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Finding Home Part 1
The three boats were anchored against a log at the shore. Nobody was supposed to touch anything left in them until the next morning. Nobody slept. The whole island was awake as the devil. Prayerful men prayed. Women mourned their missing. Your mother said your dad had been so secretive the last few days before his disappearance. He had been closing himself inside his hut. Perhaps he was worrying about the tough times. We had been attacked by a belt of hyacinth and fishing was almost impossible. The lake’s clear water was now buried under green twigs and it would be so for months. He had told me over beer that he was thinking of going east. I told him to spit those words out of his mouth. He did. He never mentioned that again.
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Bookstores like Kibanga offer an alternative to imported bestseller lists and one-dimensional narratives. They become more than just sellers of books — they are cultural custodians, curators of local voices, and channels through which Kenyan and African literature can truly be read, discussed, and loved.
Storytelling motivates children to read more, which in turn helps them to improve on their language skills.
In a collaboration with Mvua Press, one of Soi’s iconic women becomes the face of After 4.30, a timeless book that digs deep into the lived experiences of women navigating violence, survival, and solidarity.
The sudden death of a pious Man of God saddened and worried me. What kind of man would the white smoke billowing out of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel unveil to replace him? Would he be a sissy and conniving charlatan or a fearless shepherd with the spine to resolutely poke fingers into the devil’s nose? asks Ted Malanda.
At the heart of Kenya’s literary scene lies a reverence for the past, especially for what Kwani? represented. Its legacy is undeniable, and its contribution to literature in East Africa deserves to be acknowledged. But how long can we keep circling the same conversations?
"There's a market, and there's curiosity about African stories by Africans. We must find our way into that market," says Empress Ciku Kimani-Mwaniki.
