Moses Isegawa
Encyclopedia
Moses Isegawa, also known as Sey Wava (born 10 August 1963), is a Ugandan author. He has written novels set against the political turmoil of Uganda, which he left in 1990 for the Netherlands
. His debut novel
Abyssinian Chronicles, was first published in Amsterdam in 1998, selling more than 100,000 copies and gaining him widespread national attention. It was also very well reviewed in 2001, when published in English in the United Kingdom and United States. Isegawa became a naturalized Dutch citizen, but he returned to live in Uganda in 2006.
When he began publishing his writing formally, he used the pseudonym
of Moses Isegawa. His first novel, Abyssinian Chronicles, a Bildungsroman
set during the 1970s and 1980s, was written in English but first published in Dutch
in the Netherlands in 1998. It sold more than 100,000 copies in a nation of 16 million people, creating a stir that earned him an invitation to Parliament and a profile on television.
When published in English in 2001 in the UK, Australia and North America, the novel was also generally well received, although its faults were also noted by critics. For instance, Michiko Kakutani
of The New York Times wrote: "His story has a strange amoral power, an immediacy and raw energy that capture the chaotic move of his times."
His second novel Snakepit (1999), was set directly in the years of the dictatorship of Idi Amin
. It is an examination of evil and corruption.
Isegawa resided for more than 15 years in Beverwijk
, a small town near Amsterdam
and became a naturalized Dutch citizen. He regularly visited Kuala Lumpur
, and moved back to Uganda in 2006.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. His debut novel
Debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel an author publishes. Debut novels are the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to publish in the future...
Abyssinian Chronicles, was first published in Amsterdam in 1998, selling more than 100,000 copies and gaining him widespread national attention. It was also very well reviewed in 2001, when published in English in the United Kingdom and United States. Isegawa became a naturalized Dutch citizen, but he returned to live in Uganda in 2006.
Early life and education
Sey Wava was born to a middle-class Catholic family in Kampala, Uganda. His parents sent him to good schools, and he attended a Catholic seminary and the University of Makerere. Wava first worked as a history teacher.Career
Wava worked as a history teacher before leaving for the Netherlands in 1990 at the age of 27.When he began publishing his writing formally, he used the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of Moses Isegawa. His first novel, Abyssinian Chronicles, a Bildungsroman
Bildungsroman
In literary criticism, bildungsroman or coming-of-age story is a literary genre which focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood , and in which character change is thus extremely important...
set during the 1970s and 1980s, was written in English but first published in Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
in the Netherlands in 1998. It sold more than 100,000 copies in a nation of 16 million people, creating a stir that earned him an invitation to Parliament and a profile on television.
When published in English in 2001 in the UK, Australia and North America, the novel was also generally well received, although its faults were also noted by critics. For instance, Michiko Kakutani
Michiko Kakutani
is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning critic for The New York Times and is considered by many to be a leading literary critic in the United States.-Life and career:...
of The New York Times wrote: "His story has a strange amoral power, an immediacy and raw energy that capture the chaotic move of his times."
His second novel Snakepit (1999), was set directly in the years of the dictatorship of Idi Amin
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
. It is an examination of evil and corruption.
Isegawa resided for more than 15 years in Beverwijk
Beverwijk
Beverwijk is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. The town is located about northwest of Amsterdam in the Randstad metropolitan area, north of the North Sea Canal very close to the North Sea coast...
, a small town near Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and became a naturalized Dutch citizen. He regularly visited Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, and moved back to Uganda in 2006.
Works
- Abyssinian Chronicles (Abessijne kronieken), Amsterdam: 1998; United States, 2001)
- Snakepit (1999, Netherlands, as Slangenkuil; New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004, in English)
External links
- Author spotlight: "Moses Isegawa", Random House Official Website