Alamin Mazrui was born in 1948 in Lamu, an island off the Kenyan coast, into the famous Mazrui family. Instead of the religious careers of his father and grandfather, Mazrui chose to follow the example of his uncle, professor Ali Mazrui, and pursued an academic career. Alamin Mazrui received his primary and secondary education in […]
Kithaka wa Mberia (b. 1955) is a prolific and innovative poet who writes in free verse. He often employs innovative graphic forms, playing with the visuality of poetry. Wa Mberia has published four poem collections: Mchezo wa Karata (1997), Bara Jingine (2001), Redio na Mwezi (2005)and Msimu wa Tisa (2007). His poems became the first […]
Abdilatif Abdalla (born 1946 in Mombasa) is a Kenyan writer and political activist. He was imprisoned for his support of the Kenya People’s Union, and wrote the poems collected in Sauti ya Dhiki while in solitary confinement, which were subsequently awarded the Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature. After he was awarded the Jomo Kenyatta Prize […]
Issa Shivji is a Tanzanian author and academic who writes under the pen name Issa Bin Mariam. He is one of Africa’s leading experts on law and development issues. Born in 1946, Shivji has devoted most of his life to addressing issues on the exploitation of Tanzanians through both the national and the international economic […]