Binyavanga Wainaina - One Day I Will Write About This Place

Episode

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

20111107

20160905 (BBC7)
20160906 (BBC7)
20111108 (R4)

Prize-winning author Binyavanga Wainaina's impressionistic memoir of growing up in modern day Kenya amongst a cacophony of sounds, black mamba bicycle bells, the hairdryers at his mother's beauty parlour, the languages of dozens of tribes and the infectious laughter of his sister Ciru. But over it all hangs the dread of what is happening in his mother's homeland, to her family and friends, under the dictatorship of Idi Amin.

Prize-winning author Binyavanga Wainaina's memoir of growing up in modern-day Kenya.

20111108

20160906 (BBC7)
20160907 (BBC7)
20111109 (R4)

By Binyavanga Wainaina.

Wainaina is nine and has learned to read. He devours a book a day and loves to play with words. And he observes that all around him East Africa is in turmoil. 'Kings are in trouble from Presidents. Presidents are in trouble from Generals. Everybody is in trouble from communists.' And as he tries to puzzle out the difference between tribe and nation, he decides that one day he will become a writer.

There is political upheaval, but what matters most to Wainaina is learning to read.

20111109

20160907 (BBC7)
20160908 (BBC7)
20111110 (R4)

By Binyavanga Wainaina.

Wainaina and his sister are doing well at primary school and are hoping their grades will get them into a top secondary school. But there are rumours that Gikuyus' names are being taken off the lists.

And the author visits the industrial sprawl of Nairobi with his father: hot sun city with its creaking, cantankerous corrugated iron roofs, and learns manly things about cars' entrails.

Wainaina visits the industrial sprawl of Nairobi with his father and learns about cars.

20111110

20160908 (BBC7)
20160909 (BBC7)
20111111 (R4)

By Binyavanga Wainaina.

The Kenyan government is to stop subsidizing university education so Wainaina and his sister enrol at Transkei University and join the thousands of students from all over Africa who are moving to South Africa, which is transforming as the old regime makes way for the new.

The government stops subsidising education, so Wainaina enrols at Transkei University.

05 LAST

20111111

20160909 (BBC7)
20160910 (BBC7)
20111112 (R4)

By Binyavanga Wainaina.

Having felt desperately homesick in South Africa, and not enjoying his university course, Wainaina has lost his way. But finally he gets the call to return home to Kenya and a memorable family reunion.

Desperately homesick, Wainaina returns home to Kenya and a memorable family reunion.

Episodes

Episode	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
01	20111107	20160905 (BBC7) 20160906 (BBC7) 20111108 (R4)	Prize-winning author Binyavanga Wainaina's impressionistic memoir of growing up in modern day Kenya amongst a cacophony of sounds, black mamba bicycle bells, the hairdryers at his mother's beauty parlour, the languages of dozens of tribes and the infectious laughter of his sister Ciru. But over it all hangs the dread of what is happening in his mother's homeland, to her family and friends, under the dictatorship of Idi Amin. Prize-winning author Binyavanga Wainaina's memoir of growing up in modern-day Kenya.
02	20111108	20160906 (BBC7) 20160907 (BBC7) 20111109 (R4)	By Binyavanga Wainaina. Wainaina is nine and has learned to read. He devours a book a day and loves to play with words. And he observes that all around him East Africa is in turmoil. 'Kings are in trouble from Presidents. Presidents are in trouble from Generals. Everybody is in trouble from communists.' And as he tries to puzzle out the difference between tribe and nation, he decides that one day he will become a writer. There is political upheaval, but what matters most to Wainaina is learning to read.
03	20111109	20160907 (BBC7) 20160908 (BBC7) 20111110 (R4)	By Binyavanga Wainaina. Wainaina and his sister are doing well at primary school and are hoping their grades will get them into a top secondary school. But there are rumours that Gikuyus' names are being taken off the lists. And the author visits the industrial sprawl of Nairobi with his father: hot sun city with its creaking, cantankerous corrugated iron roofs, and learns manly things about cars' entrails. Wainaina visits the industrial sprawl of Nairobi with his father and learns about cars.
04	20111110	20160908 (BBC7) 20160909 (BBC7) 20111111 (R4)	By Binyavanga Wainaina. The Kenyan government is to stop subsidizing university education so Wainaina and his sister enrol at Transkei University and join the thousands of students from all over Africa who are moving to South Africa, which is transforming as the old regime makes way for the new. The government stops subsidising education, so Wainaina enrols at Transkei University.
05 LAST	20111111	20160909 (BBC7) 20160910 (BBC7) 20111112 (R4)	By Binyavanga Wainaina. Having felt desperately homesick in South Africa, and not enjoying his university course, Wainaina has lost his way. But finally he gets the call to return home to Kenya and a memorable family reunion. Desperately homesick, Wainaina returns home to Kenya and a memorable family reunion.