Browse Items (56 total)

A story with a clear realistic slant of a poor family forced to live in grinding poverty by the social inequalities of present-day Tanzania. The main character is a child who, not knowing his father, struggles for identity and respect.

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This recently published novel deals with the problematic life of youth in the city and the negative consequences of forced marriages.

Call Number: PL8704.K258 H35 2002

A historical novel that takes place during the Mau Mau insurgency in Kenya during the early 1950’s. Relates the suffering of a Kikuyu girl, Mumbi, whose boyfriend is killed in the struggle. She is raped by a collaborationist chief and dies in…

Shaaban Robert is credited with introducing the essay (insha) into Swahili Literature.

A socio-politically committed play that criticizes some of the shortcomings of the ujamaa village scheme, particularly the dishonesty of the leaders and laziness of some of the villagers.

Call Number: PZ90.S94 N45

A historical novel dealing with ethnic violence in Kenya in the early 1990’s. Two friends of different ethnic groups find themselves involved in a tribal conflict against their will and struggle to preserve their friendship.

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This is a “local color” novelette that is another very early work of Kiswahili prose. In its depiction of life in a typical Zanzibari village, it is perhaps more informative of local customs than of notable literary value. The two main characters,…

Kusadikika is the name of an imaginary country, based on the Swahili verb kusadiki (to believe). It is a satire on greed and the abuse of power that speaks for the common people who are not allowed to question anything but are only expected to…

A play based on the ‘Otieno case’ that took place in western Kenya in 1987. The case, involving the death of a well-known Luo lawyer, divided Kenya public opinion at the time and led to ethnic conflict. The controversy in the case ensued between the…

A seven-act play set in Tanzania at the time of the war with Uganda, which dramatically impoverished the country. The plot centers on a Tanzanian family attempting to deal with the reduced circumstances of life caused by the shortage of many…