Profile
Gathoni
Name: Gathoni Kinuthia.
Occupation: Writer, Editor and Blogger
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Social media links
Facebook: @gathoniwrites
Twitter: @gathoniwrites
Instagram: @gathoniwrites
Creative Enterprise Bio
I am a writer, editor and blogger. I have been writing for most of my life. I began editing an African storytelling site in September last year and have been blogging for more than two years.
Artist Bio
Crime got me into writing.
No, really it did.
As an imaginative seventeen year old,I was fascinated by the lifestyle of Matheri, who terrorised residents of Gachie for a long while. I wrote this story for my composition class and my teacher of English at the time, took it upon himself to read it to every class he taught in. This was the first indication that I could write better than most and I have kept doing it over the years.
It is this interest in stories that nudged me to consider mass communication as a choice for my university studies. I graduated from Jomo Kenyatta University in 2015 then took on a Masters’ degree in Corporate Communication.
My Creative Life cycle
I am at the finding voice stage of my creative life cycle. I started off by writing news articles for Kenya News Agency and then moved on to writing copy for friends’ blogs and websites.I have contributed to numerous publications, websites and blogs over the years.
In 2015, an online magazine invited me to write for their website regularly and I continue to do that to date. http://www.inversk.co.ke/author/gathoni-kinuthia/
In that same year, I took on volunteer work with a social enterprise which was teaching kids how to code, and wrote a blog post for them. This story was spotted by the Co-Founder of Kasoma Africa who invited me to contribute their storytelling platform. It is on this platform that I have been able to develop my editing skills for people who read, write and share African stories. I talked about it in a recent interview with the Daily Nation. http://bit.ly/2qZuFQp
This contribution to the arts has seen me interact with my peers in festivals and writing masterclasses. I have also taken part in conversations both online and offline on issues affecting the arts scene in my country.
At the moment, my writing is at a turning point. I enjoy writing fiction and wrote my debut young adult novel ‘Walvis Bay’ in 2016 during the National Novel Writing Month. I pulled an excerpt from it.
An excerpt from Walvis Bay
I believe that to move from one stage of life cycle to the next there has to be a shift in how you do things. This class has given me the knowledge to focus on my craft and cut the noise. With this foundation I can work towards having a sustainable career in the creative sector.
Vision
To write contemporary African literature for young adult short stories and novels
Mission
Tocreate reading experiences immersed in relatable popular culture and entertainment.
Values
Authenticity, Resilience and Contentment
Portfolio
Daily Nation Excerpt
Inversk Magazine Excerpt
Nia Teen Excerpt
Nia Teen Excerpt 2
My writing over the years: (links)
http://www.inversk.co.ke/author/gathoni-kinuthia/
http://gathoniwrites.com/musings/
http://www.tinycouchreview.com/reviews/tv-shows/
18-months plan
– Rewrite my (yet to be published) novel.
– Successfully complete the University of Iowa Summer Writing Class for Poems and Plays
– Create and produce more video content for my YouTube channel.
Portrait photo by Steve of Light In Captivity
The GoDown Arts Centre Creative Entrepreneurship Course 