This archive report was first published on 28 November 2019.
BY THE BOOK: Richard Mbuthia ¶
Richard Mbuthia is a passionate teacher, poet, and editor from Kenya who has been teaching English to schoolchildren for over 17 years.
He is particularly enthusiastic about nurturing the poetic craft in children and has had his poems widely published in books, magazines, and online sites.
His debut poetry collection, titled The Setting Noon and Other Poems, showcases his talent as a poet. Additionally, he has compiled and edited three children's poetry anthologies: Letters of Gold, Bounding for Light, and Sparks in the Dark.
When asked about his favorite books, Mbuthia mentioned The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives by Lola Shoneyin, Labyrinths by Christopher Okigbo, and Think Big by Ben Carson. He appreciates the edge-of-the-seat drama in Shoneyin's book, the self-reawakening journey in Okigbo's work, and the inspiring message in Carson's book.
Mbuthia reads about 40 books per year and enjoys reading in various settings, including public transport, queues, and his bed. His favorite genre of books is poetry, which he finds fascinating and inspiring.
He has a collection of over 300 books, which he buys from bookshops and the streets. Mbuthia treasures two books in particular: The Oxford Anthology of English Poetry, edited by John Wain, and Labyrinths by Christopher Okigbo.
If he were to become a poem, Mbuthia would choose
