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Nigerian published by Kenyan is commonwealth nominee

Having a relative in Europe or in the US is normally a source of pride for many families, particularly in Africa. This is reinforced by the fact that these relatives occasionally send much needed money back home.
To these people it does not matter what their loved ones do out there as long as the funds keep flowing. In her book Eyo, Nigerian author

Book Cover

Abidemi Sanusi addresses an issue many African families, with relatives abroad, would rather not talk about. In fact human trafficking and child prostitution is an issue many governments are very shy to talk about.
Eyo is the name of a 12-year-old illiterate Nigerian girl, who is taken to the UK with promises of a good job and education. For a girl used to hawking ice water in the heat and sun of Lagos streets, this would seem like a dream offer, right?
Wrong. Eyo would rather she remains in the lawless Ajegunle Slum than leave her four-year-old sister Sade in the amorous hands of her father. There is a secret understanding between Eyo and her father that he would only leave Sade alone if she continues to satisfy his sexual needs.
She lands in the UK and into the hands of a Nigerian couple Sam and his wife Lola. While the couple has no problems having Eyo take care of their children, who are almost Eyo’s age, they are also not averse at turning her into their punching bag. That’s not all. Sam seems to have found a source of relieving his perverted sexual desires.
He, in the process, discovers Eyo’s ‘expertise’ learnt through her father back in Nigeria. It is this expertise that makes the poor girl a favourite at Big Madame’s – another Nigerian – brothel among clients looking for ‘special care’. This is after Sam is finished with her.
Eyo eventually ends up prowling the streets, trading in her body under the watchful eyes of Johnny, yet another Nigerian, her abusive boyfriend cum pimp.
When Eyo is finally rescued from the streets and taken back to Nigeria, she discovers to her horror that her father eventually made good his threat of turning Sade into his sexual object, the moment she left for the UK. The mother knows this all along but will not do anything about it as it is the duty of a woman ‘to endure’.
Abidemi admirably uses fiction to open the lid on the sensitive subject of human trafficking and more so child prostitution. Today, it is an open secret that child prostitution rings continue thrive worldwide, while authorities continue to look the other way.
Through her narrative style the author manages to bring out the readers’ anger at the cruelty of it all. However, as the story unfolds the anger paves way for helplessness. The helplessness starts creeping in as it gets increasingly apparent that the perpetrators of this vile trade are getting away easily. The fact that they are able to manipulate the law to their benefit goes to show child prostitution is not about to be brought to an end.
The book ends on a rather dark note as Eyo, faced with despondency and poverty back in Nigeria, considers going back to the UK and back to prostitution. Perhaps this is the author’s way of saying that the African girl child will continue to be an endangered species for a long time to come.
Eyo has been nominated for Best Book in the 2010 Commonwealth Writers Prize.

The book is published by WordAlive Publishers

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Wahome Mutahi Prize, call for entries

The Kenya Publishers Association (KPA) is calling for the submission on entries for this year’s Wahome Mutahi Literary Award. Both members and non-members of KPA are eligible to enter. Submissions should include five copies of the book, which are not returnable. The entry fee for members is Sh5,000, while that of non-members is Sh10,000. Entries should be received at the KPA secretariat by March 31, 2010. The Wahome Mutahi Literary Award was started by KPA in honour of the late humorist and author, for his contribution to the written word in Kenya. Judges pick out the book that use humor and satire to explore areas such as human rights, governance, etiquette and other relevant social issues. The first edition of the prize, awarded after every two years, was held in 2006 and was won by Onduko bw’ Atebe’s book, The Verdict of Death. Okoiti Omtata won the 2008 edition with his play Voice of the People.
These are the rules and regulations from the Kenya Publishers Association.
ELIGIBILITY
The Wahome Mutahi Literary Award is the brain-child of the Kenya Publishers Association. It was established in 2004 and is open to Kenyan writers whose work is published in Kenya. The prize will be given bi-annually to the author of the most outstanding new book that will use humor and satire to explore areas such as human rights, governance, etiquette and other relevant social issues in the following categories:
Adult Fiction:
a. English and
b. Kiswahili

PRESENTATION
The Prize will be presented during the 13th Nairobi International Book Fair to be held in September 2010.

RULES GOVERNING THE AWARD
The following rules must be adhered to:
1. Eligible entries for the 2010 Prize are those books published in 2008 and 2009 respectively.
2. Any original work of fiction written in English or Kiswahili will be eligible.
3. All entries must be submitted through the publisher.
4. In order to qualify, all entries submitted must be published in Kenya.
5. Generally, any book submitted should have a minimum of 48 pages.
6. Only published works are eligible
7. The quality of content will be the overriding criterion. The following however must be taken into consideration when submitting a title: quality of binding, cover design, quality of paper, quality of illustrations where applicable, and general layout.
8. Five non-returnable copies of the submitted title(s), accompanied by an entry form must be sent to the undersigned as soon as possible but not later than March, 31st 2010. A summary of the work and reasons for its suitability must be submitted together with the entry form.
9. The decision of the Judging Panel and the Awards Committee for the Wahome Mutahi Literary Award will be final. No further correspondence will be entered into in connection with the Award.

Mailing Address: The Executive Officer
Kenya Publishers Association
P.O. Box 42767, 00100
Nairobi

Physical Address: Kenya Publishers Association
Occidental Plaza
2nd Floor,
Muthithi Road, Westlands

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Events Issues News Reviews

The first review

Following the release of my book Henry Wanyoike: Victory Despite Blindness I am glad to announce that it has received its first review, mostly positive, in the Sunday Nation of October 25, 2009. The review was done by Ng’ang’a Mbugua, a journalist with Daily Nation. He is also a published author with several titles to his name. They include Mwai Kibaki: Economist for Kenya, Catherine Ndereva: Marathon Queen, among other. His latest offering is Terrorists of the Aberdare, a novella, which he has self-published. I hereby include an excerpt of the review.

Ngunjiri’s book, however, is distinguished by the fact that he is among the authors in the series who wrote his book with the full co-operation of their subjects, which cannot be said of some of the earlier biographies. And for that, the book is rich with insights that would otherwise have never made it to the public domain.

You can read the rest of the review here.

Remember, you can order it here

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Shape of things to come…

Friends, I have waited for this moment for a very long time (sounds rather cliched eh?) Ok let me rephrase it; I’ve always longed to be a published writer and the dream is almost coming to fruition. My very first book a biography/autobiography – someone tell me what to call it as it is written in the first person – of the celebrated blind athlete Henry Wanyoike ,Victory Despite Blindness (Sasa Sema/Longhorn), should be out today – that is what the publishers told me – and I can’t wait to lay my hands on my copy, er, copies.

wanyoike

They however sent me an image of the book cover, which I am sharing with you. If all goes according to plan, the book should be on sale during the Nairobi International Marathon on Sunday – remember Wanyoike is an ambassador for the race – I will also try my hand at running the 10 kilometer race, purely for selfish reasons.

You can grab yourself a copy from next week at leading bookstores and online on www.enrakenya.com

Now the Swahili have a saying to the effect that Kinyozi hajinyoi – loosely translated to mean that the barber cannot shave himself – I can’t review my own book. I am looking for someone to review it for me to be published here. Any offers?

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And the winners are…

Kenya Publishers Association announced the winners of the Jomo Kenyatta Prize for literature at the end of the 12th Nairobi International Book Fair. They are:

Adult English Category: 1st position: Blossoms of the Savannah by Henry ole Kulet (Sasa Sema/Longhorn)
2nd position: Hawecha: A Woman for all time by Rhodia Mann (Sasa Sema/Longhorn)
3rd position: The Big Chiefs by Meja Mwangi (East African Educational Publishers)

Adult Kiswahili Category: 1st position: Kyalo Wamitila’s Unaitwa Nani? (Wide Muwa).
2nd position: Vipanya vya Maabara by Mwenda Mbatiah (Jomo Kenyatta Foundation)
3rd position: Kala Tufaha by Omar Babu (Phoenix)

Youth English Category: 1st position: Walk with me Angela by Stephen Mugambi (Kenya Literature Bureau).
2nd position: Lake of Smoke by Juliet Barnes (Phoenix)

Youth Kiswahili Category: 1st position: Dago wa Munje by Sheila Ali Ryanga (Jomo Kenyatta Foundation). Apparently there was no second or third positions here. A little bird tells me the entries were awful.

Children’s English Category: 1st position: The Prize! by Elizabeth Kabui’s (Oxford)
2nd position: On the run by Mwaura Mwigana (Oxford)
3rd position: A Mule Called Christmas by Nyambura Mpesha

Children’s Kiswahili Category: 1st Position: Kisasi Hapana by Ken Walibora (Oxford)
2nd position: Sitaki Iwe Siri by Bitugi Matundura (Sasa Sema/Longhorn)
3rd position: Ngoma za Uchawi by Atibu Bakari (Kenya Literature Bureau)
Winner in the adult categories each got Sh150,000 each, while winner in the youth and children categories got Sh75,000 each

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And the nominees are…

Following the announcement, by the Kenya Publishers Association, that they have increased the prize money from Sh40,000 to Sh150,000 maisha yetu is proud to announce the nominees for this year’s Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature. The judging panel, chaired by Prof Henry Indagasi, of the University of Nairobi, announced the list of nominees as follows: For the adult English category, the nominees are Hawecha, (Longhorn) by Rhodia Mann, Blossoms of the Savannah (Longhorn) by H.R. Ole Kulet and The Big Chiefs (EAEP) by Meja Mwangi. In the Adult Kiswahili category, the nominees are Kala Tufaha (Phoenix) by Babu Omar, Vipanya Vya Maabara (JKF) by Mwendah Mbatiah and Unaitwa Nani (Wide Muwa) by Kyalo Wamitila. Nominees in the English Youth Category are Lake of Smoke (Phoenix) by Juliet Barnes and Walk with me Angela (KLB) by Stephen Mugambi. In the Kiswahili Children’s category nominees are Ngoma za Uchawi (KLB) by Atibu Bakari, Kisasi Hapana (OUP) by Ken Walibora and Sitaki Iwe Siri (Longhorn) by Bitugi Matundura. Nominees in the Children English category are A Mule Called Christmas (Phoenix) by Nyambura Mpesha, The Prize (OUP) by Elizabeth Kabui and On the Run (OUP) by Mwaura Muigania. Winners in both adult categories will win the improved prize money of Sh150,000, while winner in the Youth and Children’s categories will each pocket Sh75,000. The winners will be announced on Saturday, September 26 at Avalon Restaurant along Riverside Drive

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Jukwaani, that’s where we meet on Thursday

African culture has from time immemorial been transmitted, from one generation to the other, through the spoken word. This goes to show why the fireside stories, often told by grandmothers, occupy such a central place in the African literary setting. The study of African literature is not complete without talking about oral literature. Some of the greatest African novelists trace the roots of their prowess from the stories they were told by their grandmothers when they were growing up. Here, Chinua Achebe of the Things Fall Apart fame comes to mind. Performance literature has, over time, undergone a transformation in tune with modern trends. Still, this form of art is highly cherished in Africa. Perhaps the finest form of performance literature are poetry recitals which come in various forms, ranging from poetry slam to spoken word. In a move to celebrate performance literature, the Kenya Cultural Centre, the Goethe Institut and Alliance Francaise will be holding a one-of-its-kind festival from 17 to 20 September, whose entry will be free.Poster JUKWAANI 2

Dubbed Jukwaani! the festival will feature a blend of the new and old as far as East African performance literature is concerned. The five-day event will also feature European-based African artistes as well as those from Europe. The performances will mostly be in English and Kiswahili. Among the personalities set to perform during the festival is German-based poet and scholar Abdilatif Abdalla. Most young Kenyan’s would not be immediately aware of Abdilatif nor his achievements. In literary circles, he is best known for his protest works. The Kenyatta regime jailed him after he wrote the book Kenya Twendapi? (Kenya; where are we headed?) This book criticised the Kenyatta government for its excesses and neo-colonial stance. He was actually charged with sedition. His other book, Sauti ya Dhiki (Voice of Agony), a collection of poetry was written while he was incarcerated at Kamiti Maximum Prison. It was basically agitating for the opening up of democratic space in Kenya. Sauti ya Dhiki went on to win the inaugural edition of the Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature in 1974 for the Kiswahili category. Ukoo Flani Mau Mau, better known for their lyrical prowess, will also be part of Jukwaani! attractions. Ukoo Flani, draw their inspiration and creativity from the day-to-day struggles in Nairobi slums. They are based in slums of Dandora. Best known as underground artistes, these Dandora-based hip-hoppers have chosen to remain true to their impoverished slum existence by shunning the more commercial forms of creativity. Theirs is the hard-hitting poetry that depicts typical life in the slums, their suffering, in the hands on corrupt authorities, as well as triumphs. They also document the negative side of life in the slum, like the effects of crime and drug abuse. Ukoo Flani are a direct contrast to the other form Kenya’s urban hip hop, which appears to celebrate materialism, commonly expressed in the form of flashy lifestyles and bling. Proceeds of their album Kilio cha Haki are going towards the creation of a permanent studio in Eastlands. This, they argue, will help to give young Kenyans a voice and demonstrates how hip hop and music can be an alternative to drugs and crime; a source of income; a means of voicing social and political protest. Truth be said Ukoo Flani boasts some of the finest urban poets in Kenya today, and it is their lyrical prowess that will be showcased at the festival. Tony Mochama, also known as the Literary Gangster, for his unconventional and often abrasive poetry, will also be performing at Jukwaani! The moniker Literary Gangster was inspired by the title of his book, What if I am a Literary Gangster, a collection of poetry. Other featured performers include Dalibor Markovic, Sheikh Ahmed Nabhany, Talking Drums of Africa, and Zamaleo, among others. While the example of Abdilatiff Abdalla goes to show that performance literature has been in existence for a long time, particularly among the Swahili people, the idea of performance poetry has caught up among urban youth in the last four years. Perhaps the best known is Open Mic poetry sessions organised on a monthly basis by Kwani Trust. The idea of Open Mic is borrowed from the American inspired Poetry Slam. Here a number of poets take to the stage to perform their poems and are awarded points from either a panel of judges or the audience. Spoken word is the other form of performance poetry, which is often accompanied with a musical background. Compared with Southern African countries, East Africans lag behind when it comes to performance poetry. Zimbabwe for example, has a well-established poetry movement, which has been at the forefront in the agitation for opening up of democratic space in the country. Jukwaani! as the name suggests, will mainly centre on what is on show on the podium. Jukwaani is Kiswahili for on the stage or podium. Jukwaani! hopes that the boundaries separating the performer from the audience will be shattered leading to a situation where the audience is fully involved.

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Does more prize money = more creativity?

Creative writers in Kenya will be in for a major treat at the annual Nairobi International Book Fair (NIBF) set to be held towards the end of September. For the first time, the winner of the Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature will take home a substantial amount of prize money.
The Kenya Publishers Association (KPA) who are the organisers of NIBF told maisha yetu that winners in the two adult fiction categories – English and Kiswahili – will each get Sh150,000 in prize money.
This is a major improvement from the miserly Sh40,000, previous winners used to receive, for the bi-annual award, the most prestigious in the country.
Other categories in the award, namely the youth and children’s writing will each get Sh75,000.
The increase in the prize money was made possible when the Prize’s main sponsors, Text Book Centre (TBC) presented the KPA Council with a cheque worth Sh800,000 to go towards the fund.
TBC has had a long history with the award. The award ran into financial trouble soon after its first edition in 1974, where Meja Mwangi’s book Kill Me Quick and Abdulatif Abdalla’s Sauti ya Dhiki, won the English and Kiswahili categories respectively.
After a long hiatus, members of the KPA council approached the management of TBC, in 1990, with a view of helping revive the award, which had been formed to encourage and reward creativity in Kenya.
TBC agreed to sponsor the award and donated Sh200,000 for the Prize Mr. C.D. Shah, a director of Text Book Centre, says that their decision to support the award stems from the fact that they had cordial working relations with publishers. “Being the biggest booksellers at that time, we were also their biggest customers,” he says. Text Book Centre has been in the business of selling books since 1950s, thereby making them the oldest booksellers.
TBC has handed over Sh200,000 on a bi-annual basis ever since.
In 1992, the prize was revived and Wahome Mutahi’s book Three Days on the Cross shared the first prize with David Maillu’s The Broken Drum. In 1995, the first prize went to Margaret Ogola, for her book, The River and the Source, Margaret Ogola’s book went ahead to win the Commonwealth Writers prize the same year.
In 1997, the first prize went to Ngumi Kibera’s book Grapevine Stories, with the Kiswahili prize going to Emmanuel Mbogo’s Vipuli vya Figo.
In a move that was deemed controversial, in 1999, judges decided that the books that had been submitted lacked creativity and therefore did not award any prize.
In 2001, Meja Mwangi again won with his book The Last Plague. Kyalo Wamitila’s Nguvu ya Sala took the Kiswahili prize. In 2003, Stanley Gazemba won the Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature with his book The Stone Hills of Maragoli.
In 2005, judges failed to award the first prize in the English category, arguing that the titles submitted were not strong enough. They however awarded the second prize, which went to Muroki Ndung’us A Friend of the Court.
In the Kiswahili adult category, the first prize went to Kyalo Wamitila’s Musaleo.
In 2007, Marjorie Oldudhe’s book A Farm Called Kishinev won the Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature under controversial circumstances. There was disagreements among judges as to which book, between Marjorie’s and Margaret Ogola’s Place of Destiny, deserved to win the prize.
The controversy led Pauline’s Publications, Ogola’s publishers, to boycott the NIBF since.
Apart from the River and the Source, which went on to win the Commonwealth Writers Prize, other winners of the award have little to show for it.
Critics have accused KPA of making little or no effort at all in marketing or publicising the award. The situation is such that these writers are barely known outside of the publishing and writing fraternity.
Perhaps the saddest story is that of Stanley Gazemba, whose book, The Stone Hills of Maragoli, published by Acacia, and which won the prize in 2003, has been out of print for a number of years now. The author has been engaged with the publisher in a long-running tussle, to make the book available.
The author says that only 500 copies of the book were published. Gazemba is however elated that the efforts of authors are finally being recognised. “They should have increased the prize money a long time ago,” he says. “What they used to give previously was a joke.”
The same fate is suffered by winners of the Wahome Mutahi Literary Prize, formed to honour the late humourist. Although Oduko bw’ Atebe’s book, which won the inaugural prize in 2006, is readily available in the market, the author laments that it should have sold better, had KPA invested in a more aggressive campaign.
Blame here should also fall on the individual publishers, who should also take advantage of the win, to aggressively push the book in the market. But in a publishing market that overwhelmingly feeds on the government funded textbook market, it might be too much to ask of them to invest substantially in marketing a non-textbook.
Mrs Nancy Karimi, who is the chairperson of KPA promised that with the windfall from TBC, the publishers’ body should make a difference in the whole marketing of their prizes.
“The increase in prize money should now trigger more creativity from our writers, as their efforts are now better rewarded,” added Mrs Karimi, who is also the managing director of Jomo Kenyatta Foundation.
Mr Rajiv Chowdhry, the managing Director of TBC explained that their decision to increase the fund came as a result of the fact inflationary forces experienced in the country over the years have seriously eroded the value of the earlier award of Sh40,000.
TBC has promised to donate an additional Sh1.6 million to cover the 2011 and 2013 editions of the prize.
During the handing over ceremony, done at the refurbished TBC offices on Kijabe Street, both the management of TBC and the KPA Council hinted at the inclusion of more categories, in future, subject of availability of funds.

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Role of media in promoting creative writing

I recently was invited to presented a paper, at a Ministry of Culture sponsored workshop, on the above subject and below are my thoughts.

Media continues to be an important tool in the dissemination of information in the country. This perhaps explains why media occupies such an exalted if not powerful position in the society we live in. This position of influence, if well harnessed, can bring about positive transformation in the society.
Ideally, media is supposed to serve the masses who consume it. However the reality on the ground is such that, due to ignorance, on the part of the public, media in Kenya is viewed with suspicion, in that it exists to serve not those it is supposed to serve.
Many of you gathered here today will agree with me that worst, the media is perceived as a tool to ‘fix’ out people one has some form of quarrel with. Even then, it is a privileged few who have access to media. In short media is seen as a vengeful agent to be avoided at all costs.
At best, media is seen as an avenue to being famous, and this fame is mostly associated with riches, and not many people like the idea of remaining poor. On that respect alone, media and media practitioners are much sought after.
As a media practitioner I have had occasion to encounter both extreme perceptions of the media from the public I interact with. “Si utaniweka kwa gazeti?” comes the hopeful question from those believe that only good can come from the media. “Wewe, usiniweke kwa gazeti!” is the admonishment from those who think the media is out to harm them. And in the case of the latter, it is not uncommon to hear incidents where media practitioners have had their lives threatened.
It is against this background that we must look at the role of media in the promotion of cultural content. It is also important to note that in the Kenyan media scene, not much premium is placed on culture and the arts, where creative works lie.
A casual glance at the Kenyan press will reveal the heavy bias towards reporting politics and politicians, little wonder politicians call have so much influence in our society, such that almost everything they say or do is rarely questioned.
Last year’s post-election violence is enough testament of the pervasive influence politicians have on us.
But I digress. The fact of the matter is that very little space is given to the coverage of the arts. Even in the newsrooms where we work, art and cultural writers are not taken that seriously. The unwritten rule, both in the newsroom and outside, is that you have to be a political writer to be taken seriously.
The other day I attend a joint forum for artistes and art journalists, when a well-known thespian made the unsubstantiated allegation to the effect that journalists only take up art writing, while waiting for better prospects… of eventually becoming political writers.
Well, let me say there are committed art and cultural writers, who would never substitute what they do, however unglamorous, to follow politicians around.
I long for the day when the leading news items will be Njue Kamunde (a children’s writer) holding a press conference to announce the arrival of his latest book. The reality however is such that Njue would probably not have the guts to approach a media person.
Yet, Njue, or any other writer for that matter, needs to be able to command the attention of a journalist at any given time.
When you talk about a creative writer, we are in essence talking about intellectual property. In countries like the US, the intellectual property industry is worth billions of dollars. Hollywood alone contributes a very significant proportion to the exchequer in that country.
Maybe to speak in more familiar terms names like Robert Ludlum, John Grisham, just to name but two, should be able to tell you the power of creative writing. If Grisham, for example decided to comment on the proposed health care plan in America, chances are that he would knock Obama off the headlines.
No matter how eloquent our Njue is, he can not even dream of sharing his thoughts on, say, the prosecution of post-election violence suspects, not unless he decides something out of the ordinary.
This point brings to mind Okoiti Omtata, a creative writer, who in order to get heard, had to chain himself to the fence at police headquarters. Today Omtata is known more for his political and not cultural activism. Not many people know that his play, Voice of the People, which won the Wahome Mutahi Prize for Literature, in 2008.
To remedy this situation, there needs to be a paradigm shift in the way the creative industry operates in this country. I think it is high time players in the creative industry engaged the media in a meaningful dialogue.
As an art and culture writer, I run a weekly column on happening in the industry, and every week, I have to prod people in the industry to give me material for the page. At times I am forced to beg to get this information. How do you then expect my editor to take me seriously when the political writer is spoilt for choice over what to write?
Not that there is nothing happening in the creative and cultural industry, it is just that players in the industry do not think it merits any attention. You see when I have more than enough material to put on my page, only then I can convince my editor to give me more space.
Along the same lines I challenge the parent ministry to take a more proactive role in promoting the creative/ cultural writing industry in the country. It is so disappointing when all the major literary prizes are scooped by Southern and West Africans.
I believe with more exposure, and need I say trainings, our writers can compete effectively with their colleagues in the West and Southern African countries. Then, they can be able to make news, not only locally, but also internationally.
This is not to say that the media is free from blame. Far from it. Our local media needs to take an affirmative action approach in the coverage of the arts and culture in the country. Maybe when artistes and cultural practitioners notice that their industry is being taken with more seriousness and sensitivity, then they would be more forthcoming with information. Who knows, it would spur more creativity.
Artistes and cultural practitioners, and supporting bodies like the Culture Ministry, should also take it upon themselves to sensitize media practitioners on the finer details of their operations and activities. This should be in the form of trainings and seminars.
As things stand, there is a lot of ignorance in our media, as regards what art and cultural reporting entails. Again going back to art and art writers’ forum, some of the artistes accused the journalists of not understanding what they do. To them, I will say this; If you do not take the trouble to enlighten me on what it is that you do, how do you expect me report you accurately and favourably?
With the help of more accurate, effective and informed art and cultural writing, our creative writing gets wider exposure. This exposure leads to more awareness among the reading public – and let us not talk about Kenyans poor reading habits here – and this translates into more sales and therefore better earnings.
And in conclusion, I will say here that with more meaningful dialogue between artistes and art writers, then Njue will only be too happy to see me than threaten me with dire consequences if I ‘put’ him in the papers.
And by meaningful dialogue, I mean that Njue should be able to understand that I will time and again be called upon to criticize his work, if only with a view growing him.
That said I would rather Njue be mad at me for pointing out his weaknesses, than have him happy with me covering up his mediocre output.

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Motivational books galore

Lovers of motivational books have something to look forward to. Tomorrow, Saturday August 8, will be a gathering of six motivational authors at the Silverbird Lifestyle Store, formerly Nu Metro Media Stores, starting at 2.30 pm.
The authors will be signing their books as well as interacting with their readers. This goes to show that motivational writing in Kenya has come of age. And if you want to know what really moves in bookshops today, just visit the motivational sector.
Better still visit Keswick Bookshop, opposite Holy Family Basilica and you will be shocked by the volumes of books they move. Did I hear someone say Kenyans don’t read?
So where was I? Among the authors signing their books is Former cabinet minister Prof Kivutha Kibawana. He currently serves as an advisor to the president on the Constitution. His book, titled Walk With me God, takes a philosophical look at life and his relationship with God. You should read the book and see a different Kivutha from the blundering politician, who lost his Makueni seat in the 2007 elections.
Other authors include Hon Justice James Ogoola, the Chief Judge of Uganda High Court. His book is titled Songs of Paradise: A Harvest of Poetry and Verse. Justice Ogoola also sits on the Comesa Courts of Justice. Justice Ogoola’s book was launched in Kampala last month, and judging from the reviews in Ugandan media, I think it is a book worth reading.
Also to be signed is Ken Monyocho’s How to Save Money for Investment. Now, Monyoncho’s pocket size book has been flying off shelves, and it is should be in its third edition now. Without appearing to do PR for Monyoncho, the book, to me, is Kenya’s answer to Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad.
The other authors are Anthony Gitonga, who will be signing his book Pathway to Purpose, and Dare to Dream Again and Best Foot Forward, both written by Fred Geke.
Other authors are Nigerian Tokunboh Adeyemo, the executive director of the Centre for Biblical Transformation, as well as the General editor of Africa Bible Commentary. His books are Africa’s Enigma and Is Africa Cursed?
Children’s author Shel Arensen will also be signing his four books in the Rugendo Rhinos fiction series. The books are The Poison Arrow Tree, The Carjackers, Poachers Beware and The Secret Oath. The event starts at 2.30 p.m. and ends at 4.30 p.m. The books are published by WordAlive Publishers.
Lets meet there.