Festival Team

HomeFestival Team

Muthoni Garland _ Festival Founder

Muthoni Garland

Muthoni Garland is a Founding Member of Storymoja Publishing, The Storymoja Hay Festival, Storyhippo Creative Arts Programme (S-CAP) and of The Start-a-Library Programme. She is a social activist advocating reading for pleasure, and is involved in the Reading Revolution campaign promoting reading amongst children. Muthoni has been published in literary journals including Kwani, Farafina and Chimurenga and in several anthologies in the USA and UK. Writing as Muthoni Muchemi, she has published over a dozen books for children including ‘Kamau’s Finish /The Amazing Race’, which is taught as world literature in schools in the USA and UK. Her science-fiction book, ‘Attack of the Shidas” was commissioned by the Kenya Human Rights Commission to stimulate discussion about tribalism in schools. Muthoni’s books are available on Amazon and on Worldreader. Muthoni is also a storyteller and has appeared on stage in Kenya, Italy

Paula Kahumbu - Festival Director 2013

Paula Kahumbu

Paula Kahumbu, executive director of the Kenya Land Conservation Trust and WildlifeDirect, and chairman of the Friends of Nairobi National Park. Born and raised in Nairobi, Kahumbu entered into conservation at the height of the elephant poaching in the late 1980s.

See Paula Kahumbu's Full Profile

Development Does Not Need to Destroy Wildlife – TEDxMidAtlantic

Hands Off Our Elephants

Interview with Paula Kahumbu at Storymoja Hay Festival 2012

Aleya Kassam - Festival producer

Aleya Kassam

Aleya Kassam - Desi Kenyan. Reading Revolutionary. Distracted by pretty trees & birds. Aleya is the Producer of the Storymoja Hay Festivals, which are organised in partnership with Hay Festivals (UK). She is an avid reader and has organised many workshops to inspire parents to read with their children.

Alex Kandie - Storyhippo Children's Village Coordinator

Alex Kandie is The Storyhippo Children's Village Coordinator at the Storymoja Hay Festival. He doubles as an editor and coordinator on the Careerpedia Initiative under Storymoja Publishers. Alex was a member of the 2013 Hay Festival UK team.

Zosi Kadzitu - Media Liaison

Zosi

Zosi is the Media Liaison for the Storymoja Hay Festival 2013. She has been entrusted with the mission to spread Storymoja Hay Festival fever. She is also the quarterback and puppet master for #OccupyNairobi and the Imagine The World Music Concert. In an alternate universe, Zosi is a singer and closet poet.

Dawn Makena - Corporate Relations

Dawn

Dawn Makena is the Corporate Liaison and Sponsorships Cordinator at the Storymoja Hay Festival. In her other life she is a library ambassador with a desire to see all Kenyans accessing libraries to connect with friends & family as well as search for information resources.

Samo Obanda - Jefe

Samo is El Jefe; Rabid Dog in a Suit. He is chewing on a million bones at the festival including but not limited to all the fun, colours and brilliant ideas that will show up at the festival as well as Stir up #Occupy Nairobi and The Imagine the World Concert.

EL Poet - Producer/Marketer Stir Up #OccupyNairobi

EL Poet is the Producer and Marketing Co-ordinator of Stir-Up #Occupy Nairobi & The Imagine the World Concert at the Storymoja Hay festival 2013. He is a spoken word artist born and living in Kenya but of Somali origin. He says: "Poetry is more than an art form to me. It is the only way and channel that I use to communicate. It coats up and brings everything I do to life. My mother always told me that Somalia prides itself as “The Nation of Poets” and that many within my lineage and ancestry were great poets. The likes of “Haadrawi” have been a constant inspiration towards my writing."

Anne Eboso - Start-a-Library

Anne Eboso heads the Start a Library team. Apart from her passionate commitment to rousing the public to donate books for schools, Anne is deeply involved in reading initiatives in her rural home area – Rusinga Island. Start-a-Library will be running Guinness World Record Reading Warm Ups on Friday & Saturday. in addition, 50% of income from the Premium Events at the Storymoja Hay festival will be going to the Start-a-Library Projects. To contribute to the Start-a-Library Fund and/or to become a reading ambassador during and after the festival see www.startalibrary.org or contact Anne via the mediums below.

Juliet Maruru - Social Media & Online Publicist

Juliet Maruru is the Social Media and Online Publicity Coordinator for the Storymoja Hay Festival. Juliet Maruru is also coordinator of the Storymoja Ideagasms and has been working with the team supporting the Storymoja Hay Festival Writing Fellows.She is a writer, editor, blogger and often deposits residues of her thoughts on a blog she called Sheblossoms

Monity Odero - Artiste Management & Masterclasses

Monity Odero is the Masterclasses Coordinator and is also in charge of logistics for visiting authors & performers. She is the Managing Editor at Storymoja Publishers.

Vaishnavi Rammohan - Drumbeats Romance Launch

Vaishnavi Ram Mohan is the Co-ordinator of the Art of K.I.S.S.I.N.G Session and the Drumbeats Romance Launch at the Storymoja Hay Festival. Vaishnavi has been writing from the age of six and is now the publisher of two children's books - "Tales from Africa' and 'The Incredible Adventures of Pisho Pencil' - as well as two romance novels - 'Best Laid Plans' and 'Stuck Together'.

Alexander Muge - Festival BookShop

Alexander Muge is the coordinator for the Festival Bookshop. To stock your books as a participating author at the festival please contact [email protected]