QwaniLitFest
Reimagine the future of the Kenyan literature scene through examining the old and new age era.
When
Saturday, 25 July 2026
Where
Baraza Media Lab
Industrial Area, Nairobi
Hosted by
Asande Gumbe
What Is Qwani LitFest?
Qwani LitFest is our literature festival, a full day of panel discussions, readings, performances and a courtyard of books, art and makers. The inaugural edition ran on Saturday, 25 July 2026 at Baraza Media Lab, Industrial Area, Nairobi, and doubled as the celebration of our third year.
Qwani is a youth-led Kenyan organisation founded in 2023 to give young writers a platform to publish their work. The name is a homage to Kwani?, the influential literary organisation founded by a team led by Binyavanga Wainaina. The festival is the most ambitious thing we have attempted in that lineage so far.
The theme, The Transit Edition, set the terms for the whole programme: Kenyan literature caught mid-journey between an old age and a new one. Three panels examined that transit from three directions: what we write about now, how we draw it, and who gets to judge it.
“Away from the panel discussions, a decent crowd mingled, making new connections and renewing old ones.James Murua · Writing Africa
Seated Across The Panels
Panel Discussions
Panellists & Moderators
Edition, Marking Year Three
The Programme
Four sessions across the day: a morning reading session, followed by three panel discussions that together seated around two hundred people.
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Reading Session
Substack Sato
The day opened with Qwani's July Substack Sato, hosted by Wamzy and brought into the festival for the occasion. It was a session to read and discuss Substack articles, exchange ideas, and connect with fellow readers and curious minds.
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Panel Discussion
New Themes in Modern Kenyan Writing
Kenyan writing has evolved alongside the country's changing socio-political landscape. This panel brought together veteran and new-generation writers to explore how literary themes have shifted across the decades, and what today's writing reveals about contemporary Kenya.
Moderator
Eric Rugara
Panellists
- Christine MungaiEditor-in-Chief, The Continent
- Lexa LubangaFounder, Kenyan Readathon
- Olivia KidulaCo-founder, Will This Be A Problem?
One especially fascinating thread was a conversation about the “stickability” of the current generation of writers.
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Panel Discussion
Illustrations as Literature
Where do illustration and literature meet? From Edward Gicheri Gitau's Juha Kalulu, first published in Taifa Leo in 1960, to today's digital creators, comics and illustration have continually expanded the boundaries of storytelling. The panel explored the place of visual narrative in Kenya's literary landscape, and what the rise of AI-generated art means for the future of the craft.
Moderator
Paula Karanja
Panellists
- GadoCartoonist
- Msanii Kimani wa Wanjiru
- Cynthia Kerich
- Jamie K. Tindi
The panel traced a line from past to present, with elder panellists Gado and Msanii Kimani speaking to that history.
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Panel Discussion
The Role of the Literary Critic
Criticism has long been essential to the growth of any field, creating room for correction, and literature is no exception. From the Makerere Conference of 1962 to the literary debates in the Saturday Nation in the early 2010s, Kenyan writers and scholars have engaged in critical conversations that shaped the craft. This panel gathered literary journalists to ask who performs that role now, and how, in the age of self-publishing.
Moderator
Akal Mohan
Panellists
- Sheila Ngei
- Michelle Chepchumba Korir
- Verah Omwocha
The conversation grew heated as panellists shared their views on the importance of critics.
The Day Itself
A few frames from 25 July 2026. Tap any photo to open it full size.
Beyond The Panels
Outside the panel room, the courtyard ran a programme of its own. The festival also featured poetry, spoken word and musical performances.
- Sanchez Marley Ombasa
- Mugambi
The Posters
The Transit Continues
The first Qwani LitFest is done. The community that filled that courtyard meets all year round, at readings, hikes, open mics and workshops across seven regions. Come to the next one.
“A snapshot of the Qwani Literature Festival 2026” by James Murua, Writing Africa.
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