AIR Residency 2012 winner Ngwatilo Mawiyoo (Kenya) has steadily built a name for herself as a poet, performer, actress and musician. A keen observer and devoted student of the written word, Ngwatilo’s book of poems “Blue Mothertongue” (2010), is set in Nairobi and explores notions of the African Diaspora, home and identity.
Critics say the work is “crafted with beautiful pace and intelligence,” and that it is “a worthy testament of her times.” Ngwatilo’s work has been translated into Swedish and (Austrian) German, in addition to having been published in literary journals in Kenya and abroad. Read More about the expansion of her ethno-travelogue, and her navigation of the unfamiliar as part of the AIR Residency Programme.