'Nairobi Noir' covers crime, mystery and more

Alliance Française on Thursday hoisted the launch of 'Nairobi Noir'. This is an anthology of stories by 14 Kenyan authors about the dark side of Nairobi, the latest addition to the world-famous Akashic Noir anthology series.

Edited by Peter Kimani, it is the first anthology featuring an East African city. It contains crime stories with a twist. Rather than focus on the who-done-it, they create a fascinating canvass that illuminates the circumstances and contexts of the characters, whose lives intertwine in the events.

Each of the 14 stories is set in a different part of Nairobi. Together, they present a dazzling composite of Nairobians showing us their city in the way only they can. 

The launch and reception afterwards invited Nairobians to think about what it means to"Be Alive" in this city whose wealth, to quote Kimani, is really its people.