13 Comments

This is enlightening and liberating. I have just figured out I have been missing great texts. I need to revisit the libraries and bookshops.

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Indeed Richard. Wealth hidden between the pages.

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Very informative. Now we know more about the writer of Sauti Ya Dhiki and political atmosphere that sent him to prison where he produced this and other manuscripts. Kudos.

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Thank you Senior. And I hope that we will have our chat/interview soon. I must pick your brains too.

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We sure will. Please get in touch.

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This is an insightful interview. Most of the leftist writers from the 60s and 70s lie in obscurity-and so does their works. There's is a need to revisit their works-which I believe are relevant today as they were back in the day. Keep up the good work Kimani.

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Indeed Gilbert, we need to dig deeper and get the gems that were written during this time. These were interesting, transitional times and it would be great to see how the artists captured them. Especially the far left ones.

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Beautiful story. These are the stories we rarely hear of but carry rich history. You have a way with words. Keep writing and telling us more of this hidden treasures. Asante.

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Thanks Faith. I hope that you too can continue writing the arts and culture articles. I will keep the pen rolling for more. Keep it here.

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Utenzi wa Maisha ya Adamu na Hawaa was the first Abdilatif Abdalla book I read in 1998. I never quite understood it much but there was something that kept nudging me on to read his poems. My then Kiswahili teacher encouraged me to read Sauti ya Dhiki. Thank you Mzalendo Kimani for this interview. Through Professor Abdilatif Abdalla's works I was able to analyze and explicate Ushairi effortless.

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You got the right political education of questioning and speaking truth to power from a legend. His paper Kenya Twendapi? was and is still one of the greatest ever published pamphlet that spoke truth to power in a way that had never been done before. I hope that you enjoyed the interview.

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Th great writer there, his 7th pamphlet is the most known by him. He brought revolutionary literary works in Kenya though note the 1st that was able to tell as it is using the literary works. Great article

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Thanks Masiga. Abdilatif Abdalla is a great thinker. He was a head of his time when he was writing in Mombasa long before he was imprisoned. A Kiswahili scholar, he has also done tremendous work here. I will be picking his brains again. Keep it here to read more about him. Thanks for subscribing.

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