Notes from the Editor: Billy Kahora on Small Magazines
In a room reminiscent of the Kwani? magazine offices a decade ago, writer, professor, and editor Billy Kahora captivates his listeners. This time, however, his audience was not a board of magazine contributors, rather an audience of students, many of whom (myself included) were getting a glimpse into the world of small magazines and their operations for the first time.
Kahora, currently a professor at the University of Bristol, previously served as Managing Editor of Kwani Trust, an organization dedicated to fostering Kenya's and Africa's intellectual, creative, and imaginative resources through strategic literary initiatives. Kwani Trust also produced Kwani?, one of the most noteworthy and influential journals to emerge from Africa, of which Kahora served as the editor from 2007 to 2017. He also served as a contributing editor for the Chimurenga Chronic, another noteworthy African-based newspaper born out of a collaboration between Chimurenga, an existing magazine based in Cape Town, and Kwani Trust.
Kahora spent four days leading the class English 290S: “Small Magazines in Africa and the Diaspora,” where we explore a variety of printed and digital magazines which chronicle a rich history of African politics, literature, and culture. We move from week to week chronologically, focusing on a unique publication and associated themes. As Kahora worked on Kwani? and Chimurenga, it was fitting and fortunate that he was available to come to discuss these two prominent magazines with our class.
In his first class leading discussions, Kahora spoke on the background of the period in which Kwani? arose, framing the context for the genesis of the magazine. He cited the authoritarian regime of Daniel arap Moi, the former leader of Kenya, as a key influence on the form of the magazine. He mentioned how such a regime created a generational aversion for the voice of formal structure, which prompted a recognition of the importance of non-structural networks and emergent public spaces coinciding with suspicion of the official. Thus, Kwani? arose as a means of exploring key Kenyan and broader pan-African issues through a critical, varied, and informal lens. Aside from just the magazine, Kwani Trust focused on these aforementioned public spaces including open mics, literary events, and many others, to foster creative and literary thought across the continent. It was the hope of Kahora and others at Kwani Trust to chronicle, discuss, and inspire movement past the issues plaguing Kenya at the time.
In discussing the early days of Kwani?, Kahora also recounted stories of the magazine’s charismatic founder, Binyavanga Wainaina. These anecdotes provided a fascinating glimpse into the unique dynamics of the world of Kwani? and other small magazines. When asking Kahora what he learned from Wainaina, he emphasized Wainaina’s emotional intelligence, exemplified in how he could tell whether a fellow writer needed tough love or a more gentle and cooperative approach. And while Kahora says he could never quite replicate this ability, something he learned from Wainaina that he still brings to his own life, and encouraged the same in all of us, is to be open. Kahora notes that for a time much of the writing on the African continent was done in a register of realism, with an adherence to accepted norms, norms he felt he to some extent conformed to while studying journalism at the University of Cape Town. Kahora, in working with Wainaina, learned to appreciate going against the grain and conveying messages in more atypical ways, something that comes through strongly throughout the pages of Kwani?.
In the second week of Kahora’s visit, discussion shifted to the Chimurenga Chronic, the aforementioned collaboration between Chimurenga and Kwani?. While Kahora brought a wealth of knowledge about the production of the newspaper as a whole, much of the discussion was centered around the “New Cartographies” issue published in March 2015. According to the publisher’s note, this issue explored the following question: “if maps were made by Africans for their own use, to understand and make visible their own realities or imaginaries [,] how does it shift the perception we have of ourselves and how we make life on this continent?” In the discussion around the production of this issue, Kahora remarked on the dissatisfaction among the magazine’s contributors about the rigidity and often foreign origin of cartography. In the issue, Chimurenga’s contributors focused on providing unique depictions that broke free from cartographical norms. In doing so, they hoped to subvert common perceptions of maps to illuminate unique characteristics of the African continent, from sports to migrations to spheres of political influence.
Kahora’s visit concluded with a luncheon and group discussion about magazine production, serving as inspiration and advice for the class final project, the creation of a short magazine inspired by the texts covered throughout the course. Kahora provided some guidance on important early aspects of the process, such as determining a title and branding, and bouncing ideas off of each other to steadily develop the structure and theme of the overall product. Furthermore, he stressed that it is vital to compile the magazine’s content with plenty of time left over. Kahora explained that editing, determining the layout, and finalizing the magazine takes far longer than expected, recounting that when deadlines approached, he and the Kwani? team would often edit and organize well into the night, something he encouraged us to avoid! A final piece of key guidance was Kahora’s emphasis on the importance of delegating tasks. In discussing magazines with our class, Kahora took note of each student’s individual passions. Jumping off of this, he encouraged us in preparing our magazine to “do what you like, something you are interested in and passionate about," invaluable advice which is applicable beyond just writing and magazines, but for life as a whole.
A huge thank you to Billy Kahora for joining us for these two inspiring weeks!
