People die, but books never die.

~ Anonymous ~

A library is a hospital for the mind

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~ Anonymous ~
 
 
Storymoja is committed to publishing contemporary East African writing of world-class standard. We source widely to identify good local writers, help them edit their submissions to exacting standards, and develop eye-catching book-covers.

Our books are marketed to a wide Kenyan audience for entertainment rather than as textbook material. This constitutes our unique selling proposition. We want to challenge the perception that Kenyans do not read (other than required educational text) by providing them with the contemporary stories they can identify with and which we believe they are dying to read.

While we strive to produce books of international literary and production quality, major consideration is given to affordability and innovative marketing and distribution in order to engage and reach the widest possible readership. You will agree that even with good media exposure, price is a significant barrier to purchase for many Kenyans, and we’ve addressed that by simply focusing on volumes as opposed to high margins. It is a long-term strategy that is unlikely to be financially profitable for us in the short-term but will hopefully fulfill our deeply-felt Storymoja motto of getting ‘A book in every hand’.

Maria’s Libraries is committed to promoting a library network in Kenya. They are currently engaged in three primary activities.

Building Libraries – Currently, our main work involves building a modern, fully equipped community library in Busia, Kenya, which we hope will serve as a model library for similar initiatives in other parts of the country.

Networking Libraries – Libraries on their own are important and powerful sources of information. But together, they can do even more—they can share resources and ideas, and collaborate on a national scale.

Promoting Libraries and Reading – Our work at local and national levels to promote libraries and reading in Kenya is based on two ideas. 1. Sustaining libraries in any country relies on philanthropic networks of “friends.” 2. Actively promote reading at the local and national level, through events like reading tents for school children, and through competitions and other activities in conjunction with Kenya’s domestic publishers.
Storymoja and Maria’s Libraries have come together to make it possible for you to be part of this reading revolution. How can you help?

1. You can donate books and cash to Maria’s Libraries. To find out how, go to http://www.mariaslibraries.org/
2. Buy Storymoja Books from book stores, or online at Mamamikes or Rachel’s Bargain Corner and then either post or instruct the online stores to deliver the books to

Maria’s Libraries

Box 234 Busia,

Kenya 5400.

Maria's Library & Storymoja

Writer Dayo Forster

It is chilly out there so I am sitting in the office on a Thursday evening, preparing myself for a cocktail, yes, my very first office cocktail. If you ask me, I was dressed for the occasion. I check whether I have my notebook with me, is my make up right, do I have the agenda with me? Then I hear crusty laughter coming from the boardroom. It must be the guests. I pick up my cup of coffee and dash to the boardroom, my shoes squeaking down the corridor.

Well, moving on swiftly, here we are at the boardroom. I am a bit shy about starting a conversation with whoever is seated next to me, so I drown myself in the agenda, which paper is now a bit damp because of my nervousness. It says ‘Dayo’ is the guest speaker for the event, and I keep wondering who she is because only her first name is used. Other names mentioned are Doreen Baingana, the managing editor of Storymoja and author of the award-winning ‘Tropical Fish’, and Agatha Verdadero, an editor of the Storymoja Uta Do? Businenss Series. These books are aimed at helping young people start and run their own businesses. The books are reader-friendly and provide practical ideas and tips on how to start and run a successful business. The books are full of local examples to make them directly relevant to an East African audience.

Thank goodness there are plenty of beverages to keep us warm and snacks to bite on because it is quite chilly outside. I think to myself, why not pour some more coffee before I start with the, “How are you? My name is… So what do you do apart from writing?” I pour myself fruit punch instead. I have been having coffee the whole day and I am not relaxed; definitely the laced punch will do.

The event starts quite well, with the invited writers flowing in almost on time. The cocktail is aimed at bringing together the editors and authors of the Uta Do? Business Series to discuss how to produce better manuscripts. Writers who have attended the other Storymoja workshops on inspirational writing and crime fiction and are finishing up their manuscripts also are invited. The purpose is also to inform the writers about the upcoming Storymoja Hay Festival, and how they can participate and showcase their books. The event, which is set for July 31st, August 1st and 2nd, is a “Festival of Ideas” that will bring authors, musicians and other international and Kenyan names to Nairobi.

Doreen Baingana breaks the ice by welcoming us and asking us to introduce ourselves. That’s when I realize with shock that I am sitting next to Dayo Foster! So she wasn’t just any ‘Dayo’. You should have seen the look on my face: I was turning red, or is it purple for black people?  I don’t know if it was because of my ignorance or my excitement. In case you don’t know, Dayo Forster is one of the accomplished African women writers who have been able to pierce through to the international literary scene. Her debut novel, “Reading the Ceiling,” was short-listed for the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize, 2008 as Best First Book, Africa Region, and is a refreshing, funny and wholly authentic read. The novel is about Ayodele, who has just turned 18, and – having reached womanhood – decides that the time has come to lose her virginity. Her choice of whom to do this with has a drastic effect on the rest of her life… You see why I have every reason to turn purple? If you haven’t read this book, grab it!

Dayo starts by asking us, what’s next beyond a good idea for a book? We stare at each other and back at her, like children on their first day in school. Some of us sip our wine, coffee or punch. Then she answers with a smile that one has to focus on what the book will be about, who your reader is and then write and revise as much as you can. When you are done, find yourself a good editor. She dispels this notion of “a poor reading culture’ by saying many people are going back to do MBAs and they need books to buy. Dayo gives us many useful tips on good business writing that apply to writing in general. (Details are in her article “Business Writing: Why and How,” published on the Storymoja website.)

Next, Agatha Verdadero gives us her account of the business book manuscripts she has edited. She notes that some writers do not want to listen to their editors’ advice about their manuscripts. She says that authors benefit a lot from heeding their editors’ advice, and that if they disagree, they should kindly inform the editor why. She adds that writers should be their own critics so as to improve their work.

The writers are then given the opportunity to discuss the challenges they face as writers. Moraa Gitaa, a crime fiction author contributes by saying that the main challenge is time. She does not have enough time to focus on her writing entirely.

Dayo responds by talking about time management and the discipline to run our daily activities smoothly without piling too much on any specific day. “There’s no secret to it, just try and try harder,” she says.

In answer to a query about research, Doreen says a publisher must do some research on which kinds of books are on high demand before publishing decisions are made to avoid putting so much effort into a book that will not sell. She adds that Storymoja encourages writers to do research on what they are writing to find out how popular the genre is in the book market. “The content in the books must be well researched as well, of course,” she concludes.

After the discussion, I chat with Purity Kagwiria, one of the authors of the Uta Do? Series. We agree that almost everyday of our lives we continue learning, and we have learnt a lot today by attending this cocktail.

This event has surely served its purpose, considering the ideas that have been generated and exchanged. We finish up by exchanging numbers, and I go home warm, relaxed and happy that I dressed up for such a delightful evening.

Written by Wendy Kasera

Fahamu.org

With bases in Nairobi, Cape Town, Dakar and Oxford, Fahamu Books publishes a growing list of book titles on human rights, social justice, politics and advocacy in Africa, written by well-known African academics, public intellectuals and activists.

We also publish training materials on CD-ROMs to strengthen the capacity of civil society organisations in Africa to promote and protect human rights and to help them become sustainable and effective organisations.

A number of these CD-ROMs are also available as tutored, online courses from Fahamu.

www.fahamu.org

Muthoni Garland, author of Children

Muthoni Garland is the author of the new release from Storymoja titled Halfway between Nairobi and Dundori. It comes in the wake of the Caine Nominated story,  Tracking the Scent of my Mother. Her other works have been published locally, and in literary journals and anthologies in the US, UK and South Africa.

Muthoni has the ability to word-paint the Kenyan world in such vivid colours such that everyone who is Kenyan will recognise a little bit of everything she describes. She explains her inspiration, “Our struggle to live with dignity in the face of appalling poverty, and political and religious hypocrisy. My writing attempts to capture moments in which ordinary Kenyans are faced with moral dilemmas and are forced to confront issues. Our life is not easy but Kenyan resilience is frankly amazing.”

In Halfway between Nairobi and Dundori, she tells the story of Wangeci and her husband Murage. They are stuck in a town that is halfway between the place where Wangeci would rather be, and the place where Murage would want to be. Bring in Wangeci’s sister, who is kept by an older white man, and might be having an affair with Murage and you have a recipe for disaster.

So what inspired Halfway between Nairobi and Dundori? She says, “The arbitrariness of social class standing – how you can be up there one minute and crash land the next to a life of indignity and moral ambiguity – because there are no social cushions we live in fear.”

Muthoni Garland also writes for children under the name Muthoni Muchemi. Her new title under the Storyhippo Imprint is Kamau’s Finish. This is a story about a boy during his sports day at school. The story guides children through identifying emotions and feelings. Included in the text are questions that will equip parents and the adults in a child’s life to initiate healthy and educative discussion. This book is meant for sharing, in the spirit of promoting reading for all, and especially for the very young.

With regards to the future of reading and writing in Kenya and East Africa, Muthoni believes that it can only be bright, brighter, brightest.

“People are waking to the realisation that economies can only be built on the foundation of knowledge and creativity. No matter the job, people now know that without exercising imagination, one cannot fully realise their potential; that no matter the grades, only creativity coupled with excellent communication skills can help those unemployed create or exploit the rare opportunities available. Publishers need to make a stronger case reading widely (beyond exams) exercises the mind and fires imagination.

I also think there is growing realisation that we need to understand each other more intimately if we are to embrace our tribal differences as a source of  national strength. Reading about each other is a critical part of this process.”

Muthoni Garland’s Halfway between Nairobi and Dundori, as well as the title Kamau’s Finish are available in all major bookstores, as well as on www.mamamikes.com for online purchase.

Author of Brethren of Ngondu, Martin Njaga

Martin Njaga is the author of the new release from Storymoja titled Brethren of Ngondu.  Brethren of Ngondu is set in rural Kenya, telling the story of a group of young people trapped in the mire of religious hypocrisy, tripped by questions of morality and confounded by love.

Martin says, “I am a writer that is my passion, though I do other things, such as keep pet geese, and maybe work for money. My writing is inspired by my own experiences, the things I read and hear. Brethren of Ngondu was inspired by my time at Egerton, oh, that beautiful place nestled in the Rift Valley.”

Martin believes that Kenyan and East Africans in general are slowly decolonizing themselves; ‘we are decolonizing our minds as Ngugi would put it. And as such, we are seeing a resurgence of local music, local programing and all that. I think books are next and the herald of a bright future for all of us.’

His novel Brethren of Ngondu is available in all major bookstores and supermarkets, as well as on www.mamamikes.com for online purchase.

Boniface Gachugu (left) and Doreen Baingana (right) show off their books at TBC, Sarit Centre

Boniface Gachugu is the author of the new children’s title from Storymoja under the Storyhippo Imprint, titled Peanut and the Burning Tank. The story is about Boniface himself who was nicknamed Peanut when he was young partly because his last name means ‘peanut’ and partly because he was tiny as a kid.

Peanut’s writing is inspired by his surroundings, the people around him and the environment. With regards to Peanut and the Burning Tank, he says, “Growing up in the country was the most exciting part of my life. Swimming naked in the village streams, climbing trees, chasing wild hares, these are the basis of life long skills in adventure that inevitably seep into my writing.”

About writing, Peanut says that there is more exciting work that he is currently working on. Writing for him has to be interesting, humorous and full of fun. He has three novels that he is certain will blow the literary world off the ground as well as a collection of short stories.

Peanut believes that the Kenyan and East African culture is maturing. People are slowly understanding that for our great nation to continue developing, our people must learn to love reading not just to acquire their degrees but to enlighten and entertain themselves.

Peanut and the Burning tank is available in all major bookstores, as well as on www.mamamikes.com for online purchase.

Writer Oluoch Madiang

Oluoch Madiang is the author of the new title In the Land of the Kitchen from Storymoja under the Storyhippo Imprint. The story is an extraordinary narration using kitchen utensils to explain how conflict begins, how it affects all of us and how we can possibly deal with it. The book has been designed with fun questions and activities that can help children, parents and other adults who love them to discuss and explore ways of preserving peace even when conflict arises.

The story initially won the Storymoja Story of the year in the Nyamachoma Fiesta of December 2007. Storymoja then undertook to publish it in a format suitable for kids. The theme of the story now seems timely in the aftermath of the Post Election Crisis in Kenya at the beginning of 2008.

So what inspires the writer who is an author of other stories and plays? He says, “My writing is inspired by a desire to chronicle human experiences and help people see the foolishness of some of their beliefs and actions. This way, I seek to help people take a look at themselves and adopt a new way of looking at things. My mum and dad told us stories but never recorded them in writing. Dad was very particular with books, so I love books because of him. I write so that others too have a chance to treasure books.”

Oluoch remembers sweet times with his mum, Rebecca Akumu, who while preparing ndengu and Chapo, would regale him and his siblings with stories of how she and Oluoch’s uncle Caleb were sent by their grandfather to collect sheep from some far off village. It was a long journey! As they were coming back late in the evening and the clouds threatening to open up, the sheep refused to move! You know sheep! But that’s not the crux of the matter! Down in Uyoma Ndigwa, hyenas (and other wild animals) still used to prowl. So mum would be pushing and beating the sheep while uncle pulled with all his strength as several hyenas laughed in the twilight in readiness to pounce. Mum and Uncle never wavered, nor feared and succeeded in finally taking the sheep to the village. From this Oluoch and his siblings learnt that when trouble, hyena or otherwise, cometh, stand up to it and face it eyeball-to eyeball without fear.

Oluoch is clearly inspired by his mum and Dad. He remembers his mother bringing a book from Dala called Ahero Dhowa. His dad reads well and has a very good command of English, and he read to the young Oluoch the Rapunzel and Cinderella stories, leaving fond memories in Oluoch’s mind. Oluoch’s dad used to buy  him other storybooks, too.

Something that might have contributed to the creation of the story In the Land of the Kitchen, was an experience working as a volunteer feeding the displaced during the clashes in the early 90’s. Humbling and intriguing was the realisation that most of those people did not know why they were in a fight with people whom they have lived with for generations.

Oluoch feels that it is important for writers to whet the reading appetite of reader’s if Kenyans and East African are to read more. It is important for writers to write good and interesting materials, and for publishers to publish at a world class standard. Oluoch is now convinced that he must write the story of his mother and Uncle Caleb and the Sheep and Hyenas.

Oluoch is currently writing, all at once, an adult short story, a play and two children’s stories.  You can look at some of his work at www.madiang.blogspot.com

In the land of the Kitchen is available in stores and supermarkets as well as for online purchase on www.mamamikes.com

Actually just three more days until the old year falls off and the new year jumps on.

2008 has indeed been a year to remember for all of us. This year we watched our country fall apart. This year we watched ourselves survive against war, hatred, political spite, food shortage, spiked food prices, fuel shortage. And this year, survived.

That we can survive that much, is surely hope that we can do more than survive in the next year. We can make our country a much better place for all of us to be in.

For all you writers, this last blog of 2008, from Storymoja, is a reminder of what can be. Muthoni Garland presents you with a hilarious story about her characters come alive. Try it with your characters, it can be quite interesting! This story was chosen by the Blog Editor to remind all of you to write more, and I sincerely hope it will inspire you. Characters Ripen. Plot Rots. Author Walks. By Muthoni Garland

Paul Kairiuki’s The Good Samaritan and the Justice System is one more reminder of things that can change in 2009. This very talented writer takes us on a heart wrenching journey to the hangman’s nose.

As we await the inaugration of the US president on January 20th, Mwangi Mwanjumbi is sending him wishes of good health and long life as well as a few tips for keeping it. To US President Elect Obama, for your health and long life By Mwangi Mwanjumbi

Here is wishing you a happy, prosperous 2009 from the Storymoja Family!

On Sunday the 2^nd December 2007, IN THE LAND OF THE KITCHEN, a hilarious analogy of peace and conflict based on kitchen utensils won the Storymoja Storytelling Competition at Impala grounds, Nairobi. A few days later, we went to the ballots and the rest as they say is now history. Premonition??

Fast forward, 20^th December 2008 the story has been developed with the help of child psychologists into an award-winning book, with interesting illustrations and discussion section, it’s a must have in any peace loving home.

We invite you to the PRE-LAUNCH of this special book, and two other children’s titles, KAMAU’S FINISH and PEANUT AND THE BURNING TANK. Bring your child along, come meet the Authors Oluoch Madian’g, Muthoni Muchemi and Boniface Gachugu and get signed copies.

Date:              Saturday 20^th December

Venue:           Text Book Center, First Floor Sarit Center, Westlands

Time:             11am to 3pm

Price:              300/=

We urge you to buy for your child this lasting gift, read and discuss with them and make this festive season truly amazing! By sharing with them the greatest gift to mankind, that of learning peaceful coexistence, please do not wait for too long, exploit the free time you have now,January might be crazy.

Happy festivities with love from,

Storymoja,

www.storymojaafrica.co.ke

Tel: 020-2089595 0r 0720722991

A book in every hand!