My unforgettable encounter with prolific author Marjorie-Oludhe Macgoye

In the last few years, I have lost several of my pioneering female writers in my publishing career, first at Heinemann and later East African Educational Publishers. First it was Barbara Kimenye, then Asenath Odaga, followed by Grace Ogot, with Marjorie-Oludhe Macgoye being the latest casualty.

One of my very early international assignments as an editor for Heinemann was a visit to the University of Dar-es-Salaam, then teeming with new talent and fresh ideas. I had been asked also to collect a long-standing debt from the University bookshop, and this is how I first encountered Marjorie, who was then bookshop manager.