Book Club: Sundowner Book Club

Ken Kanagi, graphic designer and founder Sundowner Book Club. PHOTO| POOL

What you need to know:

  • The initial members were drawn from the Facebook page
  • To accommodate everyone, most of our discussions are held virtually on WhatsApp



Book Reading:  Writings My Wrongs:  Life, Death, and Redemption in an American Prison by Shaka Senghor

The idea of the book club came up from a Facebook page- Sundowner music.  Someone suggested on the page that we could combine music and books and that is how the book club was birthed in 2017. We decided to stick with the name “Sundowner” as it is a constant reminder of where we first met.

The initial members were drawn from the Facebook page and later on, others joined through the influence of the members. Now, we have a membership of more than 200 readers, some in Kenya and diaspora.

To accommodate everyone, most of our discussions are held virtually on WhatsApp. However, we occasionally meet to analyse books, music and catch up.

My love for reading started from way back in my hometown in Nakuru. I remember that I would spend my free days at the National library reading books. I would read fiction, comic books, and any genre that I found interesting.  I still read books but work life demands make it hard for me to create the time to read constantly. This is partly one of the reasons why I like being in the book club because we are able to psyche one another to read.


The book that we have just finished reading is Writings My Wrongs by Shaka Senghor. The book is a story of redemption and a reminder of the deep humanity, vulnerability and potential that lies within each one of us.  She illustrates the importance of mustering the courage to love even those who are yet to love themselves.