The Storymoja Hay Festival is drawing near; it runs from September 17th to 21st. You may be asking yourself;
‘What’s the big deal?’, ‘Why Should I Attend It?’, ‘Isn’t it just another Festival in Nairobi anyway?’
Well, I’m here to answer all those questions. You may think that if you don’t write fiction or work in that industry, you have no business attending the festival. I’m here to tell you that it should be on the top of your to do list in September, especially if you live in Nairobi – you have no excuse. I’ll share just a few reasons why you should attend and why you won’t regret doing so.
1. It’s a vibrant gathering of the greatest minds in Kenya and beyond – celebrating ideas and culture.
If you have read books, you know the power that they hold within them. They inspire our imagination, creativity, dreams and aspirations. The authors who pen those great books are the ones who awaken these emotions within us that drive us to either; be better individuals, want a better life or to imagine and create great things. Imagine if you were told that a collection of those authors are going to be meeting somewhere where they will speak and interact with you- for five days? Wouldn’t you want to join that conversation? Well, that’s what Storymoja Hay Festival is about. Bringing together great Kenyan and other African writers together to speak about their ideas and discuss culture with you. Even Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka will be there! Now I bet you want to just get that ticket and start counting down the days.
Prof. Wole Soyinka (Courtesy: Storymoja)
2. It’s a great way for any aspiring fiction writer to gain knowledge and confidence.
Are you a writer? Have you been writing in journals or notebooks, short fiction stories for as long as you can remember? Maybe you never thought it would amount to anything, but you still find that to this day you still write. Well, you have to definitely go to the Festival. If you’re not sure how to get started on writing and need inspiration; Storymoja Hay Festival will help with that. Not only do you get to meet great authors who will share their experiences; you can sign up for a Storymoja Festival Masterclass where you will have a three hour session with a great thought leader who will lead a session about a topic such as ‘Fiction for Beginners’. The great thing is that it’s not a class where you are lectured; you actually get to have a discussion – session leader and participants. That ensures that all your questions will be answered and it will encourage your creativity to the utmost. So make sure you sign up for one of those Masterclasses to ensure you make the most of the Festival and I’m sure you’ll be writing to your audience in no time!
3. It’s a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to gain more insight on writing for business
Are you an entrepreneur? I bet you’re thinking; ‘What? How’s that going to help me in my business?’ Well, as an entrepreneur myself, I’m here to tell you that it’s a must attend for any entrepreneur in Kenya who uses inbound marketing in their business. Inbound is content marketing and involves a lot of writing; this is done in order to attract and engage your customers. What better way to learn more about writing than from a professional writer? If you can make the time, you can even sign up for a Storymoja Masterclass that discusses Guerrilla Marketing or one about Blogging – perfect for you if you have a business blog. I know I’m definitely signing up to know more about marketing – anything to take my business writing to the next level. So make sure you get your advanced ticket and mark those dates on your calendars entrepreneurs! Not convinced yet? Hmmm…I know just the thing.
Get more insight as a blogger for business
4. Entertainment galore and celebrities you definitely want to see.
There will be entertainment too – Sauti Sol will be there (I know you’re very impressed ^_^). There will be poets, for the poetry lovers, such as Clifton Gachagua. Jeff Koinange will be there; it’s always interesting to hear what he has to say- as an author, journalist and an entrepreneur as well. Writer, satirist and humorist Oyunga Pala will be there; I know you’ve seen his articles in the newspapers. All kinds of artistic individuals from other genres will be there as well such as award-winning photographer Boniface Mwangi whose powerful photos have touched many; not only in Kenya but internationally as well. It will definitely be worth it to attend the Storymoja Hay Festival.
Sauti Sol Band will be there
It’s going to be held in an easy access location – the Nairobi National Museum and it runs for five days so you can schedule time well and make it there for at least one of those days. It’s also a great activity to plan for one day on that weekend in which you can go with your friends, colleagues, family (great for kids as well) or just visit by yourself. I know that you are very convinced right now and that is why you will head over to the website and click to buy tickets. You will enjoy a free pre-registered Masterclass if you do so right away.
See you there ^_^
This post was published originally on the Storymoja Hay Festival Blog.
TheKenyanTrepLady 