Kenyan literature describes literature which comes from Kenya. Kenya has a long oral and written literary tradition, primarily in English and

Swahili Swahili may refer to: * Swahili language, a Bantu language official in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and widely spoken in the African Great Lakes * Swahili people, an ethnic group in East Africa * Swahili culture Swahili culture is the culture of ...

, the two official languages of the country. __NOTOC__

History

Kenya has a strong tradition of oral literature, which continues today in several languages. As a result of Kenya's history, including a period where it was a former British colony, Kenyan literature concurrently belongs to several bodies of writing, including that of the Commonwealth of Nations and of Africa as a whole. Most written literature is in English; some scholars consider

to be marginalized in Kenyan literature.

Notable writers

Important

Kenyan writers This is a list of Kenyan writers. A * Justus Kiprono (2019–) * Abdilatif Abdalla (1946–) * Carolyne Adalla * Jared Angira (1947–), poet * Jonah Anguka * Khadambi Asalache (1934–), poet and author B * Karen Blixen a.k.a. Isak Dine ...

include Grace Ogot,

Meja Mwangi Meja Mwangi (born 27 December 1948) is a Kenyan writer. He has worked in the film industry, including in screenwriting, assistant directing, and casting. Biography Mwangi was born David Dominic Mwangi in Nanyuki, Kenya, and was educated at Nany ...

Paul Kipchumba Paul Kipchumba, in Chinese Chen Pu (陈朴) (born 30 April 1983) is a Kenyan author, businessman and philanthropist from Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kenya. His other names are Kipwendui and Kibiwott. He speaks Chinese, English, Marakwet (his native lang ...

Kinyanjui Kombani Kinyanjui Kombani, popularly known as “''The Banker who Writes'',” is a Kenyan novelist, playwright, script writer, and literature critic/activist. His novels, The Last Villains of Molo and Den of Inequities have been used for undergraduate an ...

, Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, and

Binyavanga Wainaina Kenneth Binyavanga Wainaina (18 January 1971 – 21 May 2019) was a Kenyan author, journalist and 2002 winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing. In April 2014, ''Time'' magazine included Wainaina in its annual ''Time'' 100 as one of the "Mo ...

Notable works

One of the best known pieces of Kenyan literature is ''

Utendi wa Tambuka ''Utend̠i wa Tambuka'', also known as ''Utenzi wa Tambuk''aThe symbol ''d̠'' is a transliteration of the Arabic for the Swahili sound ''dh'' (). Often this sound is written simply ''z'', hence the different spellings. ("The Story of Tambuka") ...

'', which translates to ''The Story of Tambuka''. Written by a man named Mwengo at the court of the Sultan of Pate, the epic poem is one of the earliest known documents in Swahili, being written in the year 1141 of the Islamic calendar, or 1728 AD. Thiong'o's first novel, ''

Weep Not, Child ''Weep Not, Child'' is a 1964 novel by Kenyan author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o. It was his first novel, published in 1964 under the name James Ngugi. It was among the African Writers Series. It was the first English language, English novel to be publis ...

'', was the first novel in English to be published by an

East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...

n. His ''

The River Between ''The River Between'' is a 1965 novel by prolific Kenyan author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o that was published as part of the influential African Writers Series. It tells the story of the separation of two neighbouring villages of Kenya caused by differen ...

'' is currently on Kenya's national secondary school syllabus. His novel ''

A Grain of Wheat ''A Grain of Wheat'' is a historical novel written by Kenyan novelist Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, first published as part of the influential Heinemann African Writers Series. It was written while he was studying at Leeds University and first published ...

'' was said to "...

ark Ark or ARK may refer to: Biblical narratives and religion Hebrew word ''teva'' * Noah's Ark, a massive vessel said to have been built to save the world's animals from a flood * Ark of bulrushes, the boat of the infant Moses Hebrew ''aron'' * ...

the coming of age of Anglophone literature in East Africa".

Works set in Kenya

Numerous authors of European background also wrote or based their books in Kenya. The best-known of these include Isak Dinesen (the pen name of

Karen Blixen Baroness Karen Christenze von Blixen-Finecke (born Dinesen; 17 April 1885 – 7 September 1962) was a Danish author who wrote works in Danish and English. She is also known under her pen names Isak Dinesen, used in English-speaking countrie ...

), whose '' Out of Africa'' was the basis for the popular film starring Meryl Streep; Elspeth Huxley, author of ''

The Flame Trees of Thika ''The Flame Trees of Thika'' is a British television serial of seven 50-minute episodes made by Euston Films for Thames Television in 1981. It was adapted by John Hawkesworth from the 1959 book of the same title by Elspeth Huxley, and is set i ...

'';

Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye Marjorie Phyllis Oludhe Macgoye (21 October 1928 – 1 December 2015), was born in Southampton, England, but immigrated to Kenya soon after Kenya became independent. She was a poet, novelist, and a missionary bookseller. She studied at the Un ...

, whose ''Coming to Birth'' won the Sinclair Prize; and

Beryl Markham Beryl Markham (née Clutterbuck; 26 October 1902 – 3 August 1986) was a Kenyan aviator born in England (one of the first bush flying, bush pilots), adventurer, racehorse trainer and author. She was the first person to fly solo, non-stop acros ...

, author of ''

West with the Night ''West with the Night'' is a 1942 memoir by Beryl Markham, chronicling her experiences growing up in Kenya (then British East Africa) in the early 1900s, leading to celebrated careers as a racehorse trainer and bush pilot there. It is considered ...

''.

References

External links