Nexus/Busara and the Rise of Modern Kenyan Literature

Abstract

This paper examines the role of Nexus/Busara as one of the foundational literary magazines in Kenya. Founded in the late 1960s by literature students at the University College, Nairobi, the journal was immersed in the politics of literary and cultural production in the East African region of the time. It was one of the major reviews that gave upcoming young writers space to hone their skills in creative writing and literary criticism. Using a historical approach, this paper places the magazine in the context of the postcolonial Kenyan landscape in the period immediately after independence. Through a close-reading of specific texts in the journal, the paper also explores the influences of pioneer East African writers and underscores the pivotal role that the University played in laying the foundations of modern Kenyan literature. The study shows that literary magazines are brooding nests for creative writers and literary critics, nurture literary cultures, and build bridges between generations of writers and between traditions.