Austin Bukenya
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Austin Bukenya (born 10 February 1944) is a Ugandan poet, playwright, novelist and academic administrator.
newvision.co.ug. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
He is the author of the novel ''The People's Bachelor'',"The People’s Bachelor – the greatest Ugandan novel"
, edirisa.org. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
and a play, ''The Bride''.The Bride… a review Words on Austin Lwanga Bukenya’s The Bride
joankivanda.wordpress.com. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
He has taught languages, literature and drama at
Makerere University Makerere University (; Mak) is Uganda's largest and oldest institution of higher learning, first established as a technical school in 1922, and the oldest currently active university in East Africa. It became an independent national university in ...
in Uganda and universities in the UK, Tanzania and Kenya since the late 1960s. He has also held residences at universities in Rwanda and Germany. Bukenya is also a literary critic, novelist, poet and dramatist. An accomplished stage and screen actor, he was for several years Director of the Creative and Performing Arts Centre at
Kenyatta University Kenyatta University (KU) is a public university with its main campus in Nairobi, Kenya. It acquired the status of university in 1985, being the third university after University of Nairobi (1970) and Moi University (1984). As of October 2014, it ...
, Nairobi.Austin Bukenya
, badilishapoetry.com. Retrieved 7 May 2014.


Early life and education

Bukenya, who prefers to be called Mwalimu, was born in 1944 in
Masaka Masaka is a city in the Central Region, Uganda, Buganda Region in Uganda, west of Lake Victoria. The city is the headquarters of Masaka District. Location Masaka is approximately to the south-west of Kampala on the highway to Mbarara. The ...
town, Southern Uganda, where his father worked as a policeman. His family later moved to Kitukutwe 15 miles from Kampala. His father was a staunch Catholic who would narrate biblical stories which he would alternate with his mother's folk stories. According to Bukenya, these stories inspired his imagination.The Future for Young Writers is Online – Bukenya
redpepper.co.ug. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
He attended Gayaza primary school and joined Kisubi Seminary where he studied three languages,
French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...
,
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
and
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
. This would soon inform his literary thinking and future academic career. His growing passion for literature was soon cemented at
Namilyango College Namilyango College is a boys-only boarding secondary school located in Mukono District in the Central Region, Uganda, Central Region of Uganda, whose history and excellence in sports and academics have made it one of the most prestigious schools i ...
, where he took his O- and A-level exams.Student Alumini
namilyangocollege.sc.ug. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
In 1965, he went to Dar es Salaam University where he continued to nurture his keen interest in Language and Linguistics in addition to a growing interest in
Kiswahili Swahili, also known as as it is referred to in the Swahili language, is a Bantu language originally spoken by the Swahili people, who are found primarily in Tanzania, Kenya, and Mozambique (along the East African coast and adjacent littoral i ...
. He studied the Language Linguistics and Literature and Education (LLLE) for his undergraduate course. Most of Bukenya's writings are in Kiswahili, he attributes this to his grandmother, whose roots can be traced back to
Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam (, ; from ) is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of the Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over 7 million people, Dar es Salaam is the largest city in East Africa by population and the ...
. He was also inspired by linguistic teachers including Wilson Whitely, a British author famous for his book ''Kiswahili: the Rising of a National Language''. Bukenya joined Makerere as a postgraduate student in 1968 and later developed the oral literature course. He also studied at universities in Madagascar and England, and took his higher degrees at Makerere and Kenyatta Universities. He has taught languages, literature and drama at Makerere University in Uganda and universities in the UK, Tanzania and Kenya since the late 1960s.


Writing

A poet, a novelist and a keen actor, Bukenya was introduced to theatre and inspired to become a writer by his parents who were strong believers of Kiganda traditions. This immersion of theatre in everyday life was also a part of Bukenya’s education who grew up in a Ugandan village where he “witnessed numerous performances of children’s traditional songs and dances, games and rhythms” that inspired and influenced his writing career. Bukenya wrote his first prizewinning play in 1964, based on stories told to him by his mother. He has since written numerous plays and radio dramas, but only managed to publish two of his plays, ''The Secret'' and ''The Bride''. Bukenya’s works include ''The Mermaid of Msambweni'', ''The Bride – a play in four parts'', and ''John Ruganda’s The Floods'', among others. He has taught in Kenya at Kenyatta University, and also Bayreuth University, Department of African Studies in Germany. His recent publication, ''A Hole in the Sky'', focuses on the need to protect the environment and honours the late Kenyan Environmental activist and Nobel Laureate
Wangari Maathai Wangari is a name of Kikuyu origin that may refer to: * Wangari Maathai (1940–2011), Kenyan environmental and political activist * Catherine Wangari Wainaina (born 1985), Kenyan beauty pageant contestant * Margaret Wangari Muriuki (born 1986), K ...
. Bukenya's work has been featured on the pan-African poetry platform
Badilisha Poetry Radio A project of the Badilisha Poetry X-Change Badilisha Poetry Radio is an online platform created to appreciate, celebrate and discover contemporary Pan-African poetry. ''Badilisha Poetry Radio'' focuses on weekly podcasts featuring poets from the ...
. He is an honorary member of FEMRITE.FEMRITE Membership
femriteug.org. Retrieved 7 May 2014.


Published works


Novels

*


Plays

* *


Literary Criticism

*.


Educational books

* , * , with Jane Nandwa and muyigai Gachwanga * , with Wanjikũ Mũkabi Kabĩra and Duncan Okoth-Okombo * , with Arnold Curtis and James Park * * , with Jane Nandwa


Anthologies

*


Poems

*Naturally, in
"A Dancer's Challenge"
in Badilishapoetry, 2014


References


External links






"Professor Bukenya: Chinua Achebe Inspired My Writing"

"‘Stop discriminating against humanities’ ""Literature growth in Uganda "

"I got it"

"Africa Must Embrace Traditional Values or Perish"


{{DEFAULTSORT:Bukenya, Austin Living people 1944 births People from Masaka District Makerere University alumni Ugandan male short story writers 20th-century Ugandan poets Ugandan novelists Academic staff of Makerere University Ugandan dramatists and playwrights People educated at Namilyango College 21st-century Ugandan poets Ugandan male novelists Ugandan male poets 20th-century short story writers 21st-century Ugandan short story writers 20th-century Ugandan male writers 20th-century Ugandan writers 21st-century male writers