The Havoc of Choice

A story about family, politics and journeying through a fractured country in a delicate time, The Havoc of Choice explores the long reaching effects of colonisation and corruption within the context of a singular household and the disparate experiences of class and clan they encapsulate.

2007, Kenya. Long held captive by her father's shadow of corruption, Kavata has spent her life suffocated by political machinations. When her husband decides to run in the next election, these shadows threaten to consume her home. Unable to bear this darkness, Kavata plots to escape.

As her family falls apart, so too does her country. In the wake of Kenya's post-election turmoil, Kavata and her family must find their way back to each other across a landscape of wide-spread confusion, desperation, and heartrending loss.

One of the first pieces of long fiction from Kenya to explore its 2007 post-election violence (PEV) in such detail, The Havoc of Choice is a delicate and deeply personal attempt to understand the root of this spontaneous yet organised conflict and to figure out what healing looks like for the people of Kenya.

Wanjiru Koinange turns the story of a Kenyan election into a study of Nairobi and Kenya itself. Her vision is warm and intelligent, her storytelling impeccable, and her cast of characters unerringly plausible and fascinating. One of the best accounts of the new Africa in years. -- Imran Coovadia author of The Wedding and The Posioners
Through the intimate and abiding lens of family, Koinange - a new and compelling voice - skilfully weaves an intricate story of corruption, betrayal, love and loss. Tension-filled and moving. -- Yewande Omotoso author of Bom Boy and The Woman Next Door

Wanjiru Koinange is a Kenyan writer, and a project manager of three of Africa Centre's programmes: Artists In Residency, Badilisha Poetry X-Change and Talking Heads. She obtained her undergraduate degree in journalism and literature from the United States International University after which she worked as a talent manager for some of East Africa's most renowned artists and musicians. During this time she was part of several teams that created a series of events and festivals that continue to shape Kenya's cultural landscape to-date.

She holds a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Cape Town, the product of which was her debut novel 'The Havoc of Choice'. She has also written for publications such as Chimurenga and Slipnet among others and has published works of fiction as well. She is also a co-founder of Book Bunk, a social impact firm that exists to restore old libraries and install new ones into public spaces in Nairobi - where Wanjiru is currently based.

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