“You see, taxi drivers are, of necessity, devious and wicked people. If you’re trying to get high, get laid, or just get into some sort of mischief, they know where the action’s at.”


Genres: Fiction, Short Stories
Pages: 154
Published: 2020
Rate: 3.5 ⭐⭐⭐
Description
Ten new stories from Kenya. Herein are to be found vampires and gods; sex toys and exhibitionists; divorces and soon-to-be divorcees; heart attacks and heartbreaks; grief unending, bad decisions and unexpected salvation; the unemployed, troubled expatriates, hustlers and conmen; adventures in Nairobi, Dar es Salam, Mt. Elgon and everywhere in between; friends who are not just friends, unruly relatives and beloved but complicated parents.

Featured authors are:
Miriam Amoit
Rumona Apiyo
Nyasili Atetwe
Clarie Gor
Alvin Kathembe
Duncan Mwangi
Aggrey Oriwo
Gladwell Pamba
Natalie Sifuma
Kiprono Tonui

This anthology represents the work of authors who have participated in fiction classes at the Nairobi Writing Academy, an organization run by 2018 Caine Prize for African Writing winner, Makena Onjerika.

My Take
I read the Equipoise anthology a few months ago and I found it quite the enjoyable read. As always with short stories there will be hits and misses and for me Equipoise wasn’t any different. I rank them in order of what I loved most and what I loved least.

5 stars

  • Mama Fua – Found the story riveting
  • Equipoise – A story within a story, gripping

4 stars

  • Renovations – dramatic, loved the writing
  • Mama’s Colours – I was hooked

3 stars
For these stories I found them okay. A bit slow paced but managed to hold my attention long enough till I finished.

  • Wheat Fields of the Mara
  • Dar es Salaam Cocktail
  • J is for Jobless Engineers
  • Children of the Mother’s Side
  • Nairobae
  • Vila

Have you read Equipoise? What did you think about it?