MG Vassanji’s homecoming turned out to be a novel idea

When I heard that international award-winning Tanzanian author M. G. Vassanji was going to appear at A Novel Idea — a once in a month book reading featuring poetry and book launches as well — to read excerpts from his books and sign copies of his new non-fiction book A Place Within, I immediately marked it in my calendar.

Vassanji is one of my favourite African authors, and it was an honour to meet him in person and hear him read his stories in such an intimate setting at the Slipway.

Moyaz Vassanji was born in Nairobi, but he grew up in Dar es Salaam, mostly on Uhuru Street and in Upanga. He attended what is now Tambaza School on United Nations Road, and then went on to study at the famous Massachusets Institute of Technology, the University of Pennsylvania, (both in the US) and the University of Toronto.

When Vassanji’s first novel, The Gunny Sack (1989), won the Commonwealth Prize for the African region, he decided to start writing full-time. He has since been awarded several literary prizes, including Canada’s most prestigious award, the Giller Prize.

Vassanji is the author of eight acclaimed novels, the best known being The In-Between World of Vikram Lall and The Assassin’s Song. But the most popular here in Tanzania is by far Uhuru Street, which is a collection of stories based on the author’s perceptions of life on Uhuru Street in the 1960s.

This was the first book from which Vassanji read at the event. Throughout the reading, the audience, made up of people from all walks of life (including what seemed to be some of Vassanji’s old friends and family from his early days in Tanzania) chuckled and whispered, delighted to hear their favourite stories read to them by the author himself.

He then read a few excerpts from his latest book, A Place Within. In this travel narrative, Vassanji explores his thoughts and emotions, perceptions and preconceptions of India — the place his grandparents once called home.

Before the reading, the author spoke emotionally about how long it has actually taken him to write this book. The first member of his family to return in over 100 years, he went to India expecting to be inspired to write a book immediately. “My eyes were wide open the whole time. I hardly blinked while I was there,” he said. Yet, despite all he took in and all he learned, India was too vast, too varied, too complex to be captured in one visit.

“It took me 10 visits to find the courage to write about it,” said Vassanji. “A Place Within is that book.”

Needless to say, I bought the book (and had it signed).

After the reading, a selection of KWV wine (on the house) and bites were served, while people mingled and fans lined up to meet the author in what turned out to be a warm welcome party.

A Novel Idea holds regular events, every last Tuesday of the month at the Slipway at 7pm. For upcoming events and more information, visit their website at www.anovelideatanzania.com. Or, visit one of their branches: Slipway, Sea Cliff Village, Ohio Street, Shoppers Plaza, or Blue Heron café in Arusha.