For our second author in our month long celebration of upcoming African writers, we are excited to feature Ciku Kimeria! Kenyan author Ciku Kimeria is not only a writer, but an explorer, communication expert, and MIT alum. She is the editor of Quartz Africa and she has also written for African Arguments, OkayAfrica, and The Africa Report.

Her most recent novel, Dance of the Monkeys,  is a whodunit mystery novel that focuses on a Nairobi engagement party that turns deadly. Mwende and her fiancé are set for a night celebrating their love and upcoming nuptials. However, this is soon foiled when Private Investigator, Wanjiru Mdaku, realizes someone is after Mwende and races against time to save her from murder. Encountering a variety of colorful scandals, like the drug world and mafia, political rivalries, a well-connected megachurch and countless love triangles, Kimeria’s mystery and thriller novel is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat till the very end of the story.

We asked Kimeria what inspires her to write and here’s what she had to say:

I write because I cant imagine a life where I wasn’t writing. So, for me it’s very important to tell these stories. I believe they’re useful for all—not just Africans— but all of humanity. So I really write because I cannot imagine not writing.

For a brief snippet with Kimeria about the importance of African stories today head to our Instagram!