Storymoja has come and gone, bringing new memories and relationships with it. We got to be a part of the event and it was a great experience for the sessions we had and the sessions we got to attend. Story Moja is all about literature – thought provoking ideas that stay ingrained in mind as you wait for the next year to roll by and attend the festival once more. To understand what Storymoja will be in our minds for a while, you have to take a look at some of the events that went on during the five-day festival.
If you attended Storymoja, you learnt about the value of sharing your work with the public. It’s a risky game but your work can inspire and change lives. That was the one theme that most of the speakers had in common. They had all in their own little ways changed a few lives along the way thanks to their work.
You got to learn about blending in reality with your imagination. What we go through in life can be a good topic to write about but so many of us ignore reality and focus on creating an alternate universe. How much better would it be if we could all base our stories on reality, and wrote about what our readers can relate to? This thought particularly came to mind during a session led by Liyou Libeskal (Ethiopia), Duduzile Mabaso (South Africa) and Sitawa Namwalie (Kenya).
Storymoja was where the reality that we can use art as more than just an entertainment tool came to the front of our minds. Sitting in a session like “Art for Democracy” which had British High Commissioner to Kenya Christian Turner made this thought real. We got to know that your voice can be a call to ask for change in the political world. You got to see and hear the various ways to go about it without ending up on the wrong side of the law.
I could go on and on about all the great sessions and sights available at Storymoja, but that would take forever. One thing that must be mentioned and lauded was the Westgate memorial. The photo exhibition at the Museum might have been independent of the festival but it was still part of it in some ways.
On Sunday evening as the festival drew to and end, exactly a year to the date of the Westgate tragedy, Storymoja had a memorial. Candles were lit, an orchestra was on hand to play soothing music and victims, family and friends of all those affected got to share their stories. It brought home the message of unity and strength. Though it was somber, one could not help but see the determination to fight and be stronger despite the tragedy.
As we begin counting down the days to next year’s festival (16th – 20th September), we shall share and remember all the great moments we had this year.
A big thank you to the team behind the festival!