The Kenyan Bookmaker Literature Workshop

For Kenyan teenagers (15–19 years old) who are interested in writing, reading, and learning more about Kenyan literature.

If you’re between 15 and 19 years old, love reading stories, enjoy writing your own, and want to gain a deeper understanding of Kenyan literature, then The Kenyan Bookmaker Literature Workshop is for you. We’ll read, think about, and talk about Kenyan literature. Hopefully, we can also explore how our own voices can contribute to it.

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How It Works

The workshop lives here, on The Kenyan Bookmaker. The weekly virtual workshop sessions will take place on Zoom and the accompanying content will be shared with you.

I’m interested in keeping the numbers small to support intimate, interactive conversation. And also, I am but one person. Depending on the number of participants, we will try different things to manage participation.

What We Will Do

For planning purposes, the workshop is designed as a year-round program, broken down into quarters. Each quarter includes readings and discussions centered around pre-selected Kenyan stories.

First two months of the quarter

  • Each month we’ll read and analyse two short stories by Kenyan authors (one per fortnight). That’s a total of four stories in two months.

  • We will meet virtually on Zoom every Saturday from 2pm to 4 pm EAT to discuss the short stories.

  • For each story, we will spend the first session on themes and context and the second on style and structure.

Last month of the quarter

  • We’ll discuss one Kenyan novel, contemporary or canonical. This will have been shared at the beginning of the quarter to allow plenty of time to read the text.

  • We maintain the workshop set-up but discuss a novel instead of two short stories. The specifics of each session will depend on the book, and so this will be shared at the beginning of the month.

What You Get

  • A reading list, including four Kenyan novels (one for each quarter of the year) and one short story collection

  • Weekly two-hour workshop sessions during which we will engage in deep exploration and interesting discussions

  • Detailed notes on each story discussed. These will feature plot overview, thematic analysis, cultural and historical context, stylistic and structural elements, reflections on the story’s significance, and links to further media relevant to the story and to our discussion.

  • Prompts for creative writing exercises based on workshop discussions

  • The opportunity to submit up to two pieces a month (max. 2000 words per piece) and work with an editor to refine your writing. We’re working on creating a literary magazine specifically for young writers, so hopefully we can also publish your work (and pay you!).

Really, what this workshop offers is a space for young writers to find their footing through engagement with like-minded peers and engagement with the literature produced by those who have gone before them. If that sounds like exactly what you’d like, then you will love it here.

What You Need

Access to the books we will be discussing, whether by buying or borrowing them.

Why It Matters

The stories we tell shape how we see the world and how the world sees us. Engaging deeply with our literature helps us understand ourselves better as a people and enriches our ability to create powerful, original work rooted in our realities.

At least, that’s what I believe.

About Your Tutor

Hello. I’m Michelle, a writer and editor based in Nairobi. I started writing The Kenyan Bookmaker because it’s something I wish I had access to when I was a teenager.

Back then, I loved books but didn’t know how to turn that love into anything more. I didn’t have access to mentors who could show me what literature beyond school exams looked like or how I could be part of the world of books as a professional.

It took me nearly 10 years to figure that out on my own.

This workshop is my way of building the bridge I needed: a way to cross from interest in creative writing and literature to ongoing practice. I intend to create a space where a young writer can find intellectual engagement, support for skill-building, and a community of practice. I hope it will be a meaningful part of your own journey as a reader and a writer.

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