Introduction and Rules

[Marieke]

Last year we did a pilot project featuring a country's literature for the entire year. By poll, we selected Nigeria. We generated a list of authors we were interested in reading, and then most months held a poll to select a particular author to be "author of the month." The Kenyan project will be slightly different, as you will see below.

Anyway, the rules are pretty simple. There is just one:

1. All work must have been written by a Kenyan. The Kenyan can be of any ethnic group, including European- and Asian-descent.

Other than that, anything goes: any genre, any time period.

We will feature one author per month. Members should read freely from that author's works and post their thoughts and converse with one another in the discussion threads.

Eleven authors recommended in our suggestion thread have multiple books. I used a random list generator to create a reading schedule for the year. The authors with one book will be "bonus readings" for the Challenge I set up.

To sign up for the challenge, create a dedicated bookshelf on your profile. Plug that bookshelf name into the challenge sign-up form as well as the number of books from or about Kenya that you'd like to read this year.

Here is the schedule:

February: M.G. Vassanji
March: Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o
April: Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor
May: Lily Mabura
June: Wangari Maathai
July: Grace Ogot
August: Mukoma Wa Ngugi
September: Meja Mwangi
October: Cynthia Salvadori
November: Warsan Shire
December: Binyavanga Wainaina

Bonus books for the challenge are Wanjira, The Zanzibar Chest, and The Fall of Saints.

I also made a nonfiction thread to supplement our fiction reading. This activity is a total free read and the books do not need to be written by a Kenyan.

Perhaps we will do a couple of specific group reads, maybe a "big read," as part of this year-long project. I am open to suggestions.

[Wangũi]

Hi Marieke, could you put the author list up here so we can look up authors in advance and also the updated rules? Is any book by the author fine.

[Marieke]

Wangui wrote: "Hi Marieke, could you put the author list up here so we can look up authors in advance and also the updated rules? Is any book by the author fine."

Hi Wangui,

I have edited the first post to bring it up to date with how things have developed. does it help?

[Jenny]

Marieke wrote: "Last year we did a pilot project featuring a country's literature for the entire year. By poll, we selected Nigeria. We generated a list of authors we were interested in reading, and then most mont..."

Thanks so much for organizing this, Marieke!

[Sue]

I have finally checked out the list Marieke and I'm going to try to participate and actually set a challenge for myself. I'm assuming if we don't complete an author's book in the specified month that isn't an issue. If I had the extra time, I'd read Dust for a second time with this group. It was so powerful. I do want to read it again someday.

[Marieke]

That's correct, Sue! You can read a book at any time during the year and have it count for the challenge. :)

Dust was really great and I'd also like to read it with others again. Perhaps we can get something organized.

[Sue]

Marieke wrote: "That's correct, Sue! You can read a book at any time during the year and have it count for the challenge. :)

Dust was really great and I'd also like to read it with others again. Perhaps we can ge..."

Hmmm, if I can work it in, I'll definitely consider it.

[Marieke]

Hi Mona! All the books for this are free choice so unless we decide to all read something together, like a big chunky book, maybe one by Ngugi wa Thiong'o, we won't have a poll.

[Zanna]

I read an extract from Daughter of Mumbi by Charity Waciuma in Daughters of Africa and I really want to read the whole book - I hope I can find it

[Wangũi]

Marieke wrote: "Wangui wrote: "Hi Marieke, could you put the author list up here so we can look up authors in advance and also the updated rules? Is any book by the author fine."

Hi Wangui,

I have edited the fir..."



Thanks Marieke!!

[Dorothy]

Hi, I'm a British author who has written a novel about a Kenyan girl's fight for education. The book is suitable for aged 12 plus and is proving very popular with adults as well as young teens. It was recently shortlisted for a children's book award. Although it's obviously not eligible for the fiction challenge, would it be okay to include it as a suggestion for further reading? No problems if it's against group protocol. Just thought I'd ask in case it might be of interest.

[Dorothy]

I also have several books I read when researching my book. I'd be happy to share this list with you all.

[Marieke]

Dorothy wrote: "Hi, I'm a British author who has written a novel about a Kenyan girl's fight for education. The book is suitable for aged 12 plus and is proving very popular with adults as well as young teens. It ..."

No problem! Can you link to your book and I'll add it to the initial post in this thread. :)

[Marieke]

Dorothy wrote: "I also have several books I read when researching my book. I'd be happy to share this list with you all."

That would be fantastic. If there is anything in this group that members love, it is lists and resources!

[Dorothy]

Thanks Marieke, The link is below. I'm about to publish a new edition soon and will send a link to that too.

Red God/Black God

I'll compile the list of books I read and post it soon.

[Dorothy]

The Last of the Maasai
Facing the Lion: Growing Up Maasai on the African Savanna
How to Write about Africa
Beneath the Rainbow
The Warrior And The Moon: Spirit Of The Maasai
Emusoi: Maasai girls tell their stories
The above are books I read before and as I was writing Red God/Black God
Beneath the Rainbow is a collection of African stories in general, but the others are all Kenyan.
You may also be interested in a book for children to which I contributed while completing my MA in Writing for Children:
Letters to Africa