Siphiwo Mahala
Siphiwo Mahala is a South African writer who has also published articles in national newspapers and magazines such as Sunday Times, The Deal, Classic Feel, etc. He has contributed short stories to several anthologies including Nobody Ever Said AIDS: Poems and Stories from Southern Africa( Kwela 2004); A is for Ancestors: Stories from the Caine Prize (Jacana, 2004), and Words Gone Two Soon: A Tribute to Phaswane Mpe and K. Sello Duiker (Stotaville Media, 2005). He joined the National Department of Arts and Culture as the deputy Director for Books and Publishing in 2004. His academic qualifications include a BA ...
Yusef Komunyakaa
Yusef Komunyakaa was born 1947 and raised in Bogalusa, Louisiana. Served in Vietnam as an information specialist, saw combat, and received the Bronze Star. A graduate of the University of Colorado, he also received masters degrees form the University of California, Irvine as well as Colorado State University. After teaching at the University of New Orleans, Komunyakaa was a professor at Indiana University. In 1997, he began teaching at Princeton University where he is a professor in the Council of Humanities and Creative Writing. Wesleyan has published six of his ten books, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning Neo-Vernacular (1993), which also won the Kingsley-Tufts Poetry Award from the Claremont Graduate School, ...
Dr. Hope Eghagha
Dr. Hope Eghagha, better known as a poet, is equally a novelist and playright. A senior lecturer in the Department of English, University of Lagos, he is also a visiting member of The Guardian Newspaper Editorial Board.
An Urhobo from Delta State of Nigeria, the 1982 graduate of Theatre Arts, Unijos, has so far published six literary works. His debut was a play, Death, Not a Redeemer, in 1998. Others include four collections of poetry: Rhythm of the Last Testament, This Story must not be told, The Governor's Lodge, and Premonitions and other Dreams. His novel is entitled Emperors of Salvation.
Dr. Abena P.A. Busia
Dr. Abena P.A. Busia, co-director of the groundbreaking Women Writing Africa Project, a multi-volume anthology published by the feminist Press at CUNY. As Busia points out, "history is located in multiple places". This collection is designed to recognize "cultural production" of African and Indian women for the first time. She is also co-editor of Women Writing Africa: West Africa and the Sahel, (The Feminist Press at CUNY, 2005). In addition to her leadership of the Women Writing Africa project, Professor Busia is the author of Theorising Black feminisms (Routledge, 1993) and many articles and book chapters on topics including black women's writing, black feminist criticism, and African literature. Her scholarship ...
Peter Chepkonga
Peter Chepkonga grew up in Eldoret and can run very fast. He writes for KASS magazine.
Al Kags
Al Kags is the publisher of The Quarterly Colour Series of Poetry, a poetry ebook series that is now distributed virally to over 160,000 people all over the world. He has been writing since he was twelve and has been a regular columnist and feature writer in various publications both in Kenya and Internationally.
Makena Ringera
Makena Ringera (formerly known to use 'Jackline' but discarded it after discovering herself to be African) took pen to paper at age 15. The result of that effort was 'The Mystery of the Twin Webs', a fantasy novel laced with thrilling adventures, a pinch of romance and some bad grammar. Good luck sent Makena across the Atlantic to Amherst College in 2006 where she is a devote Economics student. Having learned a thing or two in creative writing classes, she is working on a rewrite of 'Twin Webs'.
Gitura Kamau
Gitura Kamau is a young Nairobi theatre and film actor who has recently begun to direct his own movies. His first feature film, "Wangai's Cross," was shot in Nairobi and premiered June 18th, 2008. Kamau is currently involved in several film projects, including his second film, "Odohoz."
June Wanjiru Wainaina
Few achievements give her more pleasure than that of having brought to life literary liaisons that are now a key feature throughout Nairobi. Founder of the kwani? Readings as far back as 2003, and thereafter the kwani? Poetry Open Mic, June Wanjiru Wainaina hosts the Sunday Salon, Nairobi, held every third Sunday of the month at Kengeles, Lavington Green. In another life she was a technocrat, having developed the curricullum for and taught a six-month course in Computer Repairs and Maintenance at Egerton University in Nakuru, Kenya. For now, getting all kwani? Poets onto facebook is her goal.
Ken Kamoche
Ken Kamoche's debut collection of short stories, A Fragile Hope, made the Frank O'Connor long list in 2007 and the Commonwealth Writers First Book short list in 2008. ‘A glimpse of hope' won second prize in the Olaudah Equiano Prize for African fiction in 2007. Ken's stories have appeared in magazines like Ambit, Wasafiri, Kunapipi, New York Stories and in various anthologies, including Dreams, Miracles and Jazz recently released by Picador. For a day job, Ken works as a professor of management, currently at Nottingham Business School. He's also a columnist for the Sunday Nation. www.kenkamoche.com
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