Book Reviews
In an era of ‘Jezebels’, whose husband is Elikem?
His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie begins with Elikem absent on his wedding day, represented instead by his brother Richard. It is a story that peels back the curtain on…
Articles
Essays, reviews, author profiles and serialised fiction about books published in Africa today.
Articles, page 10 of 15
Book Reviews
Wanjiku’s story: A heartfelt, sensory portrait of Kenyan childhood
This book is utterly charming, laugh‑out‑loud funny, and deeply moving. It portrays resilience — how children raised by grandparents in the countryside, by a nanny in…
Book Reviews
Won't you help to sing these poems of freedom?
Kinyatti, who was himself taken prisoner for six and a half years in 1982 for writing on the Mau Mau movement during Daniel arap Moi’s regime, intimates the hard…
Featured
‘Storytelling is part of many African cultures; imagination is at our fingertips’
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.
Featured
On stage and in real life, ‘After 4.30’ shows nothing’s changed for women
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…
Podcasts
Episode 5: Othuke Ominiabohs: Why Africans Don't Read
Do African writers living on the continent have stories worth telling? Othuke Ominiabohs, novelist and CEO of Masobe Books, challenges common misconceptions in this…
Featured
Who gets to be the hero? Why children’s books must reflect lived realities
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…
Author Profiles
Fanning the flame: Kari Mutu and the revival of Kenyan children’s literature
Kari’s inspiration also drew from the oral stories her mother used to tell — tales filled with ogres, village life and mystical animals. These folk memories, deeply…
Featured
Tribute: Ngugi was an archenemy of plunderers of African values
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…
Book Reviews
‘Emili, Lili and Beti feel like old friends who once whispered truths in the dark’
The revised edition stays true to the raw, unfiltered emotion that made the original book such a hit. Nothing fundamental has changed in the book, and that’s the beauty…
Featured
Are you a great storyteller? Let’s see the tension, sweaty palms and wobbly legs
The sensory needs of young readers pass through distinct developmental phases, and effective sensory writing meets these emotional and imaginative needs at each stage.
Featured
The secretary is game? Beware, office hanky-panky ‘After 4.30’ could get you fired
That Mailu discerned and attempted to lift the veil on the unfair circumstances of women way back in the 1970s makes him our bravest, most beloved but least acknowledged…