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Showing posts from December, 2021

2021 WorldCon-DisConIII: PANEL TRANSCRIPT – Words and Awards—Creating Visibility in Africa

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Words and Awards—Creating Visibility in Africa Sunday 19th December This panel decided to talk about WORDS – terms used to describe what we do – and where we feel our work fits into. Plus highlighting new writers to keep an eye on. Mame Bougouma Diene, Dilman Dila, Mazi Nwonwu, Stephen Embleton TRANSCRIPT: All Mazi:  Good afternoon, good morning. Good evening. Good afternoon afternoon, good morning, and good evening because people are watching online from all parts of the world. Good morning for somebody, he could after -- the afternoon for the other person. We come to this panel discussion on Africa. At the moment -- fiction from Africa. But aside from those who have made a big name from themselves, there are a multitude in Africa putting out work in the different genres. Today, we are going to look at the work and try to draw light and pay attention to them. In this conversation, I will be talking with a panel of established writers. Please introduce yourselves. I am a writer of fict

2021 WorldCon-DisConIII: PANEL TRANSCRIPT – Being African is Tougher Than You Think

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Being African is Tougher Than You Think Friday 17th December Travel costs, visas, and payment methods, conversation rates not to mention failing electricity, high data costs and PayPal not always working for you.  Distinguished writers from the continent talk about the impact of practical problems—and if it’s any better when you move to the West. Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, Dilman Dila, Tlotlo Tsamaase, Stephen Embleton TRANSCRIPT: OGHENECHOVWE: WELCOME TO THE "BEING AFRICAN IS TOUGHER THAN YOU THINK" PANEL. YOU CAN SWITCH ON YOUR SUBTITLES FOR THE PANELISTS. I WELCOME THE AUDIENCE. WE ARE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT AFRICANS FACE. THE PANELISTS ARE HERE AND THERE IS NO NEED FOR ME TO EXPLAIN OR TALK FOR EVERYBODY. I’M GOING TO BE INTRODUCING THE PANEL. WE HAVE STEPHEN EMBLETON AND DILMAN DILA. THEY ARE AFRICAN WRITERS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT. I WILL LET THEM INTRODUCE THEMSELVES. TLOTLO: I’M AN AUTHOR THAT HAS WRITTEN AFRICAN ARTICLES, POETRY, AND SHORT STORIES

2021 WorldCon-DisConIII: PANEL TRANSCRIPT – The Nommo and Other Awards for African SFF

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The Nommo and Other Awards for African SFF Thursday 16th December This panel will discuss the Nommo Award and other awards and contests that create visibility for speculative fiction writers on the African continent. Mame Bougouma Diene; Dilman Dila; Stephen Embleton; Mazi Nwonwu TRANSCRIPT: DILMAN DILA:  WELCOME TO THIS PANEL DISCUSSION ON THE NOMMO AWARDS AND OTHER AWARDS DEDICATED TO AFRICAN WRITING AND IN PARTICULAR, AFRICAN SPECULATIVE FICTION WRITING. MY NAME IS DILMAN DILA. I WILL BE THE MODERATOR FOR TONIGHT. IT’S MORNING IN OTHER PLACES, BUT I’LL BE THE MODERATOR THIS TIME ROUND. I MAYBE WILL START WITH A BRIEF BIO ABOUT MYSELF. MOSTLY I’M A WRITER AND I’M A FILMMAKER AND I’VE BEEN RECOGNIZED IN QUITE A FEW AWARDS. I DON’T THINK I’VE WON ANY LITERARY AWARD AS YET, BUT FROM WAY BACK, 2008 IS WHEN I GOT NOMINATED FOR SOME AWARD, IT WAS CALLED THE MILLION WRITER AWARDS AND UNTIL THIS YEAR WHEN I WAS SHORT-LISTED FOR THE BRITISH SCIENCE FICTION ASSOCIATION AWARDS. SO IN BRIEF, TH