Essay Summary
In this essay, I trace how Down River Road (DRR) has become a significant force in contemporary Kenyan popular fiction, particularly after the decline of Kwani?. I argue that DRR defines itself through an interest in the margins, the shifting centers, and the imaginative possibilities of the present moment. Its philosophy – capturing the “here” and “right now”- shapes the themes, language, and forms found in its two issues, Place (2019) and Ritual (2020). I show that Place explores the struggles and fluid identities of characters navigating physical and psychological terrains in contemporary Kenya, while Ritual examines the practices that structure human life, from grief and memory to everyday urban routines. In both cases, DRR experiments with new storytelling forms such as flash fiction and visual narratives, which I read as indicators of evolving literary practices in Kenya. These forms may sit at the margins of traditional criticism, but they display artistic rigor and contribute to a broader literary revolution. I situate DRR alongside Enkare Review and Jalada Africa, which similarly push aesthetic boundaries – often digitally. Collectively, I argue, these magazines keep Kenyan literature vibrant and offer fertile ground for new scholarly approaches to contemporary East African writing.
Sam Dennis 