Event: Dance of the Jakaranda (13th March, SOAS, London)

By Africa in Words on 21 February , 2018 • ( 0 )

We are delighted to announce that Peter Kimani will be discussing his newest novel at SOAS, London, on Tuesday 13^th March, 7.15 – 9pm.

Peter Kimani will discuss his latest book Dance of the Jakaranda, published by Saqibooks, with Dr Kwadwo Osei-Nyame, Jnr (SOAS). The event will be chaired by Dr Chege Githiora (SOAS).

Peter Kimani is an award-winning Kenyan novelist. He was one of three international poets to compose and present a poem for National Public Radio to mark Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009. A prominent journalist on Kenya’s national news circuit, Kimani’s work has also appeared in The Guardian, New African and Sky News. He teaches journalism at the Aga Khan University’s Graduate School of Media and Communications in Nairobi, and is presently the Visiting Writer at Amherst College in the United States. Kimani was awarded the Jomo Kenyatta Prize for literature, Kenya’s highest literary honour, in 2011.

Dance of the Jakaranda:

1963. Kenya is on the verge of independence from British colonial rule. In the Great Rift Valley, Kenyans of all backgrounds come together in the previously white-only establishment of the Jakaranda Hotel. The resident musician is Rajan Salim, who charms visitors with songs inspired by his grandfather’s noble stories of the railway construction that spawned the Kenya they now know.

One evening, Rajan is kissed by a mysterious woman in a shadowy corridor. Unable to forget the taste of her lavender-flavoured lips, Rajan sets out to find her. On his journey he stumbles upon the murky, shared history of three men – his grandfather, the owner of the Jakaranda and a British preacher – who were implicated in the controversial birth of a child. What Rajan unearths will open his eyes about the birth not just of a child, but of an entire nation.

This event is free and open to all. Booking is required through Eventbrite

Date & Time: Tuesday 13 March, 19:15 – 21:00
Venue: Wolfson Lecture Theatre, Paul Webley Wing, SOAS, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG

This event is organised in collaboration with the Centre of African Studies, University of London. Contact email: Contact email: cas@soas.ac.uk

For more information, visit: http://www.royalafricansociety.org/event/dance-jakaranda-book-discussion-peter-kimani