The book is available to purchase at the Soma Nami bookshop.
Kenyan writer Okwiri Oduor launched her new book Things They Lost on Thursday during a talk hosted by the Soma Nami bookshop.
The discussion which unfolded over zoom was open to all and featured discussions about the book, Okwiri’s career and what it means to be a writer as well as nuanced discussions about the legacy of colonialism; a topic influenced by parts of her new book.
Published by Simon and Schuster, Things They Lost tells the story of a lonely girl living in a small African town and her struggle to free herself from her mercurial, charming mother. As a whole, the story is a beautifully woven tale imbued with magical realism about love, longing, and the bond between mothers and daughters.
Speaking during the book’s launch yesterday, Okwiri said of the book’s use of memories, “Memories are like an unfinished book; there’s also a hope that someday someone will come and add on to it. It’s like looking forward to death because our death means that a different kind of life begins. Memories are important to this book because each character represents a generation of memories with their own trauma and stories.”
Despite coming to prominence in 2014 when she won the Cain Prize, Things They Lost is Okwiri’s first novel. The book is currently on sale for KSh. 2,250.
