How to Write About Africa

“How to write about Africa” is Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina’s most famous essay, a satirical tour de force that made fun of western perceptions and portrayals of African realities, and also reasserted that agency for African writers. So it’s fitting that this collection of his writings, posthumously published after his sadly early demise aged just 48, bears the same title. But these essays are much richer than the titular piece’s writing back against the empire. They’re lovely, at times uncertain stories about the intricate details that made up Wainaina’s rich experiences – from vivid, visceral explorations of food, to meditations on politics, sexuality and culture.