Book: Sketch of a bald woman in the semi-nude and other stories Writers: Tuelo Gabonewe, Jacque Ndinda, Orem Ochiel, Nyana Kakoma, Alexander Ikawah, Anne Moraa, Kiprop Kimutai, Novuyo Rose Tshuma, Moses Kilolo, Clifton Gachagua, Wambui Wairua and Idza Luhumyo. Editor: Anne Moraa Publisher: Jalada Publishing year: 2014 Available: Jalada.org The Jalada Collective is a group […]
Month: February 2014
Its been a good few months for Tony Mochama. The Nairobi based journalist and poet in the last few months came third in the Burt Prize for his book Meet the Omtitas where he went home with some nice pocket change. He was also more recently a Miles Moreland Award recepient where he is writing […]
The Time of the Writer is one of the most respected festivals for writers on the continent. The festival which is in its 17th year is hosted in March ever year with writers from around the continent and the world converging on Durban, South Africa. Some of the more well known East African folks who […]
The Storymoja Hay Festival 2014 dates are out. The festival now in its sixth year will be hosted at the National Museum of Kenya in Nairobi from 17th – 21st September. The Storymoja is one of the fastest growing literary festivals in Africa. From its humble beginnings in 2009 when the organisers started an event […]
Book: The Orchard of Lost Souls Author: Nadifa Mohamed Publisher: Simon and Schuster Year of publication: 2013 Number of pages: 336 I met Nadifa Mohamed briefly when she was one of the Granta novelists who had entered our space. I didn’t understand then what the big deal was about this Somali born novelist so I […]
Saturday morning saw several aspiring writers show up at the Daystar University Valley Road campus where Kap Kirwok and Ken Walibora gave tips for those who want write books. Here are some images from the event courtesy of the organisers. You can view the whole album on the event their official Facebook page.
Legendary Kenyan author Ngugi Wa Thiong’o is famous for his many many books having written his first in the 1960s starting with Weep Not, Child, in 1964 to his latest offering Dreams in a Time of War: A Childhood Memoir. In the recent past, Ngugi’s son Mukoma Wa Ngugi showed that the banana doesn’t fall […]
Book: Invisible Author: Kevin Mwachiro Publisher: Native Intelligence and Goethe Institut Nairobi Number of pages: 111 Year of publication: 2013 In which I review Invisible by Kenyan writer Kevin Mwachiro which gives tales from Kenya’s queer community. Our friendly neighbour President Yoweri Museveni this week signed a new bill making homosexuality a criminal offence […]
Categories
No more M-Net Literary Awards
So on Sunday we were all excited at the introduction of the newest literary star but its not been all good news on front as the MNET literary awards are no more. The awards started in 1991 as The M-Net Book Prize and went on to become one of South Africa’s most prestigious literary honours. […]
Zimbabwean writer Noviolet Bulawayo is the winner of the inaugural Etisalat Prize for Africa Literature in a ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria last night. This has been a long journey to recognize the best African writer on the African continent in the last one year. The process had gone through a rigorous process starting with a […]
Three of the best known writers in Kenya will be giving advice to budding writers at the Daystar Creatives Academy on Saturday. The Daystar Creatives Academy series is one of the most innovative things to come out of the country in recent times. It allows for younger aspiring writers to learn from the people who […]
The Etisalat Prize for African literature is set to be announced in Lagos, Nigeria on Sunday with a performance by very famous artist Youssou N’dour. The event which we have been following for the last few years with the long list then the short list has been quite cool. Now we come to the main […]
Monica Cheru’s latest short story collection The Happy Clappers and Other short stories is set to come out in late March. Monica Cheru’s day job is as lifestyle editor of The Herald in Zimbabwe but many readers of this blog will remember her as the mentor to the Writivism graduates in Harare a few weeks […]
The Kampala International Book Fair 2014 is set to happen in Kampala, Uganda on 12-15th March. The fair will see many heads of renowned publishing houses, agents, sales personnel, foreign rights representatives, editors and authors participate. Basically anyone involved with books. If you are in Kampala at the time you will access several things including […]
Book: Dust Author: Yvonne Adhiambo Owour Publisher: Kwani Trust Publication year: 2013 Number of pages: 385 Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor‘s book Dust came out last year when Kwani? Turned 10. It was slightly (OK really really) overshadowed when Nairobi went gaga over larger than life guest Chimamanda Adichie (check out her new story Why can’t […]
