This archive report was first published on 16 December 2019.
BY THE BOOK: Patrick Lavince ¶
Published on December 16, 2019
Patrick Lavince is a young Kenyan poet and spoken word artist who has two full-length collections of poetry titled, Lust of my Ink and Moonlight: A Night of a Thousand Words.
He holds a Law degree from Kenyatta University and hopes to join Kenya School of Law (KSL) in February 2020 for Advocates Training Programme (ATP). Law is his profession but Poetry is his justice.
Patrick's favorite books include In the Footsteps of Mr Kurtz by Michela Wrong, Letter To My Daughter by Maya Angelou, and Ipo Siku by Solomon Muya.
He prefers reading hard copies of books and enjoys both page poetry and spoken word. His favorite genres are creative, historical non-fiction, and poetry.
Patrick's most treasured books are Letter To My Daughter by Maya Angelou and In the Footsteps of Mr Kurtz by Michela Wrong, which he doesn't lend out because he's afraid they might find a new home and he'll be left with an empty room full of echoes.
He recommends Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, Matilda by Roald Dahl, and The War Next Door by Phil Earle to young readers.
Patrick's thoughts on the appreciation of poetry in Kenya are that it's loosely strong, but poetry hasn't been as receptive by the Kenyan populace as he would want it to be. He appreciates the audience that shows positivity towards encouraging the performance of poetry.
Target your audience, not masses.
Patrick's last poetry book that he read was Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur, which he found beautifully hurtful but the pain was flowery.
He advises aspiring poets to do much with the little they have, just write, and never know who is reading, how many people they inspire, and how many lives they can change through their words.
Be the best in whatever you do, and definitely you will attract the best. Be patient and self-driven but let God hold the key to your destination.
