Alexis Kagame, a priest, linguist and poet, Aloys Bigirumwami, Rwanda’s first Catholic bishop and historian, and Yolande Mukagasana, an author, received Lifetime Literary Achievements Awards for their valuable contribution to Rwanda’s written tradition.
Kagame and Bigirumwami received the awards posthumously at the Radiate Rwanda Literary Excellence Award 2024 on Saturday, November 23 at Kigali Public Library.
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Mukagasana received the award in person, while Kagame and Bigirumwami’s awards were received by Bishop of Butare Diocese Jean Bosco Ntagungira and Episcopal Vicar of Nyundo Diocese Jean Marie Vianney Nsengumuremyi, respectively.
The first edition of Radiate Rwanda Literary Excellence Award event was organised by the Ministry of Youth and Arts, and US-based publisher Bridge Vision. It aimed to honour the distinguished authors’ significant contribution and inspire young people to embrace writing, drawing motivation from the examples set by their predecessors.
A philosopher, linguist, historian, poet, and Catholic priest who died in 1981 aged 69, Kagame left indelible work on Rwandan ethnohistory and ethnophilosophy, and the study of indigenous African philosophical systems. He wrote in Kinyarwanda and French.
In his works, including "Inganji Karinga”, "Isoko y’Amäjyambere” (The Source of Progress), and "La Poésie dynastique au Rwanda” (Dynastic Poetry of Rwanda), Kagame documented Rwandan cultural heritage and history.
Kagame and Bigirumwami were the first Rwandan to write Rwandan history. (It should be noted that the first Rwandan write a book in Kinyarwanda was Father Balthazar Gafuku, who, in 1929, published "Ikitabo ky’abanyekoli bo mu Rwanda” – loosely translated as "A Study Book for Rwandan Learners.”)
Kagame focused his works on the dynastic history. His Inganji Karinga is considered the most famous work on the history and tradition of Rwanda’s Nyiginya dynasty.
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Bigirumwami, who was the Vicar Apostolic of Nyundo Diocese, was died in 1986, aged 82. He focused his work on the lives and traditions of the ordinary Rwandans during the precolonial period.
One of his most notable is "Imihango n&039;imigenzo n'imiziririzo mu Rwanda,” which documented the Rwandan customs, traditions, religion and ethnographic history in general.
Initially, as a missionary, Bigirumwami had little appreciation for local customs. However, his perspective evolved later, and he became a vocal advocate for using Rwandan culture as a tool for communication and unity.
Bigirumwami founded the magazine Hobe in 1954. The church affiliated publication became a prominent platform for celebrating Rwandan traditions.
Author Yolande Mukagasana, a survivor of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, wrote about the tragedy, especially in her 2019 book "Not My Time to Die.” Her powerful testimony was one of the first survivor accounts published about the Genocide, which claimed more than one million lives.
Bigirumwami, Kagame and Mukagasana were recognized not only for their individual works but for their collective contribution to shaping Rwandan literature.
Their efforts helped to elevate Rwanda’s oral traditions into written form, ensuring that the stories, histories, and philosophies of the Rwandan people would be preserved for future generations.
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Mukagasana emphasised that her work focuses on shedding light on the harmful effects of foreign influence on Rwanda’s history and why the youth should take on the task of writing.
"Rwandan youth have a special place in my heart, and many of my upcoming projects are dedicated to them,” she said.
"I don’t see why everyone doesn't write. We all have a story to tell. Every day brings an empty page, and everyone should fill it with something meaningful. I don’t want to see history repeat itself. My intention in writing was to uncover all the bad things that had been hidden. I believe this will help the younger generation.”
She also spoke about the challenges she faced trying to translating her books about the Genocide against the Tutsi, particularly from French into other languages.
"France didn’t want the truth to be revealed to the young generation elsewhere so they wouldn’t know the full story and continue to uphold the genocide ideology,” Mukagasana noted.
"The French accused Rwanda of blaming them for the bad history that occurred in our country. France initially denied its role, but later it surrendered. We must all remember these truths and keep the memories alive.”
Other authors and literary experts who attended the awarding ceremony highlighted the need to engage young people in writing because writing is a powerful tool for self-expression, cultural preservation, and nation-building.
Barbara Umuhoza, the author of "Shaped,” an autobiographical book, said that Rwandans should take writing as Rwandans a matter of urgency.
"In Rwanda, there are 14 million stories,” Umuhoza said. "30 years after the Genocide against the Tutsi, some of our parents have passed away, and some have left nothing about history. As Rwandans, we need to reflect on this issue, and there should be support.
"Writing is like peeling onions; the more you peel, the more you uncover fresh layers. In the same way, we must continue to dig deeper to uncover the pure history. We have good writers, but they really need support, and eventually, we will get there,” Umuhoza said.