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: […]
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 […]
Karl Max famously commented that religion is the opium of the masses, and looking at the present religious set-up in the country, one would be tempted to agree with Max’s observations. A critical look at some of the fastest growing churches in the country today reveals that they thrive on the phenomenon known as prosperity […]
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A tribute to Kimani Maruge
When Kimani Maruge burst into the public limelight, I thought it was a bad joke, a publicity stunt gone too far. Seriously, how could a man aged over 80 enrol in Standard One? Nevertheless, I followed his ‘educational career’ with detached interest. Two years down the line the man was still at it. So the […]
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) […]
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 […]
The Post election violence, it would appear, has inspired a lot of creativity from Kwani? Readers are treated to an unprecedented double edition of the Kwani? Journal, and most of it revolves around the post-election violence. It has been said that countries that have suffered violent upheavals tend to produce great writers and by extension […]
About two months ago I had the rare honour of visiting a community library in a dusty, remote village called Ndeiya. I would love to share my thoughts on what I saw there: The Cardinal Otunga Library is as modern as modern libraries go. Its catalogue includes much-sought after books like the two biographies on […]
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You can now order your books online
I’ve just had a chat with a most interesting couple, and at the end of it my faith in the young people of this country was restored. Not only have they married across tribes, they have come up with a unique online shopping experience for books. What make’s Enock and Rachel Essendi’s venture unique is […]
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 […]