Delivered by: Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
Call us today to support Kampala Writes LitFest or explore exciting partnership opportunities.
The 2025 edition of Kampala Writes LitFest explored the theme “Belonging,” inviting writers, readers, and cultural thinkers to reflect on identity, home, and connection in a rapidly changing world. Through powerful conversations, readings, and panel discussions, the festival examined how stories help people find a sense of place whether rooted in homeland, memory, culture, or community.
Writers and creatives engaged with questions of migration, heritage, and the emotional ties that link individuals to their histories and landscapes. The festival highlighted the role of storytelling in bridging distances, preserving culture, and nurturing shared understanding across generations and borders.
A key focus was the experience of writers in the diaspora and the challenge of maintaining authenticity while telling African stories for global audiences. Discussions explored how authors navigate multiple identities, remain connected to their roots, and continue contributing to the evolving narrative of Uganda and the African continent.
By bringing together diverse voices, the 2025 festival celebrated literature as a powerful medium for connection reminding audiences that stories can create belonging even across distance, difference, and time.
Getting Started with Writing for the Screen
Led by: Aganza Kisaka (Yenze Theatre Conservatoire)
Interrogations of Belonging: Perspectives from Makerere
Panellists: Prof. Dominic Dipio, Dr. Susan Kiguli, Prof. Patrick Mangeni, Dr. Charles Mulekwa
Moderator: Dr. Cindy Evelyn Magara
Nii Ayikwei Parkes
Delivered by: Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
Iryn Tushabe, author of Everything Is Fine Here, in conversation with Yvonne Zaabu
Moderator: Yvonne Zaabu
Finding Your Voice
Led by: Nick Makoha
Funding for the Arts in Times of Shifting Priorities: Who Gets Left Out?
Panellists: Elizabeth Mbabazi, Faisal Kiwewa, Charles Batambuze
Moderator: Dr. Anna Adima
Promises by Goretti Kyomuhendo (Catalyst Press, 2025)
The New Carthaginians by Nick Makoha (Penguin, 2025)
Moderator: Nii Ayikwei Parkes
Innovative Publishing Strategies and New Models in Africa
Speakers: Mercy Kirui, Anwuli Ojogwu, Cynthia Kinyera, Kenneth Muhangi
Moderator: Rasheeda Nalumoso (British Council)
Creative Writing Tips for Secondary School Students
Tutor: Julius Ocwinyo, author of Footprints of the Outsider
The Role of Book Clubs in Building a Thriving Literary Community
Panellists: Daphine Kakooza Nampijja, Jonathan Kimara, Sheila Lubangakene
Moderator: Wendy Njoroge – Soma Nami Books, Nairobi, Kenya
Seeking Home Elsewhere: Navigating Literary and Personal Spaces Abroad
Panellists: Iryn Tushabe, Nick Makoha, Loic Ekinga, Dr. Mohammed Kibirige
Moderator: Jackie Asiimwe, author of Facing Mountains
Kampala Writes LitFest unites writers & readers to celebrate storytelling & inspire dialogue.
Kampala Writes LitFest unites writers & readers to celebrate storytelling & inspire dialogue.
Kampala Writes LitFest unites writers & readers to celebrate storytelling & inspire dialogue.