Poda-Poda's Creative Stops II

The second quarter of the year has come and gone, and we are half way through 2021 already. This past quarter, there were some really cool creative events both both online and offline, and here’s a wrap up of some of them:

Salone at 60: There were many celebrations and events this year to mark Sierra Leone’s 60th independence anniversary. Among them were the unveiling of the “I Love Salone “ art installation by Madengn Association, and another Jaylai Gomei festival with John Akar Foundation.

3rd Culture Kid Productions, owned by Sierra Leonean creative Adenike Hamilton, hosted a Made In Salone festival, which featured good old gumbe music, Dr Olo’s milo band, fresh palmwine and the most peppery pepper soup we’ve had in a long time. It was a really great vibe to usher in our independence day!

Poda-Poda Stories also interviewed legendary playwright Charlie Haffner, about his creative journey and his message to Sierra Leoneans for our 60th independence anniversary.

The Young Sierra Leonean brought Salone Week in honor of Sierra Leone’s 60th independence anniversary, and they had so many goodies! One of them was a virtual event about the Krio Language, which you can watch on their IGTV.

We have a new favorite hangout spot, and its at one of our favorite places in Sierra Leone-Barla at Lumley Beach! Owned by Sierra Leonean writer Ibe Kabba, Barla is more than a beach bar. With it’s mini library and excellent sea view, its’s fast becoming a creative hub as well. In May, they started a poetry slam called Nu Griots, hosted by Sierra Leonean folklore singer, Fantacee Kamara AKA Fantacee Wizz, and another open mic night in June. We can’t wait to see more Nu Griots events at Barla!

Kip Kompin Cinema Series: More Kip Kompin cinema series, this time brought to you by Poda-Poda Stories and Young Salone. This Kip Kompin held in June was focused on Sierra Leone Women in film, and featured a social justice segment with a film produced by Purposeful called Blood Rite. Other films shown were Bureh Beach by Filmmaker Seun Babalola, and a beautiful love story Okada Love, produced by Fantacee Wizz. Our plan with Young Salone is to bring Kip Kompin live in Freetown in December, we’re excited!

The Gilded Ones Homecoming: Remember when we had the IG live chat with Namina Forna in February? Well the Gilded Ones came home for real this time! Namina Forna visited Sierra Leone in June and had two events which we attended. The first was hosted at her home in Freetown, and it was amazing to chat with her about the book and readers had a lot of really great questions for the author. The second event was hosted by Yasmine Ibrahim of Mina Bilkis, and it was an intimate chat between Namina Forna and readers . She offered a lot of good nuggets about writing , how to navigate the world of publishing and did a book signing as well .

Celebrating Women's Contribution to Sierra Leonean Literature

On International Women’s Day, we are highlighting some of the storytellers who have documented the lives and experiences of Sierra Leoneans through novels, poetry and other forms of literary expressions. We are dedicating this post to all young Sierra Leonean women writers and storytellers-keep pushing, keep writing, keep telling our stories.

Gladys Casely-Hayford: A literary powerhouse, Gladys May Casely- Hayford was the only child of writer and women’s rights activist Adelaide Casely-Hayford. Her creative work spanned drama, poetry and painting. Her collection Take Am So was published in 1948, two years before her death.  

Marjorie Jones: Marjorie Jones was a Sierra Leonean researcher, editor and writer. She was the assistant editor of the renowned journal, African Literature, which promoted African literature and writers. She supported the work of her husband Professor Eldred Jones tremendously, and they co-wrote several books including a memoir, The Freetown Bond: A Life Under Two Flags.

Daphne Pratt: Daphne Pratt is a Sierra Leonean literary icon, poet and educator. Her books Krio Salad and SoSo Parebul are widely used to learn the Krio language. She wrote Masire, a play in Krio which was performed in Freetown in December 2006, and Salon Na Wi Yon, a collection of Krio poems published in 2008.

Yema Lucilda Hunter: Yema Lucilda Hunter is a librarian, novelist and biographer. She has written a number of novels including BitterSweet and Redemption Song. Hunter is also the author of Biography:An African Treasure: In Search of Gladys Caseley-Hayford, where she documents the life and work of Gladys Casely-Hayford.

Dr Talabi Lucan : Dr Talabi Aisie Lucan was a renowned Sierra Leonean educationist, writer , scholar and biographer. Her work includes The life and times of paramount chief Madam Ella Koblo Gulama , Jeneba, and various textbooks for primary schools in Sierra Leone.

Amie Kallon: A renowned musician and dancer, Amie Kallon is a prominent figure of oral  literature in Sierra Leone. Amie Kallon is a cultural icon and a pioneer in bringing traditional music and Mende folklore to the international stage.

Aminatta Forna: Aminatta Forna is a Scottish and Sierra Leonean writer. Her novel The Memory of Love was awarded the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for "Best Book" and was also shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction. Her acclaimed memoir, The Devil That Danced on the Water highlights the brutal political climate that led up to Sierra Leone’s civil war.

Samuella Conteh: Samuella Conteh is a Sierra Leonean poet and dramatist, whose rich has been internationally recognized. Her poetry collections include Love Colors and The Unsung Sung, and she has been featured in several anthologies.

Dr Fatu Taqi: Dr Fatu Taqi is a writer, scholar and women’s rights activist. Her books include Contemporary Fireside Poems: An Anthology, and her work has been published in various Sierra Leonean collections.

Nadia Maddy: Nadia Maddy is a writer and founder of the Indie Book Show Africa. She’s the author of The Palm Oil Stain, a book that documents the lives of women during Sierra Leone’s civil war.

Sylvia Savage: Sylvia Modupeh Savage: A Sierra Leonean educator who wrote several textbooks and children’s story collection written entirely in Krio-Grama Os and Stori Lɛf Pan Yu.

Marilyn Awoonor-Renner: Marilyn Awoonor-Renner was a Sierra Leonean writer and educator. She wrote Sierra Leone children’s literature classics Kamara Family and Pa Demba’s Heir .

Elizabeth Kamara: Elizabeth Lucy Kamara  is a Sierra Leonean writer, poet and scholar. She is the Head of the English Unit at the Fourah Bay College , the University of Sierra Leone. Kamara is the author of Distilled : A Collection of Poems and has published some of her works in several anthologies.

Namina Forna : Namina Forna is a Sierra Leonean -American writer and author of the New York Times best seller The Gilded Ones. This book is significant as it centers a black West African female hero in young adult fantasy genre.