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"The Polygamist" and the shame of being seen loving
Anthropologists and historians have long distinguished between polygyny—the practice of one man having multiple wives—and infidelity or promiscuity. Across many African societies, polygyny operated within communal structures. Wives generally knew one another. Senior wives held authority. Children belonged not only to parents but to extended families. Marriage itself was understood as a union between lineages rather than merely two individuals.
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The youthful generation is yearning for information, as times have shown that everyone needs to be updated to avoid making the mistakes that our forefathers made when they were colonised and made to think that they couldn’t think on their own or make sane decisions.
Social media has been transformative. It’s allowing Africans to reclaim stories in real-time—whether it’s TikTokers teaching indigenous languages or Instagram creators reviving ancient textile traditions. Technology is helping bypass traditional gatekeepers, making it easier to tell our stories from our perspective.
The challenging aspect of children’s books, says Robert Dersley, is timing. One can throw so much love into the illustrations it can never end.
Flipping through the pages of After 4.30, you’ll find yourself seated beside Emili, Lili, and Beti, women who feel eerily familiar. Women you might recognise. As you read, faces come to mind; some alive, some lost.
Representation in children’s literature is more than just numbers. It is about creating a world where every child can see themselves, in the characters they encounter and the authors who create them.
Promoting Marxism was the turning point of Ngugi in ruffling feathers with President Jomo Kenyatta, who was pro-capitalism. Kenyatta went after Ngugi and threw him into detention for interfering with the political kitchen.
