How often does one get to meet Ben Okri, the Booker Prize-winning novelist and poet from Nigeria? The short answer is “Hardly ever.” What of Hari Kunzru, winner of both the British Book and Somerset Maugham awards? Yusef Komunyakaa, the Pulitzer Prizewinning American poet with a prolific repertoire? How about storyteller, poet and New York Times bestselling author Beth Lisick? Short of using Photoshop to insert yourself into the company of one of these accomplished scribes, it rarely happens.

And yet, it has. The 2011 StoryMoja Hay Festival team brought Ben, Hari, Yusef, Beth, and a plethora of local and international illustrators, poets and writers within shouting distance of an attentive audience. And they’re going to work their magic again. With the fourth edition of StoryMoja comes a new venue, the National Museums of Kenya. Utilizing every square inch of the sponsor’s vast cultural space, you can expect to attend workshops and lively lectures in rooms teeming with the world’s history. The best part: A festival ticket also includes free access to the museum’s offerings, from taxidermy and science to artistic creations.

(And don’t forget—free access to the snake park too!) The heart and soul of the festival remains literary enlightenment. And to that end, an impressive selection of over 60 local and international poets, writers, artists and thinkers are expected. One such guest is Lola Shoneyin, winner of the Association of Nigerian Authors’ Awards. Her background as an educator has her excited about the prospect of working with young minds. “I’m a teacher, so I’m really looking forward to doing poetry workshops with children.

I love the purity and innocence with which children approach poetry,” says Lola. 2011 Caine Prize winner, NoViolet Bulawayo, is bracing herself to be blown away at every level. She states, “I’m especially looking forward to meeting great writers and thinkers, to insightful discussions, music, fun, just the whole Why You Must Attend StoryMoja Hay Festival FESTIVAL By Wanjeri Gakuru shebang.” Worthy of note as well is the plan to launch laudable homegrown initiatives at the festival. One such venture is the inaugural Wangari Maathai Memorial Lecture, expected to be delivered by a surprise guest (rumour has it that both Arundhati Roy and Angelique Kidjo have been approached for this honour.) Another interesting project is “Africa’s Wildest Stories”, the brainchild of Paula Kahumbu at Wildlife Direct.

This audio/video series utilizes the power of storytelling to help preserve wildlife. By tapping into the real-life experiences of elders from different cultural communities, “Africa’s Wildest Stories” unearths stories of bravery, mysticism and symbiosis that have connected human beings and wild creatures for centuries. The UP Lounge will also make an appearance again. This year, we’ll offer writers’ workshops facilitated by our editorial team.

Look out for a discussion on unleashing creative energy with consultant Ross van Horn, as well as DJ sets by our in-house “spin master”. And make sure to participate in our fun open call for illustrators that will be going on at our tent throughout the festival. The 2012 StoryMoja Hay Festival (September 13th to 16th) will be held at the National Museums of Kenya. You can find the festival program at www. storymojahayfestival.com. Read interviews with NoViolet Bulawayo and Lola Shoneyin in full at www.upnairobi.com.