My Mind Words Paper:
events - literary

Date: 15 - 17 June 2012

The Mixed Roots Film & Literary Festival will take place at the Japanese American National Museum in downtown Los Angeles (369 East First Street), June 15-17, 2012.

The Festival celebrates stories of the Mixed experience and stories of multiracial Americans, the fastest growing demographic in the U.S. A free two-day public event, the Festival brings together film and book lovers, innovative and emerging artists, and multiracial and multicultural families and individuals for workshops, readings, performances, and film screenings.

The Festival, a fiscally sponsored project of the New York Foundation for the Arts, a non-profit organization, is produced by the co-hosts of the award-winning weekly podcast, Mixed Chicks Chat (www.mixedchickschat.com).

The event is free and open to the public; however, pre-registration is strongly encouraged. The complete Festival schedule can be found online at www.mxroots.org.

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

The Festival hosts the largest West Coast Loving Day celebration, Saturday, June 16, 2012, at 6:30pm with the annual Loving Prize presentation. Mixed Unplugged—a live event with comedy, music, and spoken word—will be hosted by acclaimed TV and film actress Erica Gimpel (Fame, Profiler) and will feature comedians Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele of Key & Peele. The presentation is held in conjunction with the 1000-person New York City Loving Day celebration, which is hosted by Loving Day (www.lovingday.org). Free.

Included in the program is a series of Special Family and Youth Events, which will take place on Saturday, June 16, 11am-4:00pm. Sarah Jamila Stevenson, author of the Latte Rebellion, will read and also lead and Create Your Own Movement workshop. Families can also enjoy interactive craft activities all day.

Scholar G. Reginald Daniel and children’s authors Kim Wayans & Kevin Knotts and will each receive a Loving Prize, the Festival's annual award for inspirational storytelling of the Mixed experience during the Saturday night Loving Prize Presentation, June 16, 2012, at 6:30pm.

The Festival will present several feature films including Oscar-shortlist selection The Loving Story (dir. Nancy Buirski), the definitive account of Loving v. Virginia, the landmark 1967 Supreme Court decision that legalized interracial marriage. This evocative documentary, which incorporates luminous, newly discovered 16mm footage of the Lovings and their young Jewish lawyers as well as first-person testimony and rare documentary photographs by LIFE magazine photographer Grey Villet, recounts the little-known story of the Loving family. The Festival is also pleased to present several award-winning short films.

The Festival includes author readings by award-winning writers Mat Johnson (Pym, Incognegro), Faith Adiele (Meeting Faith), and many others.

Filmmaking and Writing workshops will be held by published authors and professional filmmakers. For example, Moviola (post production rental house and digital arts institute) will host Making the Microbudget Film: Pre-, Production, and Post- for Under $200,000. Award-winning poet Neil Aitken will present a workshop and Sheldon Epps, Artistic Director of the Pasadena Playhouse will guide emerging artists in how best to direct actors.

Festival sponsors include: Japanese American National Museum (www.janm.org), Zerflin.com, Moviola, Greenhouse Productions, the Flourish Foundation and MyJennyBook.com. Skylight Books is the Festival’s official bookseller.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: mxrootsfest@gmail.com

Website: http://www.mxroots.org

Date: 8 - 10 June 2012

The National Black Book Festival
Doubletree Hotel - 400 Dallas St. -
Downtown Houston, Texas

The National Black Book Festival (NBBF) is an annual event, sponsored by Cushcity.com, the world's largest African-American retailer online. The event attracts a wide array of authors, publishers, book clubs, libraries and individual readers from the Southwest U.S. and nationwide. NBBF 2012, the 5th anniversary event, will be held at the Doubletree Hotel in Downtown Houston.

The event features a pavilion of authors, including those who are notable and new. Book signing and discussion sessions with featured authors, workshops and seminars, a spoken word poetry slam and door prizes are just a few of the exciting featured activities at NBBF. Authors will be grouped according to genre and there are 19 genres that will be represented.

The Festival is open to the public and admission is $5.00 per day for adults and teens. Admission is FREE for children under the age of 12.

All events will be held at the Doubletree Hotel in Downtown Houston. The Festival schedule includes the following events (items with asterisk [*] are ticketed events which require ticket purchase in advance):

Friday, June 8, 2012 @ 7:00 p.m.
"Welcome to Houston" Reception*

Friday, June 8, 2012 - 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
Private Slumber Party (Authors TBA)*
Ladies only - Must be 18 years of age

Saturday, June 9, 2012 @ 8:00 to 9:30 a.m.
"Get Acquainted" Breakfast*

Sunday, June 10, 2012 @ 9:00 a.m.
Sunday Worship Service

Sunday, June 10, 2012 @ 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Sunday Jazz Brunch*

Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 4:00 p.m.
Spoken Word Poetry Slam

Tickets for the above events may be purchased online here:

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: info@nationalblackbookfestival.com

Website: http://www.nationalblackbookfestival.com

Date: 5 June 2012

Join Kat Williamd from Sippin on Ink and feed your literary appetite as she talks with some of our best LGBTQ Authors on writing and how to get published. Guests will have the opportunity to chat with the authors and purchase books for signing before listening to author presentations over brunch.

Tickets for the event can be purchased at www.orlandoblackpride.eventbrite.com or www.orlandoblackpride.com. Please purchase in advance as space is limited.

Brunch items - Mimosa, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Chicken & Vegetable Kabobs, Home Fries, Texas Rice, Caesar Salad, Rolls, and Coffee

BOOKS AND BRUNCH
Sunday, June 5 · 11:00am - 2:00pm
Orlando Vista Hotel
12490 Apopka Vineland Rd
Orlando, FL
$20 Entry & Brunch
$10 Entry only

Once you purchase a ticket you are automatically entered in a raffle for a chance to win a gift basket containing a copy of all the authors involved in Books & Brunch latest release!

Featuring authors: Fiona Zedde, Cheril N Clarke, Spoken, Sherry Michelle, Otis Randolph, G. Winston James, Skyy and of course Anondra "Kat" Williams of Sippin' on Ink.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Website: http://www.orlandoblackpride.com/

Date: 4 June 2012 (5pm)

Mit ihrer Vielseitigkeit personifiziert die kenianische Spoken Word-Dichterin Ngwatilo Mawiyoo die facettenreiche, bunte Poesieszene Kenias: Gedichte werden dort in Radiosendungen vorgestellt, Blogs, youtoube und social media sind von Gedichten durchströmt, die Szene ist äußerst aktiv und innovativ. Gedichte werden zu Filmen geschrieben, in der Kunstform »Koroga« werden lyrische Aphorismen mit Fotos in einen kunstvollen Dialog gestellt. Ngwatilo Mawiyoo verwendet all diese Formen.

Der Autor, Gelehrte und Philosoph Euphrase Kezilahabi gilt als einer der einflussreichsten Erneuerer der Swahili-Literatur. Er verwirft die starren literarischen Formen, die bis dahin in dieser Literatur herrschten, verwendet in seiner Lyrik den freien Vers, schreibt über Sexualität sowie gesellschaftliche Erneuerung und lässt die Bilder, Darstellungen und Ausdrucksweisen zurück, die bis zum Erscheinen seiner Werke tradiert waren. Mit der Autorin und Übersetzerin Uljana Wolf sprechen sie über die Poesieszene in Kenia und Tansania.

Sponsored by the German Foreign Office with the kind support of AfricAvenir International e.V., Episcopal relief organisation MISEREOR, Seminar for African Studies, Humboldt Universität Berlin

Projektleitung: Isabel Ferrin-Aguirre
Akademie der Künste, Hanseatenweg, Clubraum
Admission: € 5 / 3
Ticketing information

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: mail@literaturwerkstatt.org

Website: http://www.poesiefestival.org

Date: 24 - 26 May 2012

The Institut Français in Nigeria would like to invite you to “A Vous de Lire” (For You to Read), its annual celebration of books and reading, from the 24th to the 26th of May, 2012 at the French Institute (a.k.a French Cultural Centre) in Abuja.

Visit also the Children's Fair at Cassava Republic opposite the Sheraton!

In collaboration with the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) - Abuja Chapter, The Abuja Literary Society, Cassava Republic Press and Arojah Royal Theatre, the Institut Français will present three days of literary-themed events for the whole family. There will be lots of exciting events designed to promote a love of reading and writing in Nigeria.

In celebration of Children’s Day, the Institute will host a special series of programmes for children on the 24th and 25th of May. The events will culminate on Saturday 26th May in a book fair, a drama workshop for invited schools at the Institute, a representation by the French School of Abuja of some scenes from the French play ‘l’Avare’ by the famous classic author Molière, and a literary picnic.

For youngsters, there will also be a Children’s Fair hosted by Cassava Republic Press on Saturday, 26th May, at shop, No. 62b in the Arts and Crafts Village, Opposite the Abuja Sheraton from 12 noon to 6pm.

Participation is free and open to the public. Lovers of literature are encouraged to come and bring their friends and families. The French Institute is located at 52, Libreville Street, Off Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja (behind M. Biggs).

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For enquiries: coordinatorstudies@institutfr-nigeria.org or cultural@institutfr-nigeria.org, or call 0805 9478 456

Website: http://www.institutfr-nigeria.org/

Deadline: 15 June 2012

There is growing interest within the global health community in the potential public health impact of integrating different health services into a single delivery setting. Integrating programs for HIV, family planning (FP), and maternal, neonatal, and child health (MNCH) would address patients’ multiple needs at once, and may enhance program effectiveness and efficiency.

Integration for Impact, an international conference devoted to this topic, aims to bring together key stakeholders from sub-Saharan countries with a high burden of HIV, unmet need for FP, and high child and maternal morbidity/mortality to:

• Present the latest research findings on the impact of integrating HIV and reproductive health services including: family planning, maternal and child health, and STI prevention and cervical cancer screening;
• Identify research priorities for expanding the evidence base on integration; and
• Lay out strategies for strengthening integration policies and translating research into practice.

If you are a journalist and would like to apply for a journalist scholarship, please use the same registration form to apply.

JOURNALIST SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION INFORMATION

These scholarships are open to journalists, writers, photographers, radio producers or television news producers; staff journalists as well as freelancers who live and work in the following sub-Sahara Africa countries: Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, South Africa, Nigeria, Cameron, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea.

Journalists will be given official media passes, access to the press centre, and the chance to write in the conference bulletin. Each Journalist will be expected to produce:

• At least five quality articles (between 200 – 500 words) on the various themes of the conference that can be used in the conference bulletin and to inform the advocacy initiatives of the Integration Technical Working Group
• Daily summaries of the proceedings and/or interesting / relevant newsflashes from the conference, to be posted online in real time
• A final in-depth piece on your experience at the Integration Conference (as a 1000 word feature article, photography set or video or audio piece)

• A 250-word proposal describing a specific story on issues of reproductive health and HIV;
• A brief description of applicant’s knowledge of or experience reporting on issues of reproductive health and HIV;
• A brief description of applicant’s experience with video, photography, radio, printand web media;
• A letter from applicant’s editor or supervisor that gives permission to participate in the Integration for Impact Conference and that signals a strong commitment to publish or broadcast applicant’s on the topic;
• A list of three priority issues that applicant would cover during the conference;
• Two most recently published and authenticated articles relevant to reproductive health and HIV;
• A copy of press card.

• Full Conference Registration
• Return Economy airfare to Kenya
• Accommodation in Kenya for up to 4 nights (at the discretion of the organizers)
• Visa application fee
• Airport transfers in Kenya

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For enquiries: contact@integration2012.org

Website: http://integration2012.org

Deadline: 17 - 21 May 2012

On the wave of the “Arab Spring”, synonym of transformation and renewal, Baad El Bahr Cultural Association (BEBA) is launching the third edition of the Cairo Mediterranean Literary Festival, an event that has proven itself a tangible demonstration of the possibility of constructive dialogue between the two shores of the Mediterranean.

Baad El Bahr, founded as a nonprofit in 2008 (www.baadelbahr.org), is a cultural association based in Cairo and created by individuals from diverse national and cultural backgrounds, involved for years in various branches of Egypt's cultural life. The association offers to the public workshops, conferences, exhibitions and long term activities such as the translation and publication of literary texts and the ongoing Cairo Mediterranean Literary Festival, an annual appointment with different themes.

“Literature and humor” was the theme of the festival first edition (5-12 May 2010). It was co-sponsored by the Delegation of the European Community in Egypt. “Literature and humor” gave a particular emphasis to Arabic and romance languages. Guests came from Italy, France, Spain, Egypt, Lebanon and Algeria.

“Literature and the city” was the theme of the second edition (21-25 May 2011). Guests were, for the most part, contemporary authors whose works reflect the often radical changes that have taken place in cities in the last twenty years. The festival hosted writers from Italy and Egypt who participated in round table discussion.

The 2012 edition of the festival is entitled “Literature and Body” and will take place in Cairo from the 17thto the 21st May 2012.

The festival this year explores the long-standing but inexhaustible relationship between "literature and the body."

The body has been present through centuries of literature as an object of constant attention, undergoing continuous changes, but without losing its freshness and its ability to amaze us.

To paraphrase the title of a collection of short stories by Raymond Carver, what is it we talk about when we talk about the body, in our modern times?

There is probably no vision more different, from one side to the other of the Mediterranean, from country to country, than that of the body. So it will be more interesting than ever this year to hear the voices from different cultural backgrounds, incited in different ways to probe themselves and each other.

The theatrical reading form seems to us particularly suitable for this edition, where the text is elevated by the physicality of the “rap-rep”. There will also be conferences for deeper reflection, face-to-face or virtual encounters between authors, visual support in the form of two major exhibitions dedicated to the body and films and documentaries, as well as interactive seminars and book presentations. All of these, we hope, will make for discussion that is as vibrant and vital as the body itself.

Most of the guests are contemporary authors from the Mediterranean basin such has the French philosopher Gilles Lipovetsky and the Egyptian philosopher Anwar Moghith, the Lebanese director Jocelyne Saab, the Italian authors Simonetta Agnello Hornby and Viola Di Grado, the actress Fernanda Calati, Alessandro Golinelli, the Spanish writer Maria Laura Espido Freire and more.

The festival events will take place in different venues in Cairo in partnership with the Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Institut Français, Instituto Cervantes, Mashrabia Gallery, British Council, Goethe Institut, Alitalia and Rising Stars.

Links: festival program, guests

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Website: http://www.cairomedliteraryfestival.org/

Date: 26 May 2012

Award-winning writer and journalist, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, will be the featured author on May 26 at the Guest Writer Session an initiative of the Abuja Writers’ Forun (AWF) which started in June 2008 and has become the template for similar programmes nationwide. The Guest Writer Session which this year featured Uche Ezechukwu, Steve Okecha, Oyibo Ameh, K K Iloduba and Betty Abah holds by 4pm at Hamdala Plaza, Plot 23, Jimmy Carter Street, off Protea Hotel, Asokoro, Abuja.

Abubakar Adam Ibrahim has been fascinated with writing from a much younger age, which was what motivated him to dump the sciences and study Mass Communications at the University of Jos.

He has dabbled into poetry and plays but is more at home with prose. He won the BBC African Performance Prize in 2007 and the ANA Plateau/Amatu Braide Prize for Prose the following year. He also emerged runner-up for the ANA Plateau Poetry Prize.

He is a fellow of the British Council Radiophonics creative writing workshop and has been selected for the Fidelity Bank Creative Writing Workshop as well as the Caine Prize for African Writing workshop (2012) – which he could not attend because of the Nigeria-South Africa Yellow fever row.

His radio drama, A Bull Man’s Story which fetched him the BBC African Performance Prize in 2007 was highly commended by the judges for the writer’s ‘ability to enter the minds of his character’.

He published his first novel, The Quest for Nina in 2009 with a small publishing outfit in the US and has gone on to feature on several online webzines where his short fictions and essays have been well received locally and internationally.

He has been featured in Daughters of Eve and Other New Short Stories from Nigeria published by CCC Press, London in 2010.

His debut collection of short stories, The Whispering Trees, is published in Nigeria by Parresia Publishers, Lagos and has been receiving positive endorsement within the literary community in Nigeria. In the words of poet and activist Odia Ofeimun, Ibrahim has writes “stories that haunt with a telling animist-realist sensibility” and he “ draws on old, intriguing traditions of folklore to thresh new and challenging insight into how we live today.” For A. Igoni Barrett, “fire and smoke, snapshots of life and brushstrokes of afterlife, the mystical running alongside domestic commonplaces, these are the energetic strains of ” Ibrahim’s debut story collection. While Helon Habila regards Ibrahim as a writer to look out for.

Educated at the University of Jos, Nigeria, where he obtained a degree in Mass Communication, Abubakar had a stint with the Vanguard newspaper. He is currently the Arts Editor of Abuja based Sunday Trust newspaper.

Since its inception four years ago, the Guest Writer Session has been a consistent feature of the nation’s literary scene. The May 26, 2012 edition will include the usual side attractions of poetry performance, mini art exhibition, and a raffle-draw as well as live music. The Abuja Writer’s Forum meets three Sundays each month and hosts a reading on every last Saturday at the International Institute of Journalism, Hamdala Plaza, Jimmy Carter Street, Asokoro, Abuja.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: abujawriters@fastermail.com

Website: http://www.abujawritersforum.com/

Date: 4 June 2012 (5pm)

Mit ihrer Vielseitigkeit personifiziert die kenianische Spoken Word-Dichterin Ngwatilo Mawiyoo die facettenreiche, bunte Poesieszene Kenias: Gedichte werden dort in Radiosendungen vorgestellt, Blogs, youtoube und social media sind von Gedichten durchströmt, die Szene ist äußerst aktiv und innovativ. Gedichte werden zu Filmen geschrieben, in der Kunstform »Koroga« werden lyrische Aphorismen mit Fotos in einen kunstvollen Dialog gestellt. Ngwatilo Mawiyoo verwendet all diese Formen.

Der Autor, Gelehrte und Philosoph Euphrase Kezilahabi gilt als einer der einflussreichsten Erneuerer der Swahili-Literatur. Er verwirft die starren literarischen Formen, die bis dahin in dieser Literatur herrschten, verwendet in seiner Lyrik den freien Vers, schreibt über Sexualität sowie gesellschaftliche Erneuerung und lässt die Bilder, Darstellungen und Ausdrucksweisen zurück, die bis zum Erscheinen seiner Werke tradiert waren. Mit der Autorin und Übersetzerin Uljana Wolf sprechen sie über die Poesieszene in Kenia und Tansania.

Sponsored by the German Foreign Office with the kind support of AfricAvenir International e.V., Episcopal relief organisation MISEREOR, Seminar for African Studies, Humboldt Universität Berlin

Projektleitung: Isabel Ferrin-Aguirre
Akademie der Künste, Hanseatenweg, Clubraum
Admission: € 5 / 3
Ticketing information

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: mail@literaturwerkstatt.org

Website: http://www.poesiefestival.org

Deadline: 21 May - 2 June 2012

Art Sanctuary, located in North Philadelphia, uses the power of black art to transform individuals, unite groups of people, and enrich, and draw inspiration from the inner city. We invite established and aspiring artists to help create excellent lectures, performances, and educational programs.

28TH ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF BLACK WRITING

Noted journalists, writers and performance artists from across the U.S. will join Art Sanctuary, Philadelphia’s leading African-American arts and letters organization devoted to presenting outstanding regional and national talent in the literary, visual and performing arts, for the 28th Annual Celebration of Black Writing Festival.

The Celebration of Black Writing is one of the nation’s longest-running celebrations of contemporary black writing. Robin’s Books’ black history month writing conference, started in 1984, has grown to today’s full-fledged festival held the first weekend of June on Temple’s campus and across the city.

Running from May 21, 2012 to June 2, 2012, Celebration of Black Writing will offer 13 days of literary discussions and workshops, music showcases, and film screenings.This year’s celebration includes:

• Children and young adult author Jacqueline Woodson, with Philadelphia Reading Olympics youth group matinee
• A public conversation with artist and cultural planner Theaster Gates and Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art curator Naomi Beckwith
• Photographer Sed Miles and the Wanderlust International travel exhibition
• Philly Youth Rising: Standing on the Shoulders’ – with performances by the Philadelphia Youth Poetry Movement, 215 Spoken Soul, and In the Company of Poets
• Panel discussions on Advocacy Journalism, ‘What is Urban Fiction?,’ Black Mental Health, ‘Writing from your Spiritual Axis,’ and featuring writers such as author Bernice McFadden and journalist Akiba Solomon, as well as Atria books editor Malaika Adero and activist and agent April Silver

A one of a kind literary feast, Celebration of Black Writing provides writers and artists an opportunity to discuss their work with up to 1,500–2,000 students, and another 2,000–3,000 people participate in panels, workshops, teachers’ symposium, Family Pavilion, main stage, and other events. The Celebration features up to 75 professional and aspiring writers, editors, publishers, scholars, spoken-word artists, performance artists, playwrights, and filmmakers. This year, selected panels and workshops will be streamed live for the first time online, and also be archived so that new and enthusiastic readers and writers can access them anytime!

Register for the free events/ panel discussions here.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: events@artsanctuary.org or call 215-232-4485

Website: http://artsanctuary.org/

Date: 22 May 2012

You are cordially invited to the public presentation and launching of Launko Blues, a collection of poems in celebration of Femi Osofisan, edited by Ebika Anthony. The presentation/ launch is scheduled on May 22nd (Tuesday) at 10am at the Arts Theatre, University of Ibadan.

Your presence will be highly appreciated.

Lanuko Blues is a collection which every lover of scintillating poetry must possess.

RSVP: Ebika Anthony at 08034822937

Date: 9 June 2012 (4pm)

Join our Panel Discussion about the ways that people of color say "I Do" and "I Don't" to same-sex marriage. LGBTQ rights cannot be divorced from racial justice, but that was precisely the goal of Prop 8 proponents, who used racism to promote homophobia. The aftermath of that bitter battle was the consummation of a singular focus on legislation that pit potential allies against one another. Yet for LGBTQ people of color living at the intersections, these debates are about more than traditions and institutions. They are about which kinds of relationships, families, and love deserve recognition. This intergenerational panel envisions the ways that LGBTQ people of color advocate for social justice and our human rights beyond simple legislation, through an affirmation of our families, cultures, ethnicities, and histories.

Reception and doors open: 3pm

Venue: Novellus Theater at YBCA, 700 Howard at Third St, SF

ABOUT THE QUEER WOMEN OF COLOR FILM FESTIVAL

The Queer Women of Color Film Festival is held every year in June in San Francisco and features films that address the vital social justice issues that concern women of color and our communities, authentically reflect our life stories, and build community through art and activism. Enjoy the creativity of emerging media artists who are Asian/Pacific Islander, Black/African American, Chicana/Latina, Native American and Mixed-Race lesbians, same-gender loving, bisexual, queer, questioning women, and genderqueer, gender non-conforming, transgender folks.

Now in its eighth year, the Festival started in June 2003 in one room at the San Francisco's LGBT Community Center with a free screening that drew standing-room-only crowds. In 2005, the packed annual film screenings expanded into the 1st Annual Queer Women of Color Film Festival. In 2007, we expanded into the 375-seat Brava Theater. This year the festival has expanded again, moving to the 757-seat Novellus Theater at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. The Film Festival is still free thanks to generous grants, donors and partners; includes free refreshments provided by local restaurants and businesses; and features an exciting panel and/or performance each year.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: festival@qwocmap.org

Website: http://www.qwocmap.org

Date: 15 - 17 June 2012

The Mixed Roots Film & Literary Festival will take place at the Japanese American National Museum in downtown Los Angeles (369 East First Street), June 15-17, 2012.

The Festival celebrates stories of the Mixed experience and stories of multiracial Americans, the fastest growing demographic in the U.S. A free two-day public event, the Festival brings together film and book lovers, innovative and emerging artists, and multiracial and multicultural families and individuals for workshops, readings, performances, and film screenings.

The Festival, a fiscally sponsored project of the New York Foundation for the Arts, a non-profit organization, is produced by the co-hosts of the award-winning weekly podcast, Mixed Chicks Chat (www.mixedchickschat.com).

The event is free and open to the public; however, pre-registration is strongly encouraged. The complete Festival schedule can be found online at www.mxroots.org.

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

The Festival hosts the largest West Coast Loving Day celebration, Saturday, June 16, 2012, at 6:30pm with the annual Loving Prize presentation. Mixed Unplugged—a live event with comedy, music, and spoken word—will be hosted by acclaimed TV and film actress Erica Gimpel (Fame, Profiler) and will feature comedians Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele of Key & Peele. The presentation is held in conjunction with the 1000-person New York City Loving Day celebration, which is hosted by Loving Day (www.lovingday.org). Free.

Included in the program is a series of Special Family and Youth Events, which will take place on Saturday, June 16, 11am-4:00pm. Sarah Jamila Stevenson, author of the Latte Rebellion, will read and also lead and Create Your Own Movement workshop. Families can also enjoy interactive craft activities all day.

Scholar G. Reginald Daniel and children’s authors Kim Wayans & Kevin Knotts and will each receive a Loving Prize, the Festival's annual award for inspirational storytelling of the Mixed experience during the Saturday night Loving Prize Presentation, June 16, 2012, at 6:30pm.

The Festival will present several feature films including Oscar-shortlist selection The Loving Story (dir. Nancy Buirski), the definitive account of Loving v. Virginia, the landmark 1967 Supreme Court decision that legalized interracial marriage. This evocative documentary, which incorporates luminous, newly discovered 16mm footage of the Lovings and their young Jewish lawyers as well as first-person testimony and rare documentary photographs by LIFE magazine photographer Grey Villet, recounts the little-known story of the Loving family. The Festival is also pleased to present several award-winning short films.

The Festival includes author readings by award-winning writers Mat Johnson (Pym, Incognegro), Faith Adiele (Meeting Faith), and many others.

Filmmaking and Writing workshops will be held by published authors and professional filmmakers. For example, Moviola (post production rental house and digital arts institute) will host Making the Microbudget Film: Pre-, Production, and Post- for Under $200,000. Award-winning poet Neil Aitken will present a workshop and Sheldon Epps, Artistic Director of the Pasadena Playhouse will guide emerging artists in how best to direct actors.

Festival sponsors include: Japanese American National Museum (www.janm.org), Zerflin.com, Moviola, Greenhouse Productions, the Flourish Foundation and MyJennyBook.com. Skylight Books is the Festival’s official bookseller.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: mxrootsfest@gmail.com

Website: http://www.mxroots.org

Date: 11 May 2012

The Annual 9-16 Children Poetry Festival will take place on May 11th, 2012 at Goethe-Institut Lagos!

The 9-16 Poetry festival which is competition based is organized by the Art Initiative Center.

This annual Festival is for children between the ages of 9 and 16 years old. The theme for this year is EDUCATION: OUR FUTURE and children are expected to write their poetry around this theme and recite them.The best Poem win a token prize and a place in the collection of poems that will be compiled at the end of the competition based festival. There will be a creative writing workshop for the kids to sharpen their creative writing skills by ITA HOZAIFE who is a playwright,media expert,creative writer and consultant.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: info@lagos.goethe.org

Website: http://www.goethe.de/lagos

Date: 8 May 2012

Open Mic is a monthly poetry and spoken word event held every first Tuesday of the month @ Club Soundd on Kaunda street from 7-9pm. We feature a poet / spoken word artist who has shown consistency and growth in performance and audience pull. Past features include Njeri Wangari, Ngwatio Mawiyoo, Phyllis Muthoni, Winyo, Eko dydda, Just a band, Kenyan Poet, Uko Fulani Mau Mau and others. The rest of the evening is open for anyone to perform / read their work: sign-ups happen between 5-7pm.

Kwani? Open Mic Reloaded May 2012
Featured Poet: Check Mate
Featured Artist: Anto and Paragasha Band
MC: Cindy Ogana
Date: 8th May 2012
Time: 7 -9 pm
Venue: Club Soundd
Entry: 200 Ksh

ABOUT THE FEATURED POET

The ever resilient Checkmate Mido is a human beatbox, poet, musician and actor. He is known for his thought provoking poems and incorporating beatboxing into his performances. In December 2010, at the annual Kenya Music Week, held at the Sarit Centre, he co-released, and is now promoting his 6track EP called “Broken City” with Kennah as his first foray into recording an album, which apart from the two, features various artists such as world renowned percussionist “Tenpar Tella”. Broken City was again relaunched at the secrets lounge on the 3rd of March 2011.

Apart from writing his own music and poetry, he had a hugely successful debut as an actor appearing in the popular play “Mayors’ Diary” performed by Ethnic Productions in collaboration with Adcents media (now Kilele Productions), in which he starred as the title character the Mayor. He also played a role in the thriller ''Death & The Estate'' (as Spencer-The Family Lawyer)staged at the Kenya National Theatre from 9th-11th December 2011. Having featured in festivals such as Wapi (words and pictures) in 2011 and Kinanda Arts Festival he has performed at various other poetry nights such as slam Africa, Kwani and Wamathai.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: info@kwani.org

Website: http://kwani.org

Date: 5 - 9 May 2012 (Gaza), 11 May 2012 (Cairo)

The Festival will take place in Gaza from May 5th to May 9th, with an event in Ramallah on May 5th and a reprise event in Cairo on May 11th.

It has been a longstanding aim of the festival to travel to Gaza. Since it started in 2008 PalFest has taken the form of a travelling festival – moving to audiences constrained and divided by Israel’s military occupation, establishing creative links between Palestine and the rest of the world and pitting the power of culture against the culture of power.

PalFest has tried several times in the past to reach Gaza from the Occupied Palestinian Territories but has never been able to because of the restrictions put in place by the Israeli Occupation. Gaza has been under siege and isolated from the rest of the world since 2007.
This May, PalFest 2012 will bring a group of writers, educators and artists through the Rafah crossing from Egypt to perform free public events, run workshops with students of varying ages and meet civil society leaders in Gaza.

PalFest has endorsed the 2004 Palestinian call for the academic and cultural boycott of Israel. PalFest 2012 stands against the siege of Gaza; it is committed to re-invigorating cultural ties between Arab countries, ties that have been eroded for too long. The Festival will be bringing writers and artists from across the Arab world and beyond.

While the Festival’s primary activities will be taking place in Gaza, PalFest works to retain its active presence in the West Bank. British authors Rachel Holmes and Bee Rowlatt will lead extended creative writing workshops in Birzeit with the Palestine Writing Workshop. They will also be joining Maya Abu el-Hayat, Abd al-Rahim al-Sheikh and Imad Sayrafi on stage at the Sakakini Centre on May 5th. A one-day children’s literature festival will be held during the Festival, with plans for a larger children’s event in the summer.

Beyond the Festival dates PalFest continues its educational programme through its sister organization the Palestine Writing Workshop, whose activities include regular book clubs, creative writing classes and the creation and maintenance of a library.

PalFest will be launching a new, bi-lingual website this week. Developed with the support of the UK Arts Council, the site will be profiling new literary talent from across Palestine and the diaspora as well as developing an online space for critical feedback between young writers and more established authors.

The full list of artists attending PalFest 2012 is:

• GAZA
• Ghada Abd el-Al
• Alaa Abd el-Fattah
• Suad Amiry
• Selma Dabbagh
• Najwan Darwish
• Amr Ezzat
• Amin Haddad
• Tariq Hamdan
• Nathalie Handal
• Manal Hassan
• Khaled Khamissi
• Jamal Mahjoub
• Sahar el-Mogy
• Khaled Najar
• Youssef Rakha
• Ahdaf Soueif
• Hyam Yared
• Nariman Youssef
• & the bands Eskenderella, Jafra and al Salam.
• Birzeit & Ramallah
• Maya Abu el-Hayat
• Rachel Holmes
• Abd al-Rahim al-Sheikh
• Bee Rowlatt
• Imad Sayrafi

PalFest is supported by the Arts Council UK, the Abdalla Foundation, the British Council, the Open Society, the Qattan Foundation, Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing, Reach out to Asia and individual donors, Rana Sadik, Samer Younis, Fadi Ghandour, Riad Kamal, Zina Jardaneh, Mostafa Beidas, Suhail Sikhtian and Janwa Dajani.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: contact@palfest.org

Website: http://palfest.org

Date: 11 - 13 May 2012

The sixth FLF kicks off on 11 May for the annual long weekend when writers gather in Franschhoek to discuss the latest books, complicated history and volatile now of the beloved country. The stories they tell, the scandals they uncover and the crimes they devise will unfold in more than eighty events over the three days.

At a time when many publications are going online and growing numbers of readers move to Kindles and iPads, it seems that there is a hunger for the more tangible experience of meeting the people who write them.

Village venues are all within a short walking distance from the heart of the festival with its pop-up bookshop and coffee stall in the Town Hall. Street-corner vendors will offer quick snacks as people hurry between events, and local cafés and restaurants will be geared to quick service.

Few subjects are taboo at the FLF. Events planned for 2012 vary from the latest and best in South African writing to scientific controversy, hot politics to cool poetry, history to green issues, serious fiction to crime novels, bad sex to chick lit to tweeting (see next page for the highlights). A Book Week for Young Readers leading up to the Festival will have children’s authors visiting every classroom in Franschhoek.

Audiences leaving the final events on Friday and Saturday can enjoy glasses of complimentary Porcupine Ridge wine before moving on to restaurants, literary dinners and evening entertainments. These will include a Pieter-Dirk Uys cabaret, dinners with classical music, and the invitation-only shortlist announcement for the Sunday Times literary awards.

With book launches, themed classical music concerts in the NG Church during the day, the annual Wine Writer’s Prize announcement and publishers’ bunfights also vying for time and attention, there is bound to be something to tickle every literary tastebud at FLF 2012.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: send an email to Sheenagh Tyler at help@flf.co.za

Website: http://www.flf.co.za/

Date: 8 - 9 May 2012

Dubai Press Club (DPC), organisers of the Arab Media Forum (AMF), today announced the 11th edition of the event will be themed “Arab Media: Exposure & Transition.” Arab Media Forum 2012 (AMF 2012) is scheduled to be held from 8-9 May at the Grand Hyatt in Dubai, drawing the participation of over 2,000 regional and international journalists, as well as influential decision makers, opinion leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators. It will feature eight sessions and four workshops that will highlight the perspectives of more than 65 speakers from various academic, media and research disciplines.

The event will primarily monitor developments in the Arab and global media landscape, examining the emergence of new media outlets and platforms that have significantly impacted traditional formats. The forum will additionally review the predicament of certain news organizations that have faced challenges in offering an impartial coverage of events. Panel discussions will also analyse the new influencers of public opinion, and the shift in media content and language used.

Maryam Bin Fahad, Executive Director, Dubai Press Club, said: “The theme of the 11th edition reflects the geopolitical dynamics of the region and will be spotlighted throughout the sessions and workshops hosted at the forum. We have witnessed turmoil in the media landscape that mirrors the transformations in the political and social fabric of the Arab world. Furthermore, recent movements in the Arab world revealed the flaws in the media’s response to crises. The gaps that were identified have provided the thrust for the media to change direction and place itself on a transformation path. It’s almost as if the Arab media is waking up to a new dawn in its changed ideology and mechanism. The forum’s agenda is in-line with these developments in the media sector.”

The agenda for the 11th Arab Media Forum is drawn from the outcomes of the Arab Media Outlook, a report that charts developments in the media landscape across 17 Arab countries and is set to be launched in end-April.

Bin Fahd added: “A group of media experts in the DPC network including Arab and international media persons have crafted the agenda of the event. We will share names of the speakers and formats of the workshops through the forum’s electronic gate www.arabmediaforum.ae. More importantly, in our continued aim to drive the practice of fair reportage, we will foster the involvement of young media persons and students and engage them in various aspects of event management.”

Note: The Arab Media Forum 2012 will take place from May 8 to 9 at the Grand Hyatt in Dubai. To learn more about the speakers, click here. Program details can be found here. You can register to this event through this page.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: arabmediaforum@dpc.org.ae

Website: http://www.arabmediaforum.ae

Date: 7 - 12 May 2012

The 11th Nigeria International Book Fair (NIBF 2012) will hold from Monday, May 7 to Saturday, May 12, 2012 at the Multi-purpose halls of the University of Lagos, Nigeria. NIBF 2012 promises to be another epoch making in the trade and capacity building drive of the Nigerian Book Fair Trust - the organiser of the annual NIBF.

Nigerian Book Fair Trust is a coalition of the major stakeholders in the Nigerian book sector. NBFT seeks to empower the people by promoting the reading culture and bringing books and other instructional materials closer to the people for better education and self-improvement.

NIBF provides the platform for you to network in the book and publishing sector with direct contact with major players in the industry from within and outside the country. It is an avenue for you to showcase your products and services as well as meet with the target consumers. It is also an avenue to meet your educational needs under one roof in a conducive environment.

NIBF attracts over 150 exhibitors from Europe, America, Asia, other African countries and across Nigeria. Schools and schools’ children as well as the general public cutting across every human strata benefit from Nigeria International Book Fair.

NIBF INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

The annual International Conference of Nigeria International Book Fair that brings together stakeholders in the book industry to rub minds on a topical issue that bothers on the stability of the industry will consider a crucial issue that threatens the growth of the book industry in Africa at its eleventh edition.

NIBF at its International Conference of 2012 will focus on: The State of Infrastructural Development in Africa and the Future of the Book Trade. The International Conference is scheduled to hold on Tuesday, 8th May, 2012 at Afe Babalola Auditorium, University of Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria.

The conference will look at the infrastructural problems in Africa, how it affects the growth and stability of the book trade and what is to be done to address the situation.

NIBF 2012 International Conference is going to be stimulating and educating. Keep a date with us

WHY NIBF 2012 IS A MUST FOR YOU

NIBF is the major book fair in the country and indeed in West Africa where players in the book sector from within and outside, gather once in a year for networking and business transaction. It is a unique book event that a large percentage of over 150 million Nigerians and foreigners look forward to in the second week of May every year.

WHO SHOULD EXHIBIT AT NIBF 2012

Nigeria International Book Fair creates the needed platform for stakeholders in the book and related sectors to showcase network and expand their business and access the latest development in the world of books. Publishers, Printers, Booksellers/Book Distributors, Presses (Institutional and Private), Library Equipment Suppliers, Libraries, Research Institutes, Literary Agents, Arts Galleries as well as ICT and Telecom Providers, Banks, Computer Software Manufacturers/Distributors, Private Book Developers, Printing Equipment Manufacturers/ Suppliers, Online Service Providers, Corporate Gift Manufacturers/Suppliers, Non-Governmental Organisations, Professional/Technical/Scientific Service Providers, Other Instructional Materials Manufacturers/Distributors are expected to exhibit at NIBF 2012.

WHO SHOULD VISIT NIBF 2012

NIBF is free and opened to:

General, Children, Educational, Professional, Arts and Religious Book Publishers, Bookshops and Book Distribution Outlet Operators, Computer Software Manufacturers/Distributors, Printing Equipment Manufacturers/Suppliers, Library Equipment Suppliers, Librarians, Illustrators, Authors, Editors, Rights Directors/Managers/Agents/Critics/ Reviewers, Academia, Professionals and Professional Bodies, Telecom Providers, Research Institutes, Public and Private Schools, Government Agencies/Parastatals and Non-Governmental Organisations.

TIMING

Book Fair Opens: Monday, 7th May 2012, 9:00am – 6:00pm

Book Fair Closes: Saturday, 12th May 2012, 10:00am – 4:00pm

Opening Time: 9:00am to Exhibitors and 10:00am to the Public daily

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: info@nibf.org

Website: http://www.nibfng.org

Deadline: 30 April 2012

During the past years, Bayimba Cultural Foundation has been able to establish itself as one of the leading organizations that has brought some significant dynamics to the Ugandan arts and culture sector. Yet, there is still a long way to go before the full potential of the Ugandan arts sector is realized, we are now preparing our 2012 season of activities. For this season we are currently issuing a number of calls for artists to participate in our activities and programmes as well as for team members to join our team.

If you are interested in participating in our 2012 season, you are kindly requested to download and submit this entry form. Bayimba Cultural Foundation will confirm receipt of your entry form. Our team will carefully assess the submission received and decide which artist/activity will be included in the 2012 season.

ABOUT THE BAYIMBA INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS

The 5th edition of the Bayimba International Festival of the Arts will again take place at the easily accessible Uganda National Cultural Center, from the 21st – 23rd September 2012.

As the most visible activity of Bayimba Cultural Foundation – the Bayimba International Festival of the Arts has become an important annual event on both national and regional social calendar. The Festival provides an exciting platform for artistic exchange – it puts cultural and modern dancers, local, regional and international musicians as well as other artists on one stage, sharing a diverse audience while exposing their dynamic and exciting artistic talents.

As a multidisciplinary Festival, the 5th edition will be organized with a focus to artistic installation with new and cutting age art forms.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: info@bayimba.org

For submissions: artists@bayimba.org or P.O.Box 34806 Kampala, Uganda

Website: http://bayimba.org