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Or, A Clearing of the Throat

Reader,

I have been thinking this week about what constitutes good writing. This in light of Kenya's Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Twitter account being criticised for its writing and this article about the particular way in which rewards and recognition are distributed in the USA writing scene. The DCI claims that its style is down to reaching certain audiences (or, in Kenyanese "you are not the target audience") and I can't deny that they get the girls going. But, at what cost? Meanwhile, the sort of people who think of themselves as tasteful people on the literary front and highly regard prizes think their writing feels like that of primary school children. Yet these prizes are just as biased, as "made up", as the writing that the DCI is putting out. How much of good writing, the writing that some of us have come to think of as deserving of accolades, is just about the training we have (not) received?

This week featured the commemoration of the assassinations of both Patrice Lumumba and Amílcar Cabral. As always, I thought about how much I need to read about these figures in African history and wondered what difference there would have been on the continent if they'd survived. In the year of jettisoning memoirs, I look forward to such writing taking their place. 

I have been battling quite the cold - and all that entails - all week. I'm surprised I read anything especially in the first half of the week when it felt like fevers were facing me down (but still, I rose). Leaving the house - to walk, especially - helped on the reading front and, as always, movement did wonders for my mood.

I needed to go to Upper Hill in the middle of the week and ended up at Maktaba Kuu where I had a lovely conversation about donating books in time for my birthday (30th January, here's the wishlist) and what that would entail. For a profession that Western media has trained us to think of as female, it was a surprise to encounter men at every turn. That aside, I look forward to a final update on the donation front in next week's instalment.

I have spent more time planning than writing this week and I'd like to end by sharing some recent and forthcoming delights:

• My French Film Festival, an annual event which I hope to really get into this year. My Miyazaki Film Club friend already has her shortlist and I plan on creating mine this week (before then: we'll make a festival of the short films!)

• Said Miyazaki Film Club (shout out to its founder Sharon, whose mind is a wonder to behold) had its inaugural meeting to discuss Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind 

• Birthday gifts! I know there's still a week and a day to go but I received a gift this week (not on my wishlist, but so thoughtful) and I can't wait to see what the days ahead bring 

• Using my Yoto as speaker, white noise machine etc. It sat by my bed for a bit after it arrived but I'm really enjoying screen-less evenings and it fits right in (figuring out how to load a playlist helped!)

• This performance, a clip of which was a rousing part of the week 

• The return of Wanjeri Gakuru's film offerings at Eastlands Library, including a classic from my childhood 

I have finished a few books since I last wrote, reviews forthcoming. All My Mother’s Lovers by Ilana Masad (read by Rebecca Lowman), The Way of the Househusband, Volume 1 by Kausuke Oono (translated by Sheldon Drzka), Zorrie by Laird Hunt and I Was Their American Dream by Malaka Gharib. It’s been a minute since I released a video on YouTube but I’ll be back on the wagon soon!

As ever, please write back to me and tell me what books you’re reading or looking forward to reading this week — it’s always a great time talking about books.

Enjoy the rest of the week and have a lovely time reading. Talk to you soon!