MAISHA YETUFollowing the launch of the Burt Award for African Literature, most would-be participants were asking what the rules and regulations were. Well, here they are. First of all the length of the manuscript should be between 120 – 150 pages, and should be divided in chapter form. The manuscript to be submitted should be double […]
The National Book Development Council of Kenya (NBDCK) will on Wednesday, January 19, launch the William Burt Prize for African Literature at the Kenya National Library Services headquarters. The award promises to be the most prestigious in the Kenyan literary scene, with the winner taking home Sh1 million (12,000 Canadian Dollars). The Award is being […]
For a long time now there have been concerns that literary prizes in the country do little to encourage writing. This was before the Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature, the most prestigious literary award in the country, tripled its prize money to Sh150,000. Henry ole Kulet was the first recipient of this vastly improved prize […]
Whenever explanations are sought on poor performances, in English or Kiswahili, in national exams, Sheng is always on the surface waiting to be summoned, on short notice, and vilified for being such a diabolical influence on these two ‘pure’ languages. Ever since it came into existence, Sheng has always been considered the bastard child in […]
This story first appeared in the premier edition (July – September 2010) of The Kenyan Runner, the one that had David Rudisha on the cover – ha, I had to say that – It has since changed names to Runners Magazine. When he got blinded in 1993, Henry Wanyoike had no idea which direction his […]
Kenyan publishers: The weak link in Kenyan writing? A Paper presented at an international seminar on Historical Legacy and Contemporary Writing in the Commonwealth, held in New Delhi from 8-10 October. By JOSEPH NGUNJIRI Just like the old woman in the Igbo proverb gets uneasy when dry bones are mentioned so does East Africa and […]
Henry Chakava, the man who almost lost his finger for sticking out his neck for Ngugi wa Thiong’o, purrs with pride at the prospect of his star writer winning the coveted Nobel Prize for Literature. “I feel very proud,” says Chakava the Chairman of East African Educational Publishers (EAEP), who are Ngugi’s Kenyan publishers. “It […]
Ng’ang’a Mbugua’s novella, Terrorist of the Aberdare has won the third edition of the Wahome Mutahi Literary Award, while John Habwe’s book Cheche za Moto won the Kiswahili category of the same prize. The awarding ceremony was the highlight of the 13th edition of the Nairobi International Book Fair. An elated Ng’ang’a Mbugua, who is […]
In case you have forgotten, the 13th Nairobi International Book Fair is still on at the Sarit Centre Expo Centrer will run up to Sunday September 26. So make a point of making an appearance there. Mr Lawrence Njagi, the chairman of the Book Fair say that this year, the have received a record number […]
Kenya’s Education Permanent Secretary Prof James ole Kiyiapi will, on Thursday, September 23 preside over the official opening of the 13th edition of the Nairobi International Book Fair, at the Sarit Centre in Nairobi. The very fact that Prof Kiyiapi has agreed to officiate at the event is not lost to players in the publishing […]