Mid last year, I went to Savanis’ bookshop. The one along river road, around Odeon cinema. This was after trying severally to get there on time. Duty calls took most of my time. On this particular day, it was supposed to be my lucky day. I was supposed to get one of Chimamanda’s books. I had seen them on their shelves before. So I got in, relieved that I was on time. I scanned around to locate what I was looking for but I did not find it. So I asked one of the attendants if they had it in stock. He told me that they had stopped stocking all the books that Binyavanga supplies. Unless they find another supplier, that is when they will stock the books. I was surprised, I asked him the ‘whys’ to that action. He told me they don’t want any association with him because he had declared that he is gay. That was absurd. I was not pleased at all. I remember wanting to rant about it on social media, but on second thought, I ignored it.
I do not subscribe to gayism, but why should we be quick to judge and condemn. It is just an equal sin to fornication that a number of people indulge in. We all have our sinful tendencies. It is our personal obligation to fight them. For some, we overcome and for others, we succumb to them. We should always focus on seeing the good in people.
I describe Binyavanga with his boldness, to say his truth even if people will not agree with it. His realness, to face things as they are. And his ability to study what is going around and put it rightly in literature. Mr Wainaina, an author, publisher, journalist and commentator, was seen as one of the most important voices in African literature. He won the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2002 and went on to establish “Kwani” a literary magazine that offered a platform for new Kenyan writers.
At least for him unlike most of us not forgetting the elite and the politicians who should be the voice that Africa yearns for, he firmly condemned how Africa is being depicted to the world. In his satirical writing on How to Write About Africa , he said “Treat Africa as if it were one country,” he went ahead saying that the characters must include “the Starving African, who wanders the refugee camp nearly naked, and waits for the benevolence of the West.” We all know that this is not true, yet such are the narratives that describe Africa. This piece will remain to be a very canonical piece in the world.
My words are similar to those of Ellah Wakatama, when he stated that Binyavanga has given wings to a generation of writers. His writings will impact and last eternity. To writers and readers of literature, this is a big loss to us. Instead of getting ourselves in the unnecessary politics, we should honour this gentleman. All the national flags in the literary world should fly half in honour of his life.
My favourite line in his writing is “There is an ache in my chest today, sweet, searching, and painful, like a tongue that is cut and tingles with sweetness and pain after eating a strong pineapple.”
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