![]() He was a character, and a deep and complex character for that matter: confusing and quirky, humorous and sarcastic, a lover of life, of food, and of whisky, frequently also ranting and raving, angry and upset. He left us a memoir, pieces of creative writing, novels in progress, essays, both written and video-performed – an incredibly rich archive of ideas and thoughts. ![]() He was a brilliant writer and sharp thinker, creative and unruly. Larger than life.īut he was far from empty inside. With the constant flood of words in which he energetically talked speculative ideas, supported by wild bodily gestures. With his African print blazers in the brightest colours one can think of, his spiky hair dyed in a different colour every time. ![]() Wainaina was such an “African character”: colourful, exotic, larger than life. How to write an obituary for a person who, in his perhaps most famous satirical essay, “ How to write about Africa ”, suggests that “African characters should be colourful, exotic, larger than life-but empty inside, with no dialogue, no conflicts or resolutions in their stories, no depth or quirks to confuse the cause”? How to write an obituary for a person as creative, original and radical as Binyavanga Wainaina – the Kenyan literary writer, public intellectual, and queer thinker who passed away on 21 st May 2019 ? ![]()
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