Comic book writer brings Rwanda history back to life
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Loading... - Rose Mbithe
- 23 Feb 2022
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At 25, Mika Twizeyimana Hirwa has his sights set on being a household name in the world of fantasy comic books, both in Rwanda and internationally.
As a child, he started out drawing different things with a pencil and pen, little did he know that this is what he would do for the rest of his life.
His journey into fantasy comic books started seven years ago, his maiden title, Simbi the Inventor, which was also the first Rwandan comic book.
Almost all books published in Rwanda are on the national academic syllabus.
The storyline was about a 13-year-old girl who invented a maize mill for her village, which ended up being a lifeline for the villagers.
Since then, he has authored four Afro-centric comic books, but his breakthrough came when he authored comic book titled Kami, that has garnered a big reception in Rwanda and beyond.
Kami is an African fantasy comic book, whose story is based in Rwanda. The protagonist, Kami is a young boy who was separated from his biological parents and now lives with guardians in Natwe village.
Although everyone considers him an orphan, Kami hasn’t given up hope of finding his parents, and works hard at a mining site to raise funds for his quest.
The villagers, however, believe, no one should move about at night because it is believed that darkness comes with calamity.
But it just so happens that the spirits of the village’s guardian ancestors are also restless and want to get a new host so they can impart onto that person powers needed to continue the work of protecting the village and its inhabitants from the powers that roam the darkness.
Rule-breaker
One night Kami broke the rule and met with the mediums, and they passed on the spirits to him, instantly giving him powers to do extraordinary things.
The powers were both a blessing and a curse because they distracted him from his quest to find his parents.
The book, which is in two parts, was nominated for the Nommo Awards in 2020, an annual awards initiative of the African Speculative Fiction Society. Read More...
