Binyavanga Wainaina

visiting writer in residence, Union College

Binyavanga Wainaina (born 1971) is a Kenyan author, journalist and winner of the Caine Prize. He attended Moi Primary School in Nakuru, Mangu High School in Thika, and Lenana School in Nairobi. He later studied commerce at the University of Transkei in South Africa, after which he worked in Cape Town for some years as a freelance food and travel writer. In July 2002 he won the Caine Prize for African Writing for his short story "Discovering Home". He is the founding editor of *Kwani?*, the first literary magazine in East Africa since *Transition Magazine*. Since its founding, *Kwani?* has since become an important source of new writing from Africa; with several writers having been nominated for, and having won, the Caine Prize subsequently. In 2003, he was given an award by the Kenya Publisher's Association, in recognition of his services to Kenyan Literature. He has written for *The EastAfrican*, *National Geographic*, *The Sunday Times *(South Africa),* Granta*, *the New York Times* and *The Guardian* (UK). In January 2007, Binyavanga Wainaina was nominated by the World Economic Forum as a "Young Global Leader" - an award given to people for "their potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world." He subsequently declined the award.