and Pennsylvania, US, and serves as a ...

Karen Press Karen Press (born 1956) is a South African poet and translator. She was born in Cape Town, and lives in Sea Point. Press is a full-time writer and editor, having published ten collections of poetry, a film script, short stories, as well as educa ...

, José Eduardo Agualusa, Ashraf Jamal, Dominique Malaquais, Annie Paul,

Teju Cole Teju Cole (born June 27, 1975) is a Nigerian-American writer, photographer, and art historian. He is the author of a novella ''Every Day Is for the Thief'' (2007), a novel ''Open City'' (2011), an essay collection ''Known and Strange Things'' (20 ...

and Achal Prabhala. * ''African Cities Reader II: Mobilities & Fixtures''.

Notes

External links

* {{official website, http://www.chimurenga.co.za/ 2002 establishments in South Africa Magazine publishing companies of South Africa Book publishing companies of South Africa Magazines established in 2002 Magazines published in South Africa Mass media in Cape Town Quarterly magazines Political magazines published in South Africa Triannual magazines English-language magazines published in South Africa

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Chimurenganyana

Chimurenga Library

PASS Pan African Space Station

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''African Cities Reader''

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Further reading

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