We are delighted to welcome Anglo-Italian author and reporter Michela Wrong to present her debut novel, Borderlines. Wrong has been writing non-fiction about African politics for two decades. As a Reuters correspondent first based in the Cote d’Ivoire and former Zaire, she covered the turbulent events of the mid 1990s, including the fall of Mobutu Sese Seko and Rwanda’s post-genocide period. Wrong then moved to Kenya, where she became Africa correspondent for the Financial Times.

In her debut novel, she probes the motives underlying Western engagement with the continent, questioning the value of universal justice and exploring how history itself is forged.

“Borderlines is a novel about relationships, the mysteries they contain, and the ways in which – when they go wrong and leave scars borne across generations – it is often for the most prosaic, petty reasons. This is as true of the relationships between people in the novel as it is for those between governments and their citizens, between nations.” – FT Kola for the Guardian

Guests are encouraged to read the book before the event, although you are also welcome to join if you’ve just started your exploration. This will be an in-depth discussion rather than a standard format Q&A. The evening will start with drinks at 7:00 PM, following by a sit-down dinner at 7:30 PM. We will get to know one another over starters before the introduction of the evening’s guest author.

The event will be hosted by Frontline Club director, Pranvera Smith, and founding member and senior correspondent at the Guardian and the Observer, Ed Vulliamy.

Menu is £25 per person excluding drinks.

For more information about membership and the other benefits on offer, please contact membership coordinator Sophie Kayes.

It is the most talked about book in Kenya – an explosive account exposing the greed and tribalism at the heart of President Mwai Kibaki’s government. it’s also the least read.

It’s all about self-censorship as Rice explained, and as Michela Wrong told me,

"It’s not banned, but the booksellers are scared of displaying it for fear of libel suits or worse…. loads of Kenyans are taking copies in from Dar Es Salaam, Joburg, and Kampala where the bookshops are doing a roaring trade."

While Wrong is pleased her book is having a real impact, she’s not happy about the pirating of it. Her publisher FOURTH ESTATE is trying to combat this by selling an e-book on the Harper Collins website for much less than the books’ retail price.

As for John Githongo, no one seems to know exactly what he’s up to but many here in Nairobi assume that he’s travelling around Kenya laying the political groundwork for a run for office. But maybe not. One thing for certain: he still needs security as was in evidence at a recent taping of a television programme.