Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Wainaina is nine, Kenyatta is dead and Moi is president. There is political upheaval all over East Africa, but what fascinates him most is the power of words. Read by Freddy Macha.

By Binyavanga Wainaina.

Wainaina is nine and has learned to read. He devours a book a day and loves to play with words. And he observes that all around him East Africa is in turmoil. "Kings are in trouble from Presidents. Presidents are in trouble from Generals. Everybody is in trouble from communists." And as he tries to puzzle out the difference between tribe and nation, he decides that one day he will become a writer.

Read by Freddy Macha. Abridged by Jane Marshall

Produced by Jane Marshall
A Jane Marshall Production for 91热爆 Radio 4.

15 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Tue 8 Nov 2011 09:45
  • Wed 9 Nov 2011 00:30
  • Tue 6 Sep 2016 14:45
  • Wed 7 Sep 2016 02:45

Listen to more Audio Books

Listen to more Audio Books

Including My Sister The Serial Killer, Queenie, The Flatshare and more.

Opening Lines

Opening Lines

John Yorke unpacks the themes behind the stories in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.

Sample our books and authors Clip Collection

Interviews, previews and reviews

Subscribe to the Short stories podcast

Featuring the best stories from the UK's finest writers

How many of these 100 Novels have you read?

How many of these 100 Novels have you read?

After a passionate debate, our panel has come up with this surprising literary selection.

Finding Your Story

Finding Your Story

Ten remarkable novels about identity: Which one will help you discover yourself?

91热爆 Arts: Books

Celebrating reading and the 100 novels that have shaped our world.