English books from Kenya
Recommended English books written by authors from Kenya (22)
Travel the world without leaving your chair.
If you speak English here are some English books from Kenya for the next part of the "Read Around The World Challenge".
1.
A Grain of Wheat by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o EN
Description:
A masterly story of myth, rebellion, love, friendship and betrayal from one of Africa's great writers, Ngugi wa Thiong'o's A Grain of Wheat includes an introduction by Abdulrazak Gurnah, author of By the Sea, in Penguin Modern Classics. It is 1963 and Kenya is on the verge of Uhuru - Independence Day. The mighty british government has been toppled, and in the lull between the fighting and the new world, colonized and colonizer alike reflect on what they have gained and lost. In the village of Thabai, the men and women who live there have been transformed irrevocably by the uprising. Kihika, le... continue
2.
Betrayal in the City by Francis Imbuga EN
Description:
Betrayal in the City, first published in 1976 and 1977, was Kenya's national entry to the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture in Lagos, Nigeria. The play is an incisive, thought-provoking examination of the problems of independence and freedom in post-colonial African states, where a sizeable number of people feel that their future is either blank or bleak. In the words of Mosese, one of the characters: "It was better while we waited. Now we have nothing to look forward to. We have killed our past and are busy killing our future."--Page 4 of cover
3.
Birth of a Dream Weaver : A Writer's Awakening by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o EN
Description:
From one of the world's greatest writers, the story of how the author found his voice as a novelist at Makerere University in Uganda as a student In this acclaimed memoir, Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o recounts the four years he spent at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda--crucial years during which he found his voice as a journalist, short story writer, playwright, and novelist just as colonial empires were crumbling and new nations were being born--under the shadow of the rivalries, intrigues, and assassinations of the Cold War. Haunted by the memories of the carnage and mass incarcera... continue
4.
Devil on the Cross by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o EN
Description:
This remarkable and symbolic novel centers on Wariinga's tragedy and uses it to tell a story of contemporary Kenya.
5.
Dreams in a Time of War : A Childhood Memoir by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o EN
Description:
Recounts the story of the author's childhood, covering his early years in World War II-era Kenya as the fifth child of a third wife, his thirst for learning that singled him out, and the political struggles that shaped his life.
6.
Dust by Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor EN
Description:
An audacious and beautiful novel that is both a unique family saga and a spellbinding story of the country of Kenya
7.
Facing Mount Kenya by Jomo Kenyatta EN
Description:
Facing Mount Kenya, first published in 1938, is a monograph on the life and customs of the Gikuyu people of central Kenya prior to their contact with Europeans. It is unique in anthropological literature for it gives an account of the social institutions and religious rites of an African people, permeated by the emotions that give to customs and observances their meaning. It is characterised by both insight and a tinge of romanticism. The author, proud of his African blood and ways of thought, takes the reader through a thorough and clear picture of Gikuyu life and customs, painting an almost ... continue
8.
Description:
The U.S. debut of internationally acclaimed poet and performance artist Shailja Patel, Migritude is a tour-de-force hybrid text that confounds categories and conventions. Part poetic memoir, part political history, Migritude weaves together family history, reportage and monologues to create an achingly beautiful portrait of women's lives and migrant journeys undertaken under the boot print of Empire. Patel, who was born in Kenya and educated in England and the U.S., honed her poetic skills in performances of this work that have received standing ovations throughout Europe, Africa and North Ame... continue
9.
One Day I Will Write about This Place by Binyavanga Wainaina EN
Description:
A groundbreaking memoir by the acclaimed Kenyan Caine Prize winner.
10.
Petals of blood by Ngugi wa Thiong'o EN
Description:
There has been a murder in the Kenyan village of Ilmorog. Four suspects are placed in detention: headmaster Munira, teacher and political activist Karega, spirited barmaid Wanja and storekeeper Abdulla. But there are no easy solutions to the crime in a place already filled with fear and intimidation. As the murder is investigated, it becomes clear how the lives of suspects and victims are inextricably linked to the fortunes of their village, and to the crisis of modern Kenya itself. Petals of Bloodwas published in 1977 to huge controversy, leading to Ngugi's imprisonment for his portrayal of a... continue