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Binyavanga Wainaina, Kenyan author and gay rights activist, dies aged 48
Source: The Guardian
Binyavanga Wainaina, Kenyan author and gay rights activist, dies aged 48
One of Africa’s best-known authors and gay rights activists died on Tuesday after an illness
Alison Flood
Wed 22 May 2019 11.50 BST Last modified on Wed 22 May 2019 12.14 BST
One of Africa’s best-known authors and gay rights activists, Binyavanga Wainaina, has died at the age of 48.
The Kenyan author died on Tuesday night in Nairobi after a short illness, the BBC reported. His death was confirmed by Tom Maliti, the chairman of the Kwani Trust, which Wainaina founded.
Wainaina, who won the 2002 Caine prize for African writing, made headlines around the world in 2014, when he responded to a wave of recent anti-gay laws around the continent by publicly outing himself in a short essay, published to mark his 43rd birthday. He also revealed he was HIV positive.
Calling it the “lost chapter” of his 2011 memoir One Day I Will Write About This Place, the essay I Am a Homosexual, Mum reimagined the last days of his mother’s life, in which he went to her deathbed and told her the truth about his sexuality.
-snip-
One of Africa’s best-known authors and gay rights activists died on Tuesday after an illness
Alison Flood
Wed 22 May 2019 11.50 BST Last modified on Wed 22 May 2019 12.14 BST
One of Africa’s best-known authors and gay rights activists, Binyavanga Wainaina, has died at the age of 48.
The Kenyan author died on Tuesday night in Nairobi after a short illness, the BBC reported. His death was confirmed by Tom Maliti, the chairman of the Kwani Trust, which Wainaina founded.
Wainaina, who won the 2002 Caine prize for African writing, made headlines around the world in 2014, when he responded to a wave of recent anti-gay laws around the continent by publicly outing himself in a short essay, published to mark his 43rd birthday. He also revealed he was HIV positive.
Calling it the “lost chapter” of his 2011 memoir One Day I Will Write About This Place, the essay I Am a Homosexual, Mum reimagined the last days of his mother’s life, in which he went to her deathbed and told her the truth about his sexuality.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/may/22/binyavanga-wainaina-kenyan-author-and-gay-rights-activist-dies-aged-48
Binyavanga Wainaina was one of the first high-profile Kenyans to openly declare he was gay (Getty Images)
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Source: BBC
Binyavanga Wainaina: Kenyan author and gay rights activist dies
22 May 2019
Prize-winning Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina has died after a short illness at the age of 48.
He won the Caine Prize for African writing in 2002 and was best known around the world for his satirical essay How to Write About Africa.
Wainaina was also named among Time Magazine's 100 most influential people in 2014 for his gay rights activism.
He "demystified and humanized homosexuality" author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie wrote at the time.
-snip-
22 May 2019
Prize-winning Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina has died after a short illness at the age of 48.
He won the Caine Prize for African writing in 2002 and was best known around the world for his satirical essay How to Write About Africa.
Wainaina was also named among Time Magazine's 100 most influential people in 2014 for his gay rights activism.
He "demystified and humanized homosexuality" author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie wrote at the time.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-48363362
