It’s our turn to eat” tells the story of John Githongo, a friend of the author, who served as Kenya’s top anti-corruption official, under the government of President Mwai Kibaki in the late 90s.
It’s Our Turn to Eat – The story of a Kenyan whistle-blower (by Michela Wrong)
October 18, 2012 By 2 Comments
A Season of Mirth (by Regina Amollo)
December 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The storyline of Regina Amollo’s A Season of Mirth is set in a village in Eastern Uganda. The events revolve around Okanya’s chauvinistic and domineering nature. He beats Abeso, his wife once in a while, even for the wrongs committed by Ikiso and Anaro his two daughters.
Idi Amin: Lion of Africa (by Manzoor Moghal)
December 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment
With his new book, Idi Amin: Lion of Africa, Manzoor Moghal offers a reappraisal of Idi Amin’s time in office. While this is not an outright defence of Amin’s rule, it is, nonetheless, an attempt to recast the man, and offer a more positive narrative of his politics.
After Mandela: The Battle for the Soul of South Africa (by Alec Russell)
November 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
If you’d read the opinion pages of the newspapers at the time Alec Russell was reporting on Africa for the Financial Times, you will have little use for this book. The only novelty therein, is in how Russell weaves his opinion into the reports he, no doubt, had to revisit countless times for the purposes of compiling this book. There is little new, and Russell’s views are just like the ones that were bandied about before in their currency as news of the day.
Chinua Achebe to Receive $300,000 Prize
September 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Nigerian writer, Chinua Achebe has been announced as the 2010 recipient of the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, one of the world’s largest and most prestigious awards in the arts. As award recipient, Achebe will receive a cash prize of $300,000 and a silver medallion on October 27 at the Hudson Theatre, Millennium Broadway in New York City.
Achebe, one of Africa’s greatest writers, is best known for Things Fall Apart, a book that has sold over 10 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages. He was honored for his impact on “the international diaspora of African fiction and voices.”
Wrinkled Faces (by Connie Sebbunga-Masembe)
September 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Like so many overly ambitious and simplistic Africans, Isabirye, the play’s central character goes to great length to “buy” for a visa to fly abroad for greener pastures. He sells off most of his assets, in a dubious quest to fly abroad. Excited by his big plans, Isabirye’s family look forward to the pending flow of cash when their father and breadwinner goes overseas. It seems quite obvious to them that when the dollars from Isabirye’s sweat start to flow in, it will provide a vaccine to all their financial problems
Weep Not, Child (by Ngugi wa Thiong’o)
September 17, 2010 By 1 Comment
The book, first published in 1964, is set in Kenya, and is a portrayal of life in the country during colonial times. It is divided into two parts: “the waning light” and “darkness falls”, and has eighteen chapters. Contrary to the title, this child has every right to weep, according to Prima Birungi who writes this review. Right from the start, good luck is not on the child’s side save for the few moments he is at school. It’s a very interesting book which has stood the test of time.
Nigerian, Zambian win 2010 Penguin African Writing Prize
September 5, 2010 By 4 Comments
Yesterday, Penguin Books South Africa announced the winners of the 2010 Penguin Prize for African Writing at the Mail and Guardian Literary Festival.
The 2010 Penguin Prize for African Writing – Non Fiction Award went to Pius Adewami, for his entry, “You are not a country Africa.” Ellen Mulenga Banda-Aaku from Zambia won 2010 Penguin Prize for African Writing – Fiction Award, with her first novel, “Patchwork”.
Inaugural Penguin Prize for African Writing
August 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The winner of the inaugural Penguin Prize for African Writing is set to be announced on September 4, 2010 at the Mail and Guardian Literary Festival. Award organizers received over 300 submissions – 250 in the fiction category and 50 in the non-fiction category from countries all over Africa, but surprisingly, the final shortlist includes [...]
Michaela Wrong
August 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Like many international journalists, Michaela Wrong got her start in the field, working for the Reuters news agency in the early 1980s, mostly as a foreign correspondent.
