I am delighted to welcome you to the third edition of the Kampala Writes LitFest. Building on the momentum of the two previous highly successful editions, both of which I had the honour to curate, the Kampala LitFest has quickly established itself as an important fixture on Uganda’s literary calendar.

The theme for this year, ‘Where Stories Begin: The Imaginary and the Art of Possibility,’ invites us to reflect on the origins of storytelling, how new ideas are born, and how imagination allows us to rethink our histories and envision alternative futures.

Storytelling has always been at the heart of who we are as Ugandans. Many of us grew up surrounded by folktales, praise poetry, drama, song and dance as a form of entertainment and instruction. As storytellers, we continue to honour these long-standing traditions, but also, boldly embrace new genres and modes of expression. We are excited to host this festival which celebrates all artists as the powerful narrators of our stories, and which brings together a community of writers, poets and thinkers to expand the boundaries of storytelling.

We welcome distinguished literary icon Chika Unigwe as the Keynote guest, alongside leading writers from the continent and the diaspora. The festival also features established and emerging talent across various artforms.

Join us for a stimulating festival featuring nuanced, curated panel discussions and debates, book talks, workshops and masterclasses led by leading experts in the industry, performances, film screenings, and dedicated children‘s sessions.