Book Review of 'One Day I will Write About This Place.'

It was in 2006 when I first met Binyavanga Wainaina-The Binj. 

Coming from a conservative section of the Ugandan community, where the mention of kissing and sex in stories, would set tongues wagging and moral advocates into a frenzy, meeting Binyavanga was necessary for my growth as a writer. 

Thanks to Femrite who appointed me as their Ambassador to a writers’ retreat in Kenya, I went along with Maggie Aduto and Joanita Wandera.

I sat on a log in Lukenya, watching the fire teasing me with its dance, escaping into the shadows and inviting me into its mystery. The voice was unmistakable. It was gruff, confident and alluring. Each word was deliberate and unapologetic. 

I walked towards its sound and there sat Binyavanga, with a small crowd gathered around him. He wore white. He was engaged and animated as he spoke. He was The Binj.

Inviting us to read our poems, the moment that my light matched that of the growing fire, was when, after reading my poem, Al Qaeda, Binvanga said,

‘What a poem!’ It has to be published in Kwani?’

And that is the same energy and interest with which I read his memoir,’ One Day I will Write About This Place.’

     Internet photo

A story of many faces, characters and places but of one personality. Binyavanga’s insatiable desire to learn, grow, travel and learn some more. With the unquenchable eagerness of a child on his first trip, or an employee with his first salary, Binyavanga’s quest for knowledge is detected at every page. 

His siblings, parents and friends, share his journey from Kenya, to South Africa, England, U.S.A, Uganda and many places across the world.

This memoir is a reflection of the politics, the beauty and the realities of writing as an African. It also reflects the power of persistence and proper mentorship for writers. The book furthermore touches on how geographical and educational landscapes affect our journey as writers and the need to know which areas to invest our time in and which ones to walk away from.

Born in Kenya with a Ugandan mother from Kisoro, his multi-cultural background led to fascinating journeys where languages became politicised and Presidential elections were deeply personal, alongside yearning for meaning beyond tribe, surnames and pronunciations of things.

In between two countries with vast and deep political and economic roots in history, colonialism and power, Binyavanga’s memoir highlights a citizen caught up in the chaos of East Africa, while being able to capture its beauty at the same time.

Binyavanga is consumed by writing, reading and learning and while in school, when his writing talent became obvious, much to the consternation of some of the teachers, this propelled him to lay a foundation for himself, writers in Kenya and the larger Africa, as they too pursued their passion and earnest in the arts.

Establishing the Kwani Trust, coordinating literary festivals and participating in numerous panel discussions, interviews and anthologies across the world, he became a household name. The close friends who knew him, will say that Binyavanga was impossible to forget and that his essays and outspoken messages led to hearty discussions across the globe.

‘One Day I Will Write About This Place,’ was first published by Kwani? In 2011 and it is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and major bookstores.

Reviewed by Beverley N Nsengiyunva