Goretti Kyomuhendo (born 1 August 1965) is a

Ugandan }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The southe ...

novelist and literary activist."Goretti Kyomuhendo"
CultureBase.Net: The International Artist Database, 28 April 2005. Retrieved 2 November 2017. A participant at the inaugural

International Literature Festival Berlin The Berlin International Literature Festival (german: internationales literaturfestival berlin) or ''ilb'' is an annual event based in Berlin. Every September, the festival presents contemporary poetry, prose, nonfiction, graphic novels and inte ...

in 2001, Kyomuhendo has been internationally recognised for her novels such as ''Waiting: A Novel of Uganda's Hidden War''.Torberg, Peter
"Goretti Kyomuhendo (Uganda)"
, Internationales Literaturfestival Berlin. Retrieved 24 August 2011. She was the first Programmes Coordinator for

FEMRITE FEMRITE – Uganda Women Writers' Association, founded in 1995, is an NGO based in Kampala, Uganda, whose programmes focus on developing and publishing women writers in Uganda and—more recently—in the East African region. ...

—Uganda Women Writers Association, from 1997 to 2007.Kyomuhendo, Goretti. "Profile: FEMRITE and the Politics of Literature in Uganda"
, ''Feminist Africa'', 2003, vol. 2. Retrieved 30 August 2011. She founded the African Writers Trust in 2009, after her relocation to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, Great Britain, in 2008.Lamwaka, Beatrice
"Goretti Kyomuhendo of African Writers Trust"
, ''AfroLit'', 22 May 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2011.Lamwaka, Beatrice
"Goretti Kyomuhendo"
, ''Mosaic: literary arts of the diaspora'', 13 December 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2011.

Education

Maria Goretti Kyomuhendo was born and grew up in

Hoima Hoima is a city in the Western Region of Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative, and commercial center of Hoima District. It is also the location of the palace of the Omukama of Bunyoro. Location Hoima is approximately , by road, nort ...

, Western Uganda. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) English Studies degree (2003), from the

University of Natal The University of Natal was a university in the former South African province Natal which later became KwaZulu-Natal. The University of Natal no longer exists as a distinct legal entity, as it was incorporated into the University of KwaZulu-N ...

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 ...

, South Africa, and a Master's of Arts in Creative Writing (2005), from the

University of KwaZulu-Natal The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) is a university with five campuses in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. It was formed on 1 January 2004 after the merger between the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westville. ...

in Durban. In 2003, Kyomuhendo was awarded a Graduate Scholarship for academic excellence by the University of KwaZulu-Natal."Conference 2010: 'Africa: Cultural Translations'"
, Lancaster University African Studies Group, 22 May 2010. Retrieved 24 August 2011. She was the first Ugandan woman writer to be declared an Honorary Fellow in Writing at the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...

, 1997, after participating in the International Writing Program of Iowa.

Writing and critical reception

Kyomuhendo's first novel, ''The First Daughter'' (published in 1996), was well received in Uganda, earning some regional (East African) attention as well. Her second novel, ''Secrets No More'' (1999), won the National Book Trust of Uganda Award for 1999.Smith, David L.
"Rich pickings in Uganda"
''Mail & Guardian Online'', 29 April 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2011. Kyomuhendo's third novel, ''Waiting: A Novel of Uganda's Hidden War'' (2007), has garnered the most international recognition to date. ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'' described ''Waiting'' as "a sensitive, slowly unraveling observation of daily life in a remote Ugandan village as Amin's marauding soldiers approach on their retreat north." A reviewer for BookLoons praised ''Waiting'' as "a complex and disturbing story told with almost a touch of sweetness to it, through the eyes of a young girl forced to grow up before her time."Smyth, Mary Ann

''BookLoons''. Retrieved 24 August 2011. ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'', the ''

New Statesman The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ...

'',Khera, Jastinder
"When war intrudes"
''New Statesman'', 10 January 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2011. ''

Pambazuka News ''Pambazuka News'' is an open access, Pan-African e-mail and online electronic newsletter. It is published weekly in English, Portuguese and French by the not-for-profit organisation Fahamu. The word ''Pambazuka'' means "dawn" or "arise" in Kiswah ...

'',Barya, Mildred K
"'In the zone of waiting', by Goretti Kyomuhendo
, ''Pambazuka News'', 1 February 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2011. and the ''

Mail & Guardian Online The ''Mail & Guardian'' is a South African weekly newspaper and website, published by M&G Media in Johannesburg, South Africa. It focuses on political analysis, investigative reporting, Southern African news, local arts, music and popular cultu ...

'' (South Africa) among others also provided favourable notice. In addition to the published reviews of ''Waiting'', the Poetry Café in

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

, London, featured Kyomuhendo reading a selection from ''Waiting'' for African Writers' Evening in March 2009.. Poetry Café, Covent Garden, London, March 2009. Retrieved 24 August 2011. Kyomuhendo's first

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

''Sara and the Boy Soldier'' (2001), written for

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...

-ESARO about

child soldiers Children (defined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child as people under the age of 18) have been recruited for participation in military operations and campaigns throughout history and in many cultures. Children in the military, includ ...

in Africa, received a middling review by GoodReads."LeAnne's Reviews – Sara and the boy soldier"
GoodReads, July 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2011. Kyomuhendo has written a number of children's books and stories,"Advisory Board"
African Writers Trust. Retrieved 24 August 2011. but these have not been widely reviewed yet. She is a contributor to the 2019 anthology ''

New Daughters of Africa ''Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Words and Writings by Women of African Descent from the Ancient Egyptian to the Present'' is a compilation of orature and literature by more than 200 women from Africa and the African diaspora, ...

'', edited by

Margaret Busby Margaret Yvonne Busby, , Hon. FRSL (born 1944), also known as Nana Akua Ackon, is a Ghanaian-born publisher, editor, writer and broadcaster, resident in the UK. She was Britain's youngest and first black female book publisherJazzmine Breary"Let' ...

Service with FEMRITE – Uganda Women Writers Association

As a founding member and the first Programmes Coordinator for

from 1997 to 2007, Kyomuhendo has been cited by some younger FEMRITE members as being instrumental in their development and success.

Ayeta Anne Wangusa Ayeta Anne Wangusa (born Kampala, Uganda, 9 September 1971) is a Ugandan writer and activist. A founding member (1995) of FEMRITE, the Uganda Women Writers Association,

, in an interview with

Peter Nazareth Peter Nazareth (born 27 April 1940) is a Ugandan-born literary critic and writer of fiction and drama. Life Peter Nazareth was born in Uganda of Indian Goan ancestry, and his mother's family was earlier based in Malaya-Malaysia-Singapore. He was ...

Iowa University The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 coll ...

, affectionately remembers Kyomuhendo as "a tough lady" who would not take no for an answer until she got Wangusa's first novel ''Memoirs of a Mother'' (1998) published."Interview with Peter Nazareth"
Iowa University, 1998. Retrieved 22 August 2011.

Mildred Barya Mildred Kiconco Barya is a writer and poet from Uganda. She was awarded the 2008 Pan African Literary Forum Prize for Africana Fiction, and earlier gained recognition for her poetry, particularly her first two collections, ''Men Love Chocolates ...

, who joined FEMRITE in 1997 and later won the Ugandan National Book Trust Award in 2002 for her poetry collection ''Men Love Chocolates But They Don't Say'' (2002), has claimed: "from her (Kyomuhendo), I did not only acquire knowledge in publishing dynamics, but my writing improved, my poetry soared to the skies, I was set free, so I flew."Musoke-Nteyafas, Jane
"Ugandan Writers: Meet Mildred Barya Kiconco"
, AfroLit, 10 March 2006. Retrieved 24 August 2011. Kyomuhendo was joined by another and already established Ugandan author, Violet Barungi, who served as the FEMRITE editor from 1997 to 2007.Caples, LaKeisha L.,
"I try to highlight social issues affecting women – Violet Barungi"
, AfricanWriter.com. 10 May 2010. Retrieved 24 August 2011. During the Kyomuhendo/Barungi period of service from 1997 to 2007, FEMRITE members

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 ...

and Monica Arac de Nyeko would be nominated for the

Caine Prize The Caine Prize for African Writing is an annual literary award for the best original short story by an African writer, whether in Africa or elsewhere, published in the English language. The £10,000 prize was founded in the United Kingdom in 20 ...

, with Monica Arac de Nyeko eventually winning the award in 2007. Additionally, other FEMRITE members during this time were shortlisted for or won various other prestigious literary awards."FEMRITE Achievements and Milestones"
FEMRITE – Uganda Women Writers' Association. Retrieved 22 August 2011. Regarding FEMRITE in general during the period when Kyomuhendo was Programmes Coordinator, Monica Arac de Nyeko in her 2007 interview with the BBC declared: "FEMRITE has definitely had a positive impact on the Ugandan literary scene, particularly in forging a space for women’s voices to be heard. Perhaps as recently as the mid nineties there was a clear absence of women’s writing. FEMRITE came in, stormed the writing scene and is now a remarkable addition to our literary landscape.""Caine Prize Interview: Monica Arac de Nyeko"
Africa Beyond: BBC, July 2007. Retrieved 30 August 2011. Based upon both Kyomuhendo's FEMRITE service and published works as of 2009, the USA-based ''

UTNE Reader ''Utne Reader'' (also known as ''Utne'') ( ) is a digital digest that collects and reprints articles on politics, culture, and the environment, generally from alternative media sources including journals, newsletters, weeklies, zines, music, and ...

'' nominated Kyomuhendo as one of "50 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World", while describing FEMRITE as a "dynamic association for indigenous female writers.""50 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World"
UNTE Reader. November–December 2009. Retrieved 26 August 2011.

African Writers Trust

In 2009, Kyomuhendo founded African Writers Trust (AWT) in an effort to "coordinate and bring together African writers in the Diaspora and writers on the continent to promote sharing of skills and other resources, and to foster knowledge and learning between the two groups.""What is African Writers Trust?"
African Writers Trust. Retrieved 24 August 2011. Kyomuhendo has since served as the Director, joined by the following African writers as Advisory Board members:

Zakes Mda Zakes Mda ( ), legally Zanemvula Kizito Gatyeni Mda (born 1948) is a South African novelist, poet and playwright and he is the son of politician A. P. Mda. He has won major South African and British literary awards for his novels and plays. He ...

Susan Nalugwa Kiguli Susan Nalugwa Kiguli (born 24 June 1969 in Luweero District, Uganda) is a Ugandan poet and literary scholar.Aminatta Forna,

Helon Habila Helon Habila Ngalabak (born November 1967) is a Nigerian novelist and poet, whose writing has won many prizes, including the Caine Prize in 2001. He worked as a lecturer and journalist in Nigeria before moving in 2002 to England, where he was a ...

, and

Ayeta Anne Wangusa Ayeta Anne Wangusa (born Kampala, Uganda, 9 September 1971) is a Ugandan writer and activist. A founding member (1995) of FEMRITE, the Uganda Women Writers Association,

. Although the Advisory Board includes members from various nations and regions in African, African Writers Trust as of 2011 is primarily operational in Uganda and headquartered in London. The activities of African Writers Trust under Kyomuhendo have included writing workshops and conferences, with these receiving favourable attention from African journalists – albeit so far primarily from East African journalists."Blog and News"
, African Writers Trust. Updated frequently. Retrieved 24 August 2011. Kyomuhendo has also written ''The Essential Handbook For African Creative Writers'', published by African Writers Press in 2013.Ssenkaaba, Stephen
"Kyomuhendo launches book on creative writing"
''New Vision'', 26 March 2014.

Bibliography

Novels

* * * * *

Children's books

* *

Non-fiction

* ''The Essential Handbook for African Creative Writers'', African Writers Press, 2013, .

References

External links

*Kate Haines
"Q&A: Goretti Kyomuhendo – Writer, Co-founder of FEMRITE and Founder-Director of the African Writers Trust"
Africa in Words, 17 February 2013. {{DEFAULTSORT:Kyomuhendo, Goretti Ugandan women writers 1965 births Living people Ugandan novelists Ugandan women novelists International Writing Program alumni 20th-century novelists 21st-century novelists University of Natal alumni University of KwaZulu-Natal alumni 21st-century Ugandan women writers 20th-century Ugandan women writers