Category Archives: Marketing

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Ciku Kimeria channels Pet Shop Boys, Goes West

Ciku Kimeria

The Pet Shop Boys are one of the most famous bands out of the UK in the latter part of the 20th Century who sold more than 50 million records worldwide. The group, two lads, played to packed stadia around the world with stadium management from the US to the Japan having to deal with screaming teenage girls and probably a lot of discarded undergarments. The glory times.

One of the biggest song was Go West which they sung in 1993 and it had a glorious lyrics with a chorus that went like this;

(Go West) Life is peaceful there
(Go West) In the open air
(Go West) Where the skies are blue
(Go West) This is what we’re gonna do

(Go West, this is what we’re gonna do, Go West)

It seems even African writers follow in the words of these two British boys as Kenyan writer Ciku Kimeria recently went west; of the African continent in Ghana and Nigeria. The writer was presenting her debut novel Of Goats and Poisoned Oranges which had been received enthusiastically when it appeared in Uganda.

Her Ghana launched happened in Accra at the annual Kenyans in Ghana festival which was chaired by the high commissioner in that part of the world on 1st February. In Nigeria, there was a launch at the Bogobiri House on Victoria island in Lagos on 5th February.

Which she was doing her launch duties she was heard on local stations selling her book with the energy only a Kenyan can. One of these was on Citi FM where she was grilled by Martin Egblewogbe the Caine Prize finalist and writer of The Gonjon Pin (yes, the title story from THAT Caine Prize anthology). She was also heard on Enterprise Radio and Radio 1 Lagos.

So those of you in the West of this rock can buy this book at the Vidya Bookshop in Osu, Accra, and Glendora, Ikeja Mall Lagos.

Courtesy of the writer and marketer please check out images from her West African tour.

P.S. If we are all channeling famous artists from the 20th Century then I will now bring in my inner Inikamoze… Here comes the hot stepper/Bloggerer!

Ciku Kimeria at Glendora

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Meet African writers on the Palm Print’s The Living Room

Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond is very cool on her video

Getting to read Africans is getting easier and easier with spaces like Amazon and more publishers than ever getting into the fiction space in the recent past. Whilst it is relatively easy to pick up the book and read the story from the author the author is usually unseen like in other art forms like music and film. Opportunities for people who love the written word to see their prose heros aren’t that many not just in African literature but generally. Apart from a few shows dedicated to featuring writers like KTN did a few months ago and discontinued the prose gods of this day and age have to compete with the rest of the arts for the space to promote their product.

This is why I am loving a YouTube channel that I have just discovered called The Palm Print where you get to meet African writers like Teju Cole, Chinelo Okparanta and Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond. Almost in the flesh. As in you see them as real human beings that talk and cough and rub their noses nervously and everything. They give their opinions about their work and other topics of interest. In one video Teju Cole, is at a book club where people who have read his Open City book get to ask him questions about it. In another Nana Ekua talks about rediscovering Ghana the country she calls home and her book Powder Necklace as well as being in the Africa39 list. In yet another one with Kelechi Okere (a doppelganger for Nganga Mbugua) hosts Chinelo Okparanta on her book Happiness Like Water and the voiceless women. All very cool.

The website of the Palm Print project describes itself as a platform for exploring the rich and myriad cultures of Africa through our story as told in literature, documentaries, photography and other art forms. Starting with literature (can I get an amen?!) they are trying to build a community of writers, both on and offline, working together to share and create the stories that define us as a continent. So I recommend that you go into The Living Room series where invited guests exchange thoughts and views on African literature. You might just see your favourite writer or meet a new one.

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A visit to KBC’s Books Café with Khainga O’Okwemba

Books Cafe Presenter Khainga O’Okwemba

In recent times Kenyan media has come to the plate where literature and its reporting are concerned. The biggest selling publication on Saturday the Saturday Nation last year started literary pages where you could find dedicated news and reviews from books from the continent with up to ten pages on the topic. With contributions from the likes of Dr Evan Mwangi, Dr Joyce Nyairo , Julius Sigei and Kingwa Kamencu you could at a glance get an idea of what is happening. The pages also allowed people to write in with their opinions on happening topics while authors would send in their own experience in their chosen profession.

The folks from The Standard were not far behind afterwards with their own pages which weren’t as elaborate as they were only two in their Saturday Standard. Also in the mix was the Star which has been doing reviews of books for a while with an emphasis on African writers on Thursday. There is also a new section that interviews authors from around the continent. The most literary thing on Thursday in the Star is the “Literary Postcard” a literary column that has been running for a few years now run by Khainga O’Okwemba who at the moment is the chairman of PEN Kenya.

Khainga O’Okwemba is a man of many hats. Apart from being PEN Kenya president and having a column in The Star he is also the host of the only radio show in Kenya dedicated to literature. The show which is produced by Jared Ombui is called The Books Café and runs on KBC English Service which is as you are aware situated in town just behind the National theatre. The show has hosted some of the more well known people, seeing as it’s the only one, so if there has been anyone in town from Etisalat shortlistees and Granta listed partiers to many local guy this is the only place dedicated to them. For a fuller list of these folks you want to visit this page with some of the interviews and the Facebook page of the show.

I recently was a guest of the show with a college of my who when she is not writing features for the Star is a poet with her blog Bee illustrated where she shows her prowess on the keyboard which she knows something about. She has other interests but ours was on the Kenyan media and how it covers literature and I have to say I had a blast.

If you are in Nairobi the only show dedicated to books exclusively is The Books Café. Tune in every Saturday at 2pm

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Zukiswa Wanner begins Kenyan tour for London Cape Town Joburg

Zukiswa Wanner and members of the literature department of Moi University holds aloft a copy of the newly launched London Cape Town Joburg.

South African author Zukiswa Wanner continued selling her latest Kwela published book London Cape Town Joburg. The author has been doing a series of events in cities around the continent starting with Durban followed by other cities including Harare, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Kampala.

The author started the Kenyan arm of book tour this past Thursday the 31st at the Moi University which is based in Eldoret, Uasin Gichu County. She was hosted by the literature department led by the incoming dean Simatei Tirop.

This was the maiden visit by the South African to Moi University and she was given a tour of the university named after Kenya’s second president Daniel Arap Moi. It was a fun tour conducted by Dr Fred Mbogo alongside John Kyalo. This included lunch at the “prestigious” ICDC block as well as a visit of the Schools of arts which has a sign at the front stating wrongly that it was the “school of business.” Also in the tour was a drive past the many churches, the graduation square, the technology block and the student hostels. A visit to some waterfalls was shelved for a future visit as there was little time and a lecture to be done.

The next event is in Embu.

Eventually the talk which is part of the Moi University creative series that runs every Thursday started with Prof CJ Odhiambo, Dr Samuel Ndogo, Dr Rose Odhimbo and Dr Fred Mbogo on panel. It was being conducted at the Margaret Thatcher Library which is amusing if you consider that Wanner is quite well known for her left leaning opinions. She gave her experience as a writer to about two hundred students from the university which was followed by a question and answer session.

The day ended with a drink up at the White Highland Inn in Eldoret where professors and doctors got to bond with the African 39 shortlisted author.

Next on the itinerary is an event at the Whispering Hills in Embu on August 30th with Kisumu in September and closing up with Nairobi October.

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Introducing the African Author Google Hangout

L-R Hawa Golakai, Kinyanjui Kombani and Richard Crompton.

We here at JamesMurua.com would like to introduce a new thing in the African literature scene: The African Author Google Hangout. This is a hangout done to ensure that fans of African literature will be able to interact with their favourite authors from all over the continent. This is with the help of new technologies specifically Google Hangouts.

The first of these hangouts will be conducted on Thursday 5th June at 11AM GMT and the theme will be crime and crime fiction. The following writers have acceptable to join us on this day;

They will be logging onto the hangout to discuss crime and its sleuths. The discussions will include the following topics.

  • Introductions – We meet all the authors and we find the motivations with writing their own books
  • Crime – What is crime to the author in their own spaces. How do people deal with it as a society? How has it affected the society you live in?
  • Sherlock Holmes – How do authorities go about solving these crimes? Do we have our own Sherlock Holmes? Also who are your favourite crime solving characters- in African as well as world literature?
  • Q&A – We then leave the session open to the audience who will then ask specific authors any burning questions.

If you wish to join in the discussion you can ask questions of the authors on Twitter using either #AAGH #AfroCrimeFiction or even chat with the authors themselves on twitter. They are Richard Crompton at https://twitter.com/racrompton, Kinyanjui Kombani at https://twitter.com/KKombani and you can also tag me on https://twitter.com/jamesmurua

The hangout address will be published a few minutes before the hangout begins. For those who wish to take part they will need to go to the following link;

http://www.google.com/hangouts/

Download the Google hangout app on your computer and install it. More information will be available on the day of the hangout.

Let’s talk people.

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Eva Kasaya in Western Kenya book tour

Storymoja’s Muthoni Garland with Eva Kasaya.

Kenyan writer Eva Kasaya came to the notice of many literature commentators when she debuted with her book Tales of Kasaya. The book published by Kwani Trust in 2010 with a lot of help from Jackie Lebo is a memoir of a young woman who dropped out of school in rural Western Kenya at 13 years of age. She goes to Nairobi city to work as a domestic worker and the book goes on to give the tribulations she goes through in earning a living. It is harrowing at times but the thing that sticks with this reader is the indefatigable spirit of the author as she goes from more drama to drama without any loss of enthusiasm. It is a vital read to understand how people in Kenya’s domestic scene have to cope in their careers.

The book was received quite well and even went on to win the Jomo Kenyatta literature award for the youth category in 2011.

The good writer has been doing a tour of the Western part of the country to promote her book in the last few weeks. These include talks at various institutions including Lion secondary school in Kisumu, Kakamega high School journalism class as well as the Masinde Muliro university journalism class. Here are images from her Western Kenya tour courtesy of our friends from Kwani Trust.

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Tips for Writers, By Writers at the Daystar Creatives academy

Creatives at the launch of the initiative.

So you want to be a successful writer making tons of dosh? Usually the process in Kenya for many a writer is to write a manuscript and go knocking on the doors of several publishers. If it is half decent the publisher takes it on and after several months/years of edits and rewrites the product is ready. After cover design the writer will sit back and wait for their accolades (Saturday Nation interview, Book Review on KTN breakfast, Prizes galore) and mad cash.

Unfortunately, it rarely if ever works out that way. The book is never seen again after it leaves the printer. The aspiring writer notes that there is no schism he/was expecting while the same writers hog the headlines when they cough or change hairstyles.

So how is an aspiring writer to get in the game? That is what the Daystar Creatives Academy is about. It is a 12 week course that is happening at the Daystar University where writer wannabes can meet with some of the more well known writers in the business and taught how to get in and survive. The course includes some of the more well known fellows including Anthony T. Gitonga, Kinyanjui Kombani, Richard Crompton, Muthoni Likimani, Alex Nderitu, John Sibi-Okumu, Kap Kirwok, Winnie Thuku-Craig, Ken Walibora, Julius Sigei, Stanley Gazemba, Nganga Mbugua and Terryanne Chebet. For more information on the course please follow the event’s official Facebook page.

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Check Angela Makholwa’s new website

A website for a writer is a very important tool as it is the one stop shop for the people who want to engage with the author. If done well it can be a very valuable marketing tool for one’s books. With this in mind South African author Angela Makholwa has joined the club of those who have their own website. This was by unveiling her new website Angelamakholwa.com. Its uncanny as just yesterday I had been mentioning that her third book is out.

The website isn’t one of your design wonders which promise so much yet offer so little like some of the websites I know. It simply gives you a space where you can see the books that are on offer and where you can buy them. Check out the website here.

 

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Storymoja Publishers join social media site Pinterest

Some of the titles pinned on the publisher’s Pinterest.

One of the most innovative publishers in Kenya has to be the Storymoja Publishing left by Muthoni Garland. They have the most output fiction wise where some of the new companies operating in Kenya are concerned. They also have several initiatives to bring reading to the fore like Start A Library.

The biggest event in the firms calendar also happens to be Kenya’s biggest literary festival the Storymoja Hay festival. The festival is a few days of literary awesomeness with writers from around the continent and the planet. Last year’s festival was pretty cool one and I had a pretty cool time as did several of the people who showed up.

This year’s version of the festival is coming soon (September) . With this in mind the company is gearing up for the occasion with several new things. For one they have set up a the storymoja Pinterest page with several boards including Books from Africa, Know your African writers and off course a special board for the 2013 festival.

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Excerpt from Alexander Nderitu’s book Kiss, Commander, Promise

We are all looking to market out books and one of the best ways to do this is using exerpts is the Alexander Nderitu. Here it is verbatim;

An Excerpt from ‘KISS, COMMANDER, PROMISE’,

Full e-book available at www.AlexanderNderitu.com/buy for only Kshs 150/=

This is Georgeanne’s kind of town. She’s an urbanite. She loves high-profile events, posh restaurants, the theatre, haute couture. Speaks English, French, German and halting Spanish.

Loves music, loves to dance. Supports Manchester United (I’m for Arsenal.) Business suits are her body armour and boardrooms are where she fights her battles. She has gym and Diner’s Club memberships and religiously patronizes expensive spas, salons and beauty shops. Is into yoga and dieting. Elaborate dinners flowing with flowers, wine and laughter are right up her street.

Loves Nairobi. Both of them can be described as ‘cosmopolitan.’ Georgeanne makes friends easily and always displays a healthy interest in other people’s lives.

You might be wondering what an alpha female like her is doing with a cynical, average-salaried government employee like me but rest assured that I have often asked myself the same question. Despite the fact that my wife and I go back a long way, I feel a tinge of jealousy every time I see her laughing with the other suits – because that’s what she is now; a suit, a management type, a white-collar practitioner.

So Friday night, then, in a town like Georgeanne. A moonless sky presiding over us. The streets alive with spies. And Egypt on our minds…

‘Easily in the league of my favourite spy writers, the likes of David Baldacci, Jeffery Deaver and Vince Flynn. The only difference is that (Nderitu’s) sense of humour is fantastic.’ – Tosh Gitonga, director of the hit film Nairobi Half Life.

Would you do this for your own book?