Kampala Writes Flier

Kampala Writes Literature Festival is set to celebrate its 2nd edition with a special focus on “Belonging.” The festival will take place in Kampala, Uganda from August 15 to 17, 2025.

The festival will explore what it means to find home in new places through words, examining the unique power of stories to connect people to places, and unearthing what it means to belong to a culture, a community, an idea, in a rapidly changing world.

Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi, acclaimed author of “The First Woman” and winner of the Jhalak Prize 2021, will deliver the keynote speech on Belonging. Her participation is fully supported by the British Council through its Culture Connects programme. Other featured guests include Nick Makoha, author of “The New Carthaginians,” and Iryn Tushabe, author of “Everything Is Fine Here.” Additional participants include Wendy Njoroge, Nii Ayikwei Parkes, Anwuli Ojogwu, and Mercy Kirui, who will join the diverse lineup for panel discussions exploring how writers in the diaspora maintain authenticity in their storytelling about Africa and maintain a sense of belonging to their motherland.

In addition to the Belonging focus, the festival will also include writing workshops and a poetry masterclass, panel discussions on funding for the arts in times of shifting priorities, innovative publishing strategies and new models in Africa, and conversations about navigating literary and personal spaces abroad. The festival will feature book launches for “Promises” by Goretti Kyomuhendo and “The New Carthaginians” by Nick Makoha, along with a writers’ conversation about “Everything is Fine Here” by Iryn Tushabe.

The Kampala Writes Literature Festival is organized by Goethe Zentrum Kampala in partnership with African Writers’ Trust, and is committed to filling the existing gap for a consistent literary festival that fosters the growth and development of Uganda’s literary sector. Last year marked the inaugural edition of the festival, and we are excited to see this year’s emphasis on exploring the multifaceted concept of belonging through literature.

Check out the full program of events here!