Ford Foundation to Support African Poetry Research

The African Poetry Book Fund and the Ford Foundation will partner on an editorial research conference and present a public celebration of contemporary African Poetry on Wednesday, August 3, at 6:00 pm, at the Foundation’s headquarters at 320 E 43rd Street in Manhattan.

Elizabeth Alexander, director of the Ford Foundation’s Creativity and Free Expression program, and Kwame Dawes, UNL professor and Prairie Schooner Editor-in-Chief, will host the reading event to celebrate exciting new developments in contemporary African poetry today. Special guests, editors Matthew Shenoda and Chris Abani will join Kwame Dawes to discuss how challenges in international publishing create opportunities for innovation. This evening will also feature a dynamic reading by a multigenerational roster representative of some of the best African poets writing today including major South African poet Keorapetse Kgositsile alongside APBF authors TJ Dema, Safia Elhillo, Inua Ellams, Clifton Gachagua, Ladan Osman, and Patricia Jabbeh Wesley. A festive reception with live music, food, drink, and conversation will follow the reading event.

Throughout the week, a group of editors will gather to complete the foundational research stages of compiling an index of contemporary African poetry. The index will be instrumental in future APBF projects, including a plan to publish the first major anthology of contemporary poetry as well as a digital humanities initiative to further develop the index into an interactive global resource. Participating editors include Dawes and other members of the APBF Editorial Board Chris Abani and Matthew Shenoda, who will be joined by authors and editors Tsitsi Jaji, Major Jackson, Lokangaka Losambe, Helen Yitah, and editorial assistant Ashley Strosnider, with remote participation from Bernardine Evaristo and Gabeba Baderoon.

Founded in 2012 with the generous support of Laura and Robert F.X. Sillerman, the African Poetry Book Fund promotes and advances the development and publication of the poetic arts of Africa through its book series, contests, workshops, and seminars and through its collaborations with publishers, festivals, booking agents, colleges, universities, conferences and all other entities that share an interest in the poetic arts of Africa. For more information, please visit: http://africanpoetrybf.unl.edu/ or follow the APBF on Facebook and Twitter.