By Abigirl Phiri
Worth Noting:
- My name is Ankwasa Harlord a youthful poet from Uganda. My serious days of passionate poetry came in 2018 and intensified later in 2019 where I became the most popular Ugandan poet on Poem hunter a place a hold up to date.
- I have always loved to tackle the error of Sexual Violence in the era we claim to be civilized. In my first Poetry book I had about five poems on this same theme.
- Poets from Uganda already have a clear road map on what to do to promote the message of this book, our brothers and sisters in Kenya and anywhere in the world should use this book as a tool to start up this conversation in our institutions of study and the community at large.
Having worked with Ankwasa Harlord, l can safely testify that he means business with regards to promoting African poetry. This is why The Unspoken Crime Scenes anthology tackled social vices happening on the face of earth even though at most times authorities tend to turn a blind eye. The time has come to bring all this to light so that change can be effected. Indeed, the outcry is to propel human rights to greater heights and not to take part in dehumanizing other individuals. As such, the best way to put across this message Ankwasa with the aid of the various poets used the beauty of words. Below is his colorful journey in poetry.
Please tell us your name and how your journey started in poetry?
My name is Ankwasa Harlord a youthful poet from Uganda. My serious days of passionate poetry came in 2018 and intensified later in 2019 where I became the most popular Ugandan poet on Poem hunter a place a hold up to date. I became friends with Michael M Macharia a great poet from Kenya and founder Modern African Poetry a Facebook Poetry platform that had more than 3k followers. He connected me to his colleague in Zimbabwe who was the founder of Best New African Poets Anthology and made my first official publication of poem Hunter into The 2020 Best New African Poets Anthology with a poem entitled “Message To Poets.” I was now fully convinced that my journey in Poetry has started.
Have you won any major accolades?
My first major accolade is getting my first book published for free by Heartmenders Magazine Media in the USA, The CEO saw a certain potential in me and was forced to give me a publication chance where I paid “nothing” and this book was entitled *WALK* *MY* *PATH* available on Amazon, Lulu books and other platforms. Will I come to win accolades? Yes I will for I imagine and believe so.
Tell us more about your recently published The unspoken crime scenes anthology?
I have always loved to tackle the error of Sexual Violence in the era we claim to be civilized. In my first Poetry book I had about five poems on this same theme. There came turbulent times in the Creatives industry where young girls where used, misused and abused sexually in return for stage gigs, publishing gigs. Under the leadership of Dr Stella Nyanzi, we formed an Association Of Poets Against Sexual violence in the creative industry. The organization we birthed is Uganda Poets Against Sexual Harassment, Assault And Rape (UPASHASAR) and it’s under this organization that I collected pieces of sexual violence across the African continent to give life to *The* *Unspoken* *Crime* *Scenes* anthology, to UPASHASAR I am forever grateful and to every contributor that spared time to pen on such a complex topic.
What do you think poets from Uganda and Kenya should do to promote the book?
Poets from Uganda already have a clear road map on what to do to promote the message of this book, our brothers and sisters in Kenya and anywhere in the world should use this book as a tool to start up this conversation in our institutions of study and the community at large. Poets should take on the duty to fight this vice through spoken word performances and reciting the pieces within and outside this book on the theme of Sexual violence in schools, homes, concerts and many more events. I appeal to those in power to do more while using this book to preach against this error. May you make this book accessible to our little ones for its very much a part of their journey.
Who is your inspiration?
Alley Cheone Semenya a fellow poet from South Africa has always been my inspiration for he was my idol in childhood and fate made us come to know and work together in the Poetry sphere. He actually pens the Preface of *The* *Unspoken* *Crime* *Scenes* and oh my God whoever touches this book, shouldn’t skip the preface for you may miss gold.
What problems have you been facing as a poet?
Naturally poetry has a niche market and therefore poetry ain’t for everyone. It has a specific kind of readership and this makes earning from me very complex compared to other writing genres. Inequalities do exist everywhere and so do they surface in poetry too. All eyes are placed on the already made/established leaving young talents to die out.
What can Africa as a whole do to promote literature zeroing on poetry?
We should first of all be the consumers of our own literature, this is the only way we can promote our own literature for it enables/energizes the creatives to create more for demand will be there. For as long as Africans fore go their own literature, growth will always be at the crawling stage.
Kindly share your social media handles?
Twitter @ankwasa_harlord
Facebook @ Ankwasa Harlord
Any word of advice to other individuals who want to venture into poetry
Poetry is a talent, however much everyone can write – not everyone is a poet. But to assure you, hard work beats a talent that is not well fed/natured. Endeavor to be a hard worker in whatever you do, talented or not! Thanks for the audience.
Thanks
Similar Posts by Mt Kenya Times:
- A Review Of The Last White Man In Contemporary Paradigm
- Adan Mohammed named new KRA Commissioner General
- Kenya grinds to a halt as opposition rallies behind fuel protests
- Choromai urges farmers to embrace planting season as he ramps up development message in Kieni constituency
- LSK demands urgent review of fuel and power prices, warns of legal action
Mt Kenya Times