Nairobi Noir

Akashic Books: Noir

By: Peter Kimani - editor

Narrated by: John Kamau, Shaheen Khan, Faaiz Mbelizi, Charles Mnene, Agi Nanjosi, Naima Swaleh

"Nairobi Noir takes readers into the enigmas that haunt Kenya’s most populous city through the deft storytelling of a stellar cast of writers, which includes Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Stanley Gazemba, Makena Onjerika, Troy Onyango, and others.” (Brittle Paper, One of 50 Notable African Books of 2020)

"Nairobi is a city of 3 million souls, so it makes sense as a setting Akashic Books' famed noir series. 14 new stories fill a collection with Nairobi old and new; authors range in age from 24 to 81, and many layers of the city and its complex subcultures will be revealed as the reader makes their way through. Perfect for the armchair traveler!" (CrimeReads, included in CrimeReads' Most Anticipated Crime Books of 2020)

"Racial, religious, and class divides are acutely observed in the 14 new stories from Kenyan writers... Crime fiction fans will find much to savor." (Publishers Weekly)

Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city.

Brand-new stories by: Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Stanley Gazemba, Ngumi Kibera, Peter Kimani, Winfred Kiunga, Kinyanjui Kombani, Caroline Mose, Kevin Mwachiro, Wanjikũ wa Ngũgĩ, Faith Oneya, Makena Onjerika, Troy Onyango, J.E. Sibi-Okumu, and Rasna Warah.

From the introduction by Peter Kimani:

Nairobi Noir is an act of excavation, rediscovering the city's ossified past and infusing life to preserve it for future generations. It is also an act of celebration, reminding listeners of the brilliance of the best-known writers to emerge from this part of the world, and heralding the birth of new writers whose gifts, we can safely predict, will shine brightly in the years ahead.

The oldest writer in this anthology is 81, the youngest is only 24; if there is any inference one can draw from this demographic it is that this anthology offers an entire spectrum of Kenyan writing: the past, present, and future. If we can allow one extravagant claim, a collection of this nature is unprecedented in Kenya's literary history.

Although the range of issues explored in Nairobi Noir is as diverse as its contributors, it all gestures toward a common theme. In this concrete jungle, the hunters and herders live on. As do the hunted....

©2020 Akashic Books (P)2021 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A book that leaves an indelible impression on you from just the opening sentences of the very first story." (Exclusive Magazine)

"These stories take you down into the dark parts of town where you get down and dirty. You meet prejudice, racism, the moneyed and the poor. You meet corrupt police, criminals, and the innocent." (Journey of a Bookseller)

"Kimani is quite a well-known African author, who obviously knows Nairobi intimately, and after I read his story 'Blood Sister', I realized that he was the perfect person to edit the book." (The Cyberlibrarian)