User:Skinaganti/Andia Kisia

Andia Kisia is a Kenyan novelist, dramatist, screenwriter, and short story writer. Born in Nairobi, Kisia began writing fiction at the age of nine, developing a strong interest in literature and frequently attending Nairobi’s Phoenix Repertory Theater. She sometimes uses the pseudonym Chiko Okigbo which is based on the name of the Nigerian poet Christopher Okigbo.

Works
In 2002, Kisia wrote the screenplay for the film, The Aftermath, which was produced by M-Net Nairobi and directed by Judy Kibinge, a Kenyan filmmaker, artist, and short story writer.

Kisia wrote two radio plays: K Street in 2002, and The Homecoming in 2003, both of which were performed on BBC Radio. In 2003, she wrote the play, The Roosting which was performed that same year at the Phoenix Players Theater in Nairobi. Kisia has also written a children’s play, A Bronx Tale, for Riksteatern, the Swedish National Touring Theater Company.

Kisia’s first short story, “A Likely Story,” was published in the first edition of Kwani?, a Kenyan journal founded by Kwani Trust, in 2003. Two more of her short stories, “1982” and “Nyayo House: The Event”, as well her journalist piece,“Kenya and its Discontents; Mwakenya” were published in ''Kwani? 02'', in 2004. Her short story “Lowlife” was published in 2007 in Kwani 04.

In 2004, Kisia published “A Turn in the West” in the short story collection, A is for Ancestors: a Selection of Works from the Caine Prize for African Writing. Kisia wrote the story during the 2004 Caine Prize Workshop for African Writers, conducted by Veronique Tadjo and Peter Merrington near Cape Town, South Africa.

In response to the ethnic violence that broke out in Kenya after its 2007 presidential election, a group of Kenyan writers published After the Vote: 5 Dispatches from the Coalition of Concerned Kenyan Writers in December 2007. Kisia wrote an essay, “Untitled,” for the collection.

Having an interest in politics, especially the political matters of Kenya, in January 2008, Kisia wrote an article for The Guardian titled, “A Bitter Wind of Grievance”. The online article caused a controversy of being closed for commenting due to political reasons.

In addition to writing short stories and essays for Kwani, Kisia also participated in the 2008 ''Kwani? Litfest'' in which she held a workshop along with Monica Arac de Nyeko on the elements of writing and gave a reading of some of her published works.

In April of 2010, Kisia gave a reading of her play, The Homecoming at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s inaugural “Celebrating Writers from Africa and the Diaspora Festival.” The main aim of the first festival was to commemorate the writings of African women.

Awards
Kisia won the BBC African Performance Playwriting Competition twice for her two plays K Street and The Homecoming.

In 2004, she received a fellowship at the Royal Court Theater in London.