James Murua

James Murua is a Kenyan blogger, journalist and media consultant, who has written for a variety of media outlets. He is a former columnist for The Star newspaper in Kenya, leaving to become a full-time blogger.

In 2013, he founded a website – James Murua.com – that became the leading online platform covering the African literary scene. In 2023, the website was renamed to Writing Africa (writingafrica.com). Murua also established a YouTube channel as a space for African literature on the web.

Biography James Murua was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. He made his debut as a blogger in 2009 with a (now defunct) blog called Nairobiliving.com, and went on to work for The Star newspaper, serving for five years as editor and as a columnist for nine, being voted "Columnist of the Year" in 2009. He has also contributed to Management Magazine (Kenya), The Daily Nation (Kenya), The Nairobian (Kenya), DigifyAfrica.com (South Africa), Johannesburg Review of Books (South Africa), and Africa Independent (South Africa).

In 2013, he founded a website – James Murua.com – that became the leading online platform covering the African literary scene.

In 2020, Murua served as a judge for the Caine Prize for African Writing, and he was the founding chairman of the Kendeka Prize for African Writing, "the richest independent literary prize for fiction in East Africa".

Personal life Murua's wife is writer and editor Zukiswa Wanner.

Selected articles "Dispatch from Conakry: James Murua attends the 2017 World Book Capital celebrations", Johannesburg Review of Books, 5 June 2017. "Remembering Binyavanga", The Elephant, 21 May 2020.