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ARGWINGS AND THE LAMPLIGHTERS

They arrived on a dark and stormy night, with the rain pouring cold from
the black skies. No one saw how they came or from which direction they
came. Some say they appeared with the first drop of rain, some say the
last and some that they never left. Their names were unknown. They
came to be known as the lamplighters.

When a cold storm devastates Argwings’ hometown, everyone blames it
on the two strangers who have suddenly appeared as if from nowhere
and taken up residence with him in the abandoned house. Since their
arrival, the sun, the moon and the stars have all disappeared from the
sky, crops and animals have died and the magical tree houses have begun
to decay. Everything looks sad and gloomy. It seems that the town will
die completely unless the town does something about the strangers.
Then, just as the villagers prepare to invade Argwings’ house and drive
them out, the strangest thing happens.

In this enchanting and wonderful tale, the author examines what happens
to a community’s life and character as it faces up to the strange and
unexpected.

LATEST RELEASE

The Last Plague

"In his 449-page novel, THE LAST PLAGUE,
Kenyan writer, Meja Mwangi, achieved two things:
he wrote a restrained AIDS novel that was true
to the apocalyptic character of the pandemic, and
he wrote a classic of delirious humour. It is this
combination of tragedy (that never quite loses its
grasp on hope), deft satire, and unexpected
humour that bushwhacks the reader at the most
sombre moments, that makes this book
compelling rereading, even seven years after its
first publication." - Books Worth Reading,
AFRICAN WRITING.

BOOKS WORTH READING

"In his 449-page novel, THE LAST PLAGUE,
Kenyan writer, Meja Mwangi, achieved two
things: he wrote a restrained AIDS novel that
was true to the apocalyptic character of the
pandemic, and he wrote a classic of delirious
humour. It is this combination of tragedy (that
never quite loses its grasp on hope), deft
satire, and unexpected humour that
bushwhacks the reader at the most sombre
moments, that makes this book compelling
rereading, even seven years after its first
publication." - Books Worth Reading, AFRICAN
WRITING.

Baba Pesa - Striving for the Wind

Mwangi... weaves a thread of humour through a fabric of tears.
... an instructive exploration of the true nature of the human
condition in rural Kenya and a fascinating appreciation of the
foibles and vibrancy of the human soul.’ The Weekly Review

Weapon of Hunger

Weapon of Hunger is perhaps Meja Mwangi's best book yet. The
picture he paints of the relentless quest for modern Africa is grim.
What is most depressing, is that there seem to be no solutions.
Western philanthropists, such as Jack Rivers, are portrayed in a
favourable light as sincere people. All their energies, however, are
expended on trying to understand Africa's problems and once
they understand them they realise that the problems are beyond
them. As for the Africans themselves, they could have provided
solutions, but since they are lined up in warring factions, that is
impossible. While the two sides fight on to the finish, will million
of ordinary people continue to starve to dead? That is the
questions which Meja Mwangi asks himself and which he asks the
readers of weapon.

Lyne Mansure, The Weekly Review

The Big Chiefs

The Big Chiefs have plunged the country into political and
economic mayhem to serve their own interests. Rumour has it
that another genocide is imminent. One Old Man has seen it all
before and tells this cautionary tale of misplaced trust in
leadership to whoever cares to listen. Will history repeat itself? Is
there no end to the power of the Big Chiefs?

In this apocalyptic novel, Meja Mwangi, spins a moral tale of
courage in the face of overwhelming odds, and tells a story that is
full of love and compassion, and one that is as heart-warming as
it is disturbing.

The Boy Gift

Toma Tomei wants to become chief of his clan. But the father of
nine daughters has a chance to achieve his aim only if he has a
son. So he has great hopes when his wife gives birth to their
tenth child. The next morning he is shown his baby. The baby is a
boy, but ...

The Cockroach Dance

“The Cockroach Dance is the stunning story of one man’s
resistance to a system of intimidation and corruption dominated
by the ‘haves’ in a society of ‘have-nots’ and numerous ‘faceless
ones’. Meja Mwangi spins a fascinating tale of one man’s revolt
against exploitation”.

The Daily Nation

The ideological thread of the novel is spun between the poles of a
consumer capitalistic ideology, governed by acquisitiveness,
striving towards economic and political dominance and an anti-
authoritarian attitude without aspirations to personal power.
Between these extremes there is a play of conflicting forces, often
governed by irony.

by Meja Mwangi

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