APBF African Poetry Libraries

International Black Speculative Writing Fest 204 feb

Dear friends and poetry library colleagues,

I would like to invite you to our second online session on the Future (of) Poetry Librariesas part of the Manchester Festival of Libraries in two weeks time. Some of you may have joined last year’s event with representatives from Sims Library of Poetry, the Scottish Poetry Library and Ben Gwalchmai who is championing a poetry library for Wales. This year we are delighted to welcome representatives from Oxford and Kampala for the second iteration of this event.

As well as hearing from our invited speakers, I would really love for you to use this opportunity to share updates on your own work. It would be great to get a picture of what is happening the world over in terms of poetry libraries. So, if you can make it, please come prepared with a paragraph or so to drop in the chat, and any links to your latest projects and your website. Another favour I have is to ask you to share this event with your whole team and anyone else you think might be interested (and on social media if you have time!). It would be great to make some introductions and depending on numbers we can always use the chat for that too.

This is a relatively short event. I would really like to gauge how keen people are to have a longer conversation about poetry libraries though so do get in touch by email. Hopefully see some of you there to talk all things poetry library!

Kind regards,
Martin

Martin Kratz
Programme Manager | Manchester Poetry Library | Manchester Metropolitan University

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Department of English, Manchester Metropolitan University Our research in English and Creative Writing has been ranked by the government 8th out of 89 subject groupings in the UK for its impact on society - ahead of both Oxford and Cambridge.

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Q&A: Scholar-activist Kadija Sesay, on AfriPoeTree

Q&A: Scholar-activist Kadija Sesay, on AfriPoeTree AiW note: In 2016, writer, editor, academic, and publisher Kadija Sesay developed the ‘Modern Pan-Africanist’s Journey’ app as part of the Research and Development funding (UK) that she received fr…

PRESS RELEASE
Thursday 29 April 2021
100 poets of African descent featured on new Pan-African digital platform
We are pleased to announce during National Poetry Month (USA), a new multimedia platform to showcase Pan-African poets and history, an original idea being developed by writer, editor and publisher Kadija Sesay, thanks to support from Arts Council England.
The AfriPoeTree SIV (Selective Interactive Video) will feature 100 poets from the 19th century to the 21st century, starting with the father of Pan-Africanism, W.E.B. Dubois. They include:
• Pulitzer prize-winning African-American poet Tyehimba Jess to award winning African-British poet Sophia Thakur
• Ake Festival director Nigerian writer Lola Shoneyin to multi-award winning Guyanese writer Fred D’Aguiar
Other poets will be announced throughout 2021. The SIV will offer users a fully interactive experience with poems and poets offered through print, audio and video, as well as interviews and performance.
Sesay has commissioned Yorkshire based digital media and theatre company 2b Acting to produce the AfriPoeTree app on their innovative SIV platform. Content will be accessible across all platforms including mobiles, tablets, and desktop computers.
AfriPoeTree SIV will teach, inform, inspire and motivate young users to explore modern African history through the lens of poetry in a fun and educational way. The SIV aims to provide a space to promote equality, inclusion and diversity and be an antidote to negative portrayals of Black art, culture and history.
Kadija Sesay, AfriPoeTree SIV creator says: “The AfriPoeTree SIV will provide a new fun way to enjoy poetry. There are so many ways that people can interact including 360 degree rooms. The poets can use it to promote themselves and their work, and poetry lovers can enjoy it by finding out about new poets across the globe and new material from favourite poets. Its design is also suitable for educational use from the age of 12 plus.”
AfriPoeTree SIV will be launched in Autumn 2021, with events throughout the year and a crowdfunder planned in Summer 2021 to support the SIV development.

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