Winner of the 2007 Caine Prize for African writing, Monica Arac de Nyeko’s winning piece is a short story entitled ‘Jambula Tree’. Her story focuses on the love of two young girls in a very complex social setting. While Arac de Nyeko herself is not homosexual, she felt that the issue needed to be discussed.
In the latest issue of Diva (a lesbian magazine), she expresses surprise at winning the $20,000 prize as it is such a ‘taboo’ subject and not really a topic one would anticipate as material for a story set in Africa. In addition, in Uganda homosexuality is illegal which is why the case of the Ugandan lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people in which they took to the High Court of Uganda two months ago in protest of what they say is the illegal behaviour of government officials against them is a historic one.
Which is why Monica Arac de Nyeko’s sentiments, on the theme of her book,that ‘there are a lot of difficult things we need to talk about and not build walls of huge emotions’, could not have come at more opportune time.
In addition, according to the judges it was a good piece of writing which they found ‘witty and mischevious’ . For instance, the Jambula tree is also where a neighbour spies on the girls and the fruits from the tree symbolise the breasts of the young girls.
It should be an interesting read!
3 Comments
October 11, 2007 at 2:48 am
can’t wait to read it either!
October 12, 2007 at 1:14 am
Check out the review on it just posted.
November 3, 2007 at 5:23 am
Wow! I love that line, “there are a lot of difficult things we need to talk about and not build walls of huge emotions”. Looking forward to reading this one. I just wonder why do we shun what we do not understand or are not part of? Is it not only right to let people be as they choose because really who are we hurting by being ourselves? One of those raw wounds that I have to deal with I guess