Easter, hero's journey and the invitation to renewal within

In my view, whenever a talented writer reads stories by other great writers, these great stories become the key to the main frameworks that characterise all enduring narratives.

By Henry Munene 1 month ago

Lost art of letter writing in a world hankering for real human creativity

Authentic human writing carries a quality that cannot be faked, not by AI nor by any technological invention.

By Henry Munene 1 month ago

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Inside Kombani's autobiography as memoirs come to classrooms

Kinyanjui Kombani's autobiography Dear Mama has been approved for classroom use, bringing the writer-banker's personal memoir into Kenya's school curriculum.

By Henry Munene 2 months ago

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How colonial trauma still shapes our scandals today and its costs

From global scandals to local exploitation cases, the enduring effects of colonial trauma continue to shape power, abuse, and accountability in society today.

By Henry Munene 2 months ago

From politics of colour to class: Black History Month insights

As the world marks Black History Month, perhaps it is time to reflect afresh on identity and freedom.

By Henry Munene 3 months ago

Celebrating the great tradition set by African Writers Series

The African Writers Series has particularly shaped not just how we write about our fears, hopes and aspirations, it has been the architect of the African intellectual universe.

By Henry Munene 3 months ago

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Technology, brick-and-mortar progress should never 'trump' human dignity

The greatness Africa has been gasping for over the past few centuries is not merely infrastructural. Rather, it is mainly moral and ethical.

By Henry Munene 3 months ago

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Literary criticism is not about trashing other people's intellectual effort

Today, if you review a book and cast it in a positive light, you risk being gaslighted for doing public relations, perhaps on grounds unrelated to the merits of the work.

By Henry Munene 3 months ago

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Command publishing and the need for creative awakening

Book publishers have of late found themselves under pressure to deliver scripts to support Competency-Based Education needs.

By Henry Munene 4 months ago

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Embracing renewal and lessons from life as we step into 2026

The year 2025 has been a tough one for the literary community in Kenya and Africa

By Henry Munene 4 months ago

Of Xmas, literature and endless search for meaning in life

It is that time of the year when many people in Kenya and elsewhere in Africa travel upcountry to commune with family for Christmas festivities.

By Henry Munene 4 months ago

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Meja Mwangi: Reclusive novelist who took readers across the world

He grew up near ranches and wildlife reserves in Nanyuki, a setting that influenced his writing. Meja was publicity-shy and avoided the media and photo opportunities.

By Henry Munene 4 months ago

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Versatile Mulwa has rested, but the show he loved will carry on

It is Chinua Achebe who says that some people (are so lucky that they) have their kolanuts broken for them by the gods. And when it comes to talent and versatility it is David Kakuta Mulwa.

By Henry Munene 4 months ago

Of Mbeere, magical realism and the rich African literary world

Over the past couple of weeks, the political discourse in Kenya has been dominated, in part, by Mbeere, a Bantu community found in the southeastern part of Embu County.

By Henry Munene 5 months ago

African journals offer writers a sure path toward literary fame

Africa urgently needs journals sponsored by regional agencies.

By Henry Munene 5 months ago

Autofiction: Thin line between private lives and great literature

This week, I found myself reflecting on the relationship between fiction and reality.

By Henry Munene 5 months ago

Of self-hatred, mimic men and fallacy of detesting your ways

For the so-called urban dwellers, some children have been taken upcountry to spend time with their extended family and, hopefully, to learn a bit about their cultural roots.

By Henry Munene 5 months ago

Popular and serious literature are two sides of the same coin

One of the hottest literary issues of my youth was the supremacy war between two types of fiction writing in Africa.

By Henry Munene 6 months ago

EA golden age of popular fiction lives on, beautifully reimagined

Every generation has its passions. And every generation in East Africa has had its own literary watershed

By Henry Munene 6 months ago

Of heroism and the Odingas' rich literary legacy

Books whisper nuggets of wisdom to people you have never seen - and who will probably be living in a world that would be alien to you.

By Henry Munene 6 months ago

Unified learning shows 'town games' for what they really are

Linguists have differed on many things, but they are unanimous that no language is primitive or superior to another.

By Henry Munene 6 months ago

Mirror, lamp and why those broken souls in books are us

One of the oldest and most enduring debates in world literary thought concerns the role of literature in society.

By Henry Munene 7 months ago

Cyborgs, advertising men and how poets could buy Ferraris

Sudanese poet and literary scholar Taban lo Liyong is one of the earliest and most virulent African critics of the consumerist world we live in today.

By Henry Munene 8 months ago

Crafting compelling children's storybooks is no child's play

There is a whole mystical world in the minds of children that gradually gets lost as we age.

By Henry Munene 8 months ago

Socials, BookTok and resurgence of the novel in today's digital age

Imagine sending a 48,000-word script for a novel, short story collection, or another literary work to a publisher.

By Henry Munene 8 months ago

Let's tap into passionate efforts of those who carry the beauty

Makumi Njue has a number of reggae songs to his name, has a group that re-enacts traditional Embu music, carrying on the work done by the late historian, Prof Mwaniki Kabeca.

By Henry Munene 8 months ago

Spare a thought for that writer with a dream and not much else

Most Kenyans I've met seem to harbour fond memories of their high school days - especially the set books they studied for their final-year exams.

By Henry Munene 8 months ago

It's time we accept, appreciate the world's new oral artforms

It is said that, in Africa, stories grow on trees. There could be a million interpretations for this aphorism, but for me it captures the centrality of stories in the African cosmos.

By Henry Munene 9 months ago

Literature is a dancing mask, not one story bound in a cultural straitjacket

For me, and I take this line unapologetically, it is ignorant to rank African and indeed world writers by their perceived greatness.

By Henry Munene 9 months ago

If you must drink alcohol this Christmas, do so responsibly

Christmas should be a time to reflect and share, not to move around like so many headless chickens and causing pain to the wallet and to others.

By Henry Munene 1 year ago

Spare no resources to ensure varsities teach, innovate and conduct research

Universities should epitomise managerial, administrative and governance excellence.They should be the campus of prudent management practices and innovation.

By Henry Munene 1 year ago

Turn creativity surge among youths into a force for good

If we do not provide a conducive environment, some evil schemes could take advantage of the high levels of unemployment to marshal that talent towards nefarious ends.

By Henry Munene 1 year ago

An African literary guru Chakava has rested ... go well, namesake!

Henry Chakava took over Heinemann East Africa and converted it into a force for the advancement of African cultural heritage

By Henry Munene 2 years ago

How to unlock the potential of Kenya's publishing industry

So long as a publisher has good, approved products that the teachers like, give them a fighting chance in the market!

By Henry Munene 2 years ago

Mindset change is essential in the war against corruption

We must acknowledge the commendable efforts of the EACC that have seen individuals return millions of shillings to public coffers and illegally acquired public land being reclaimed.

By Henry Munene 2 years ago

Tough times don't last, Kenyans will weather these raging storms

They say it's darkest just before dawn. Besides, we still have a lot to thank God for.

By Henry Munene 2 years ago

Spare the piggy bank, but enjoy Christmas cheer

There is no need to break the piggy bank to celebrate a foreign idea dating back to the Victorian times, but which has been hijacked by capitalist forces and people living beyond their means.

By Henry Munene 2 years ago

Banker’s comical take on Kenya’s betting craze and hypocritical ‘slay queens’

Every waking day in Kenya, hundreds of thousands – if not millions – of youths place a bet on the likely outcome of a football match played far away

By Henry Munene 7 years ago

Messi and Trump interpreter set for Nairobi conference

Chicago-based Tony Rosado is linked to such celebrities as US President Donald Trump and Barcelona football ace Lionel Messi

By Henry Munene 7 years ago

Maillu’s novel on ‘Black Jesus’ set to whip up fresh controversy

It breaks years of silence from the 70s, when the writer stunned the world with wildly popular novelettes that came with explicit scenes

By Henry Munene 7 years ago