Widely cited by academics, non-governmental organizations and aid workers, the essay - also published as a small booklet - has had a profound impact on perceptions of Africa and continues to circulate, surprise and provoke. “His sarcasm was dripping - a stellar scalpel,” writes Nigerian writer Nwachukwu Egbunike. If you must include an African, make sure you get one in Masai or Zulu or Dogon dress. An AK-47, prominent ribs, naked breasts: use these. Never have a picture of a well-adjusted African on the cover of your book, or in it, unless that African has won the Nobel Prize.

In “How to Write About Africa,” Wainaina called out Western media and the aid industry - both particularly present in Nairobi - for perpetuating negative stereotypes about the continent of Africa, through scathing satire.

The essay caused a powerful stir on Twitter as people tried to parse fact from fiction, and subsequently, Time magazine named Wainaina one of the top 100 most influential people in the world. He's also known for his 2012 memoir, “One Day I Will Write About This Place,” and the essay, “I am a homosexual, mum,” published simultaneously in Chimurenga and Africa is a Country in 2014. Wainaina is best known for his provocative essay, “How to Write About Africa,” published in Granta magazine in 2006. Within minutes, Wainaina’s friends, followers and admirers flooded social media to swap tributes and memories while arguing which of his prolific writings had the most influence. Today's got me thinking: what will your life mean when it's all over? Binyavanga's death has got me thinking about who I was about five or so years ago, and also who he was to us as young enthusiastic Africans hungry for a different paradigm of our continent and our selves. The writer, educator and LGBTQ activist, Binyavanga Wainaina, 48, passed on Tuesday, May 22, in Nairobi, Kenya, after a brief illness. The outspoken, openly gay writer rebuked convention and challenged the status quo, triggering a literary revolution that would open the door to thousands of aspiring writers ready to change the narratives in and about Africa. It’s been a little over 24 hours since Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina left this world, but his presence and impact continues to reverberate around the globe. Photo via Nightscream, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. Wainaina, 48, passed away on Tuesday, May 22, in Nairobi, Kenya. Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina at the Brooklyn Book Fest, 2009.

How to write about africa wainaina