The Nordic Africa Institute has appointed Shailja Patel of Kenya to be Guest Writer 2009. Shailja Patel will be active at the Nordic Africa Institute in Uppsala during April to June 2009. Besides developing her own literary activities during her stay in the Nordic region, she will participate at readings and have performances in several Nordic countries. The Nordic Africa Institute is unique among research institutes in the Nordic region in appointing a yearly writer in residence.
Shailja Patel, who is of Indo-African origin and grew up in Nairobi, is right now in Sweden as a participant in the international writers and translators conference Waltic in Stockholm. She has been mentioned as one of the most interesting young writers in Africa. In 2006 she premiered the one man show āMigritudeā which gave her global recognition. Extracts from the show has been broadcast by National Public Radio in the U.S. and by the BBC in the UK. She was one of eight poets selected to perform at the Poetry Africa arrangement at the World social forum in Nairobi in the beginning of 2007.
The Nordic Africa Institute cites Shailja Patelās āskill and originality in many writers genres: poetry, short stories, dramatisation of national and family history, and for her original take on identity in the āMigritudeā ageā as reason for her selection to be NAI Guest Writer 2009.
The Nordic Africa Institute (Nordiska Afrikainstitutet) is a center for research, documentation and information on modern Africa in the Nordic region. Based in Uppsala, Sweden, the Institute is dedicated to providing timely, critical and alternative research and analysis on Africa in the Nordic countries and to co-operation between African and Nordic researchers. As a hub and a meeting place in the Nordic region for a growing field of research and analysis the Institute strives to put knowledge of African issues within reach for scholars, policy makers, politicians, media, students and the general public. The Institute is financed jointly by the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden).
www.nai.uu.se
For more information about Shailja Patel and the Nordic Africa Institute Guest Writer Program, please contact Mai Palmberg, mai.palmberg@nai.uu.se, coordinator for the programme “Cultural Images in and of Africa” at the Nordic Africa Institute. Also see Shailja Patelās own web site: www.shailja.com.
11 October, 2011 - The Nordic Africa Institute
On Tuesday 11 October Liberia is holding presidential and general elections. Researchers at The Nordic Africa Institute will be available to provide analyses and answer questions from journalists. Mats Utas has written several books and research articles on the civil war in Liberia. Anders ThemnƩr is an expert on informal military networks in post-civil war societies.
3 June, 2011 - The Nordic Africa Institute
On 15-18 June the European Conference on African Studies (ECAS) is held in Uppsala, a meeting place for Africa-researchers from all over the world. In about 160 panels and roundtables scholars meet to discuss current, important issues concerning Africa. ECAS also provides an opportunity for journalists to meet experts on a wide range of issues and countries.
31 May, 2010 - The Nordic Africa Institute
A singular focus on rape hampers efforts to combat sexual gender-based violence in conflict, according to new findings in a report on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). To improve the situation of women, it is also necessary to understand the context in which violence is being committed and to work with men and boys, both as perpetrators and as victims of gender-based violence.
7 May, 2010 - The Nordic Africa Institute
The Nordic Africa Institute (NAI) today opens the Nordic Africa Development Policy Forum online, taking advantage of the potential of the web for stimulating lively exchange in real time. The Forum aims to promote a well informed, evidence-based policy debate across the Nordic countries, with participation from researchers and policy makers, as well as from civil society and members of the public. NAI invites everyone with an interest in African development issues to participate.
Expertsvar, The Swedish Research Council, Hantverkargatan 11B, Stockholm SWEDENPhone +46(0)8 546 44 000
P.O. Box 1035, SE-101 38 Stockholm, expertsvar@vr.se
Information about cookies will open in a new window
