The Heroe Book Fair 2020, the first major book fair in Nakuru, Kenya, will run at the Player’s Theatre from July 23-25, 2020.
While Nakuru, the fourth largest city in Kenya after Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu, is well known for the arts like music and theatre, the literary arts like prose and poetry haven’t thrived in a way you would expect. For many years, those who were talented in their arts like the late great Binyavanga Wainaina, poet Gufy Dox, and many others had to go to Nairobi to make their mark in their preferred field. The only large event in recent memory in the city for instance, was the regional edition of the Storymoja Festival that happened way back in 2015.
A new book bonanza looks set to change the literary fortunes of the city as the Heroe Book Festival makes its appearance. The fair is named “heroe” which is the Kiswahili name of the flamingo which many consider to be the town’s unofficial bird. It is being run by literary enthusiasts led by writer Lorna Likiza with support from the government of Nakuru County.
At the moment, there is little information on the writers and other literary producers that will be at the event over the three days. What the team has done is start with the festival infrastructure by calling out to publishers, bookshops, and any other literary organisations who wish to exhibit or sell their products. Those who would like to be a part of Nakuru history are advised to either contact the organisers of the fair on their Twitter or call the number on the attached poster.
See you in Nakuru in July people. It’s going to be lit. Yes, pun intended.
