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Ciku Kimeria is a Kenyan author "Of goats and poisoned oranges" - (https://www.amazon.com/goats-poisoned-oranges-Ciku-Kimeria-ebook/dp/B00HBBWPI6), development consultant, adventurer and travel blogger (www.thekenyanexplorer.com). She writes both fiction and non-fiction focusing on African stories that need telling. She has worked on diverse pieces for various international and local publications including Quartz, Ozy, The East African etc. She has travelled to 45 countries – 16 of them in Africa. 153 countries to go and 63 territories!
"Of goats and poisoned oranges" has been extremely well received in Kenya and beyond. It tells the story of a Kenyan middle aged power couple and their complicated marriage. The novel explores issues of greed, revenge, betrayal and murder. It runs from the 1960s to 2013. It has been described as “Wicked, funny, poignant, wacky, human, a big ball of fun and danger”, “A unique and captivating book”, “Fun and intriguing”, “Impossible to put down once you start reading.”
She recently moved to Dakar, Senegal from Kenya to work on her second novel. She also works at as the Africa Communication Manager at a leading global strategy consulting firm.
She holds a B.S. in Management Science from MIT with minors in Urban Planning and International development studies.
Nigeria Lands Its First International Box-Office Hit
Nollywood, Nigeria's film industry, has been churning out thousands of films over the past decades. Best known for ultra-dramatic story lines and a unique African flair, Nollywood struggled to release high-quality films. This has been changing over the past few years, with film directors who are both keeping the fascinating story lines that draw people to Nigerian films, but making sure that the production is top notch.
From marketing to the distribution, Nigerian media mogul Mo Abudu’s Ebony Life Films and the Elfike Film Collective have ensured that the film looks slickly professional—nothing like the chaos of the wedding it portrays.
The film's success calls for celebration as it proves that all the decades of film-making in the country were laying the foundation for a homegrown film industry.
The international success is a vindication of sorts. When the quality of early Nollywood films was derided, its advocates argued that its shaky cameras and popping mics were laying a foundation for a professional homegrown film industry. The box-office records broken by The Wedding Party‘s sequel, as well as the first film, justify that faith.
The film's success might be moderate on a global scale, but it is cause for lots of celebration. The Wedding Party: Destination Dubai, a sequel to the 2016 movie The Wedding Party beat out Star Wars: The last Jedi in Nigerian cinemas. In its first week in cinema it earned $202,000. By the end of three weeks, the film had grossed roughly $826,000. It has opened now in 17 other African countries and the UK, and will be expanding to the US, Middle East and the Caribbean.
