Marble, NC, June 12, 2014 -- Kenyan author, Ndiritu Wahome, will be launching his book, The Sad Artist and Other Fairytales, at the Storymoja Hay Festival, in Nairobi, Kenya, this September. Storymoja is an organization dedicated to promoting East African authors, and the Hay Festival is the annual showcase. This is a big opportunity for Ndiritu, but the cost of the 100 books and shipping that he needs for the festival is prohibitive.

To help defray the costs and to launch Ndiritu's career, Word Branch Publishing is sponsoring a Kickstarter campaign. Word Branch is also donating incentives including free books and the original painting used for the cover of The Sad Artist. Details and a video of Ndiritu and the book can be found at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1458871702/the-sad-artist-and-other-fairytales

Word Branch Publishing is committed to working with talented new and emerging writers like Ndiritu. However, their resources are limited for projects like these. Says WBP owner Catherine Rayburn-Trobaugh, "We believe in Ndiritu and his book. Giving him this kind of head start could lead to opportunities that he deserves to become one of the most important writers in Africa. We're doing everything we can to make sure that his book launch at the Hay Festival is successful." More information can be found at http://www.wordbranch.com/the-sad-artist-and-other-fairytales.html

The Sad Artist and Other Fairytales is collection of fables for all ages. From a story-telling weaver bird to a chief's son who finds the real value of life, Wahome leads his readers on a captivating journey that defies time and reality yet remains relevant. In the tradition of Salmon Rushdie, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Ben Okri, these engaging stories magical realism at its finest.

Wahome captures the innocence of the world through a child's eyes to make strong statements about the modern condition. He says his "objective was to create fantasy stories, which were infused with realism in the hope of letting young children know that even though life is full of hardships, they can overcome and achieve anything they so deemed." But peel back another layer, and The Sad Artist and Other Fairytales has a strong message that reveals "bad leadership, appalling politics, sloth and corruption" that Wahome says is too often found in contemporary African governments.

The Storymoja Hay Festival is in its sixth year and brings together authors and readers to celebrate ideas, creativity and culture. The festival is attended by more than 5,000 people, many of them children. The writers represented are emerging authors like Ndiritu but also established writers like Ben Okri, Vikram Seth, Dinaw Mengistu, Lola Shoneyin, Benjamin Zephaniah, Yung Chang, and Ory Okolloh. Find out more about the Hay Festival at http://storymojahayfestival.com/

Storymoja promotes many reading and writing programs in East Africa including library assistance, writing workshops and storytelling competitions. Visit Storymoja's site to learn more: http://storymojaafrica.co.ke/about-storymoja/

Word Branch is an independent publishing company located in the heart of Appalachia. WBP represents talented new and emerging authors who need a venue to make their voices heard. Word Word Branch Publishing offers unique titles in both paperback and e-books in a variety of genres including science fiction, fantasy, young adult, and spiritual. For more information, contact Catherine Rayburn-Trobaugh at [email protected]

Contact:
Catherine Rayburn-Trobaugh
Word Branch Publishing
PO Box 474
Marble, NC 28905
828 333 7060
[email protected]
http://www.wordbranch.com