Please Continue Donating!
Your help is still needed but with your generous help via Crowdfunder, we can get started. We will continue to receive donations through this Crowdfunder page and on our website.
Thank You So Much!Kadija
In 2016, I developed the ‘Modern Pan-Africanist's Journey’ app. as part of the Research and Development funding that I received from Arts Council England for my second poetry book, of the same title, The Modern Pan-Africanist's Journey.’
I had the idea for the app. when I was commissioned by the Mayor of London’s office in 2010 to write a poem called ‘An Ode to Pan-Africanism' for the 'Africa@50' event, which commemorated the 50th anniversary of West African independence. It linked to the theme of homeland in my new poetry con, so I decided to promote 20 African poets (including myself) on an app. Check it out below.
The Modern Pan-Africanist’s Journey
http://www.sablelitmag.org/mpajweb1/webapp/
“Firstly, this app is HOT. This resource is extremely important and has applications in many other areas that are quick and easy to navigate.”
Tim F., New York., Graphic novelist.
In 2020, Arts Council England gave me the funding to start upgrading the 'Modern Pan-Africanist's Journey' to 'AfriPoeTree', a Selective Interactive Video (SIV) to include up to 100 poets. We currently have 60 poets and need to raise the funds to add another 40 poets.
“I look forward to the additions as more and more poems are added to the
anthology.” (Testimonial from Survey Monkey).
The aim of AfriPoeTree is for people to explore and learn about poets of African descent around the world by watching and listening to video and audio (performances and interviews etc.) and reading poets’ work. There is also lots of information on Pan-Africanism. Many African leaders were also poets; many poets are Pan-Africanists so we have brought the poetry and Pan-African history and culture together in one place! It’s a fun and stimulating way to explore Black culture and history, through poetry. Students and anyone interested in Black History, Performance Art, Poetry, African and African diasporic culture will find something they love on AfriPoeTree. It’s easy to navigate from 11-year-olds upwards.
360 degrees Poet Rooms
Each poet has a room populated with their content, that includes video, audio and their poetry and their tips and suggestions for poets. Each wall of their room features an element of the poet and their work for you to interact with and discover more about them. It’s like an anthology with unlimited pages for poets to upload new material whenever they want
Some of the poets includes are :
Ama Ata Aidoo
Fred D'Aguiar.
Inua Ellams
Nick Makoha
Natalia Molebatsi
Niyi Osundare
Rommi Smith
Sonia Sanchez
Dorothea Smartt
Benjamin Zephaniah
“Learning about a writers’ journey and life - a great resource for performing arts student.” (Testimonial from Survey Monkey)
AfriPoeTree includes original features such as:
- Events of African poets recorded from London 2012 event at the
Southbank
- Events of poets of African descent from festivals and book launches
- New films made by and about featured poets
- Original research on Black British Publishers and Pan-Africanism
- Advanced technology in AfriPoeTree with SIV capabilities - adds another dimension to traditional interactive videos so that viewers can select the interactive options to create a personal experience – an innovative new way to experience poetry. Other sections include resources for poets and students on Pan-African history and suggested reading lists related to Pan-Africanism and on poetry.
"This has given me such joy over the Easter break. I have read all of the poems and followed the links and more. I think that this is an amazing project, well researched and so much information. It is well organised and easy to navigate. This will certainly be an asset for many different educational organisations or anyone just interested in learning more about the subject." Anni D. Actor, UK
How will we use your donation?
Most of the funding for AfriPoeTree has been secured from Arts Council England and I have contributed £1000 of my own funds too, but I need to raise an additional £10k to ensure that the work is completed for the success of AfriPoeTree. We currently have have enough funds to add 60 poets, but we need £10k to add the remaining 40 poets.This is our first target.
Who is Kadija Sesay, the founder of AfriPoeTree?
I am a literary activist who has worked with poets since the 90s, holding regular poetry events, that started with ‘Black Bitter and Beautiful’ at Pamela’s Caribbean restaurant in East London. Later, with Apples and Snakes, and then I became the Black Literature Development Worker at Centerprise Literature Development Project where I founded Calabash, a literary newspaper for writers of African and Asian descent. From 2001-2015 I published SABLE LitMag for emerging Black writers. I established the Inscribe writer development programme for Peepal Tree Press in 2004 and continue to work there with Black British Writers as the Publications Manager. I published my debut poetry collection Irki in 2013 which was shortlisted for The Glenna Luschei Prize for African Poetry. I am currently working on my second poetry collection, The Modern Pan-Africanist’s Journey, supported with a writers grant from The Author’s Society. I have (co) edited several anthologies of work by Black and Asian writers, in drama, poetry, fiction and non-fiction and fiction. I’ve mentored several writers and judged several writing competitions including the Brunel Prize for African Poetry (which has now been renamed The Evaristo African Poetry Prize). I have sat on the boards of several arts organisations including Apples and Snakes and the Arvon Foundation. I have received numerous awards for my work in the creative arts including an honorary Fellowship from the Royal Society of Literature, an Honorary Fellowship from Goldsmiths, College and a doctorate from Brighton University. My research interests are in Black British Publishers and Pan-Africanism and so I have been able to include my original research from my PhD on Black British publishers and Pan Africanism.
So I am a Pan-Africanist who loves Poetry – and I'm sharing this on AfriPoeTree!
I have had a small, great team helping me – Rebecca, Grace and Ruqaiyah have helped me to research and prepare the content to build AfriPoeTree SIV. Amy is working on the marketing. I couldn't have done it without them!
Thank you for supporting me to finish this Black Culture and History project.
AfriPoeTree is free. All crowdfunding supporters of £20 or more will be invited to the preview launch on 1 April and be gifted with a one year membership which will unlock premium resources that include previews of new content, product launches and product discounts.