A Talk With Silas Nyanchwani, Inveterate Flaneur and High Priest of Masculinity

Silas Gisiora Nyanchwani is a well established literary raconteur and provocateur par excellence. He straddles a dual identity, one as a bishop in the church of masculinity and the other as a man of letters dedicated to the art of observational prose. He has published five books so far: two self help manuals for men, a short story collection, a novel, and a collection of flaneur essays. How does Silas reconcile his two literary personas, the one concerning what his fans want to read and other what Silas himself wants to write? In this second episode of Conversations in Literature, Silas takes us into his confidence and reveals the thinking process underpinning his prolific creative output. He also delves into the economic conditions in the country that have made his gospel possible if not necessary. He is the author of Man about Town, 50 Memos to Men (Vols 1 and 2), Sexorcised, and Birthday Breakup. #booktube #kenyanliterature #literarycommunity #masculinity #flaneur #conversation Show: Conversations in Literature Host: Eric Rugara Production: Roaring Simba Network Sponsor: Nairobi Academic Press Timestamps: 0:00 – Introduction 1:25 – Social observer 5:30 – Sexorcised 9:39 – The memos 18:53 – What you want to write, what chooses you 24:50 – The church of masculinity 36:20 – Flaneur writing vs Relatable writing 44:56 – Kwani? 46:47 – Writing for the newspapers 50:16 – On writing novels 1:02:50 – Fathers 1:06:16 – Millennials, Gen Z 1:10:53 – The effect of the economy onmen and relationships 1:24:38 – Winding up, what are you reading