NBO LIT FEST june july 24 draft 1 & 1 dont lont look

 The third edition of the NBO LitFest just opened last night at all three public libraries in Nairobi, the main one being McMillan Memorial Library with the other two being the Kaloleni and Eastlands Public Libraries.

The four-day event also signals the newly-forged partnership between the Book Bunk Trust (which founded NBO LitFest) and the Hay Festival Global. 

“It was actually the Hay Festival that reached out to us,” the NBO LitFest and Book Bunk co-founder Wanjiru Koinange (with Angela Wacuka) told BDLIFE shortly before the Litfest officially opened. Over the rest of the Festival, there will no less than 30 programs led by over 50 creatives coming mainly from formerly-known as Third World countries like Columbia, Cuba, Mexico, Nigeria, and South Africa. The programs being offered include master classes, book readings, panels, debates, and wide-ranging discussions that are open to the public and offer opportunities to listen to and learn from professional journalists, novelists, non-fiction writers, script writers, spoken-word poets as well as rappers, story tellers, and dancers.

One reason Wanjiru and Wacuka decided to join hands to initially set up the Book Bunk in 2017 and subsequently, the NBO Litfest in 2021 is their mutual love of books. They are also committed to opening up public spaces (like libraries) where local communities, particularly youth, can have more access to books and other social activities as well.

But what brought them together initially was a casual encounter at the precursor to the NBO Litfest, the Kwani? BookFest. After that, they were both got closely involved with Kwani?, the literary journal committed to the cultivation of young Kenyan writers and launched by the late Caine Prize winning writer, Binyavanga Wainaina.

Other than Ngugi wa Thiong’o, one can’t think of a more inspiring and influential Kenyan writer than Binyavanga. He has inspired the literary careers of countless young authors, probably even Wanjiru Koinange whose insightful novel, The Havoc of  Choice examines the impact of colonization on post-colonial Kenya, including the stark and painful period of post-election violence in 2007 – 2008.

Meanwhile, Binyavanga had put Wacuka in charge of both Kwani? the journal and Kwani?’s own NBO Bookfest, thus making her most qualified to work well with such a thoughtful writer as Wanjiru.

Last night at the launch of NBO LitFest, the new collaboration between the Book Bunk Trust and the Hay Festival Global was applauded by both parties. The Hay folks, having a rich history hopes to share it with fledgling festivals like ours. Actually, the Hay Festival was represented at the 2013 StoryMoja Hay Festival where Hay people played a pivot role working with Muthoni Garland to establish a cultural festival comparable to the one Muthoni saw first-hand at the Hay-on-Wye cultural festival. Sadly, one leading Ghanan writer died during a Somali terrorist on the Westgate Mall, the StoryMoja Fet also died due to its tragic and traumatic impact it had particularly on Muthoni.

                                                                                

.         sOne of the reasons Wanjiru explained that the Hay Festival people apparently reached out to Book Bunk is because they want to extend their global network of book lovers and revive interest in reading as well. The Book Bunk women share common interests and also has enable them to take advantage of Hay Festival’s myriad international contacts, quite a few of which have come to attend this year’s NBO LITFEST. Some will lead the Master Classes. Others will be on panels discussing how to find publishers, agents, and the confidence to get moving to fulfill your dreams and ambitions.

The third edition of the NBO LitFest just opened last night at all three public libraries in Nairobi, the main one being McMillan Memorial Library with the other two being the Kaloleni and Eastland Public Libraries.

The four-day event also signals the newly-forged partnership between the Book Bunk Trust (which founded NBO LitFest) and the Hay Festival Global.  “It was actually the Hay Festival that reached out to us,” LitFest and Book Bunk co-founder Wanjiru Koinange (with angela wacuka) told BDLIFE shortly before the NBO Litfest officially opened. Over the rest of the LitFest, there will no less than 30 programs led by over 50 creatives coming mainly from formerly-called Third World countries like Columbia, Cuba, Mexico, Nigeria, and South Africa. The programs being offered are master classes, classes led by professional journalists, novelists, non-fiction writers and spoken-word poets as well as rappers, dancers, and storytellers.

One of the reasons Wanjiru explained that the Hay Festival people apparently reached out to Book Bunk is because they want to extend its global network of book lovers and revive interest in reading as well. The Book Bunk women share common interests and also has enable them to take advantage of Hay Festival’s myriad international contacts, quite a few of which have come to attend this year’s NBO LITFEST. Some will lead the Master Classes. Others will be on panels discussing how to find publishers, agents, and the confidence to get moving to fulfill your dreams and ambltions.