uganda's year in books: 2009 edition

Thanks to the Literary Saloon -- the daily blog of the complete review -- for bringing my attention to Emmanuel Ssejjengo's piece in Uganda's The New Vision summing up the year in books, "Poetry Ruled".

As is noted in the Saloon piece -- and in references to Ssejjengo's piece elsewhere on the web -- the final verdict is less than happy: "In volumes, 2009 was good. In quality, it was terrible."

Ouch.

But it calls into question Ssejjengo's opening line: "Several high profile figures in Uganda, proved they too can write." Well, apparently they can't (and The New Vision needs a copy editor).

Ssejjengo's overview provides little information of note about the individual works cited, offering instead a rather uninspired listing of works released and events of note (sometimes the two are one and the same). I tried to track down reviews of as many of the books mentioned as possible. And here they are (five reviews of three titles):

• Martyn Drakard on Songs of Paradise, A Harvest of Poetry and Verse by James Ogoola
• Gaaki Kigambo, Searching for Ogoola’s Melody

Ssejjengo himself reviewed at least three of the books:

• Mammon Tree by Josepha Jabo
• A rich fusion of poetry, art (on Painted Voices, Second Volume)
• And one more on Songs of Paradise, A Harvest of Poetry and Verse by James Ogoola

Pretty slim pickings.

Ogoola certainly got the bulk of the attention -- perhaps stemming from his position as Principal Judge of the High Court of Uganda? Well, Drakard can't seem to heap praise enough (his evocation of Herbert, Hopkins, and Eliot -- while not factually incorrect -- is laughably transparent), Ssejjengo calls it "good" at one point (though it seems a little forced), and Kigambo dances all about, conjuring larger issues of artistic production and suggesting that Ogoola's editors and readers be honest with him: perhaps telling Ogoola that the poetry isn't all that good so that Kigambo doesn't have too? Too late...

In his review of Jabo, Ssejjengo takes her to task for not offering readers "direction" in how or what to read but little in way of substance with regard to the verse itself.

FEMRITE's Poetry Poster Project is the most intriguing. I'd dearly love to get my hands on both of the currently extant volumes.

So we are left with a few bones and little meat. There's no reason to doubt Ssejjengo's conclusion but also nothing much we can use to corroborate it.