By Morris Wambua

Africa is a continent deeply entwined with its oceans, where the waters have been both a source of sustenance and a battleground for centuries. For the continent’s people, the seas have served as both a passage for migration and a boundary that separated communities.

This complex relationship with the ocean became the focal point of this year’s Macondo Literary Festival, an event that has come to celebrate Africa's literary prowess, its diaspora, and its historical connection to the world’s vast bodies of water.

In its fourth edition, the Macondo Literary Festival, held in Nairobi, brought together a mosaic of voices from across Africa and its diaspora, all reflecting on the theme of oceans and identity.

Co-founded by journalist Anja Bengelstorff and acclaimed Kenyan author Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, this year's festival delved into the symbolic and historical significance of the ocean in African narratives.

The festival’s stage was set for deep, transformative discussions by authors from across the continent, writing in English, French, Arabic, and Portuguese. They shared stories that transcended geographic borders, connecting Africa’s oceans to the broader themes of migration, belonging, and identity.

The oceans, as these authors pointed out, are more than just natural features; they are metaphors for Africa’s complicated past, its diverse present, and its hopeful future. This festival wasn’t merely a celebration of African literature but a space where authors came to reclaim the sea—not just as a source of pain and loss, but as a symbol of unity, survival, and cultural identity.

The Ocean: More Than Water, A Living Archive of African Memory

For Jeferson Tenório, a Brazilian author of Afro-Brazilian descent, the ocean represents both destruction and rebirth.

Born in Brazil, where the scars of the Atlantic slave trade run deep, Tenório’s works often reflect the African experience in the Lusophone world.

His novel The Dark Side of Skin (2020) touches on the complex racial history of Brazil, a country shaped by the Atlantic currents that once carried millions of enslaved Africans to its shores.

At the festival, Tenório described the ocean as a symbol of duality. "It’s not just a beautiful landscape," he said, "it’s a place of death and rebirth. For Africans, the ocean symbolizes the pain of enslavement, the trauma of being uprooted, and yet, it’s also a reminder of survival, resilience, and the fluidity of identity."

He emphasized that the ocean teaches the ability to embrace multiple identities, much like how the tides ebb and flow, constantly reshaping the shorelines.

Tenório’s connection to Africa, despite being born in South America, is spiritual. He often writes about the Afro-Brazilian connection to Yemanjá, the Yoruban goddess of the sea, a figure who symbolizes motherhood, fertility, and protection in Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian religion.

For him, Yemanjá embodies the deep, spiritual connection between the African diaspora and the ocean. The goddess represents both life and death, much like the sea itself—unforgiving but also nurturing.

The festival-goers were struck by how literature can serve as a means of reclaiming the narratives that have been lost or distorted by history. As Tenório aptly put it, "The ocean is a storyteller. It holds our memories, our pain, but also our power."

His reflections set the tone for the entire festival—an event where African authors would come together to share how the oceans have shaped their identities, both on the continent and abroad.

Oceans of Memory: Reclaiming Power Through Writing

For Shubnum Khan, a South African writer and artist, the sea is both a familiar presence and a reminder of loss.

Born and raised in Durban, a coastal city along the Indian Ocean, Khan always took the sea for granted in her youth. "I grew up by the ocean, but it was just part of the background noise," she admitted during her talk at the festival.

"It wasn’t until I started writing that I began to see the ocean as a powerful symbol—one that represents both what we’ve lost and what we’re still connected to."

Her debut novel, The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years (2024), delves into themes of identity, family, and the sea’s influence on African migration.

For Khan, the ocean’s waters are not just vast, tranquil bodies—they’re layered with historical trauma. She explained that the ocean carried not just goods but enslaved people, whose labor built much of what we know as the modern world.

In reclaiming the sea through her writing, Khan feels she’s also reclaiming the power and agency her ancestors lost in crossing these waters.

Khan’s family history is rooted in migration.

Her grandfather, like many others from India, traveled across the Indian Ocean to South Africa in 1935, where he sought a better life amidst the growing Indian diaspora. His journey resonates in her writing, as Khan grapples with the complexities of identity and belonging.

"The ocean took away so much from us," she reflected, "but it also connects us across borders. Through writing, I’m able to reclaim what was taken."

Between Two Worlds: MG Vassanji’s Love for East Africa’s Coastline

Migration is a central theme in the works of MG Vassanji, the award-winning author of Kenyan and Tanzanian descent, now living in Canada.

Born in Nairobi and raised in Dar es Salaam, Vassanji’s stories frequently explore the theme of dual identity, of being caught between two worlds.

His novels, like Uhuru Street (1991), are love letters to East Africa, particularly its coastal cities, where the ocean serves as a bridge between his past and his present.

During his panel discussion, Vassanji reflected on his personal ties to Dares Salaam.

"There’s a difference between owning a house somewhere and feeling at home," he mused.

"For me, Dar es Salaam is where I feel most at peace. The sea, the streets, the air—they’re all familiar to me in a way no other place can be."

Vassanji’s words touched on a deep sense of nostalgia that many migrants feel.

The longing for home, even when living abroad, is a feeling that resonates with many in the African diaspora.

"You can have a cosmopolitan identity," he said, "but your personal home is unique. It’s something you carry with you, no matter where you are."

This sentiment struck a chord with festival attendees, many of whom have their own migration stories.

One of Vassanji’s most poignant moments was when he recalled a lesson from Julius Nyerere, Tanzania’s first president. Nyerere once urged young Africans to "go out into the world, drink from the waters of knowledge, and return to their villages to uplift them."

Vassanji admitted, with a touch of sadness, "I went, I drank, but I didn’t bring back any water."

His bittersweet reflection encapsulated the feeling many African writers and intellectuals have: the pull between their adopted homes abroad and their cultural roots in Africa.

Empress Ciku Kimani-Mwaniki: Breaking the Illusion of the West

The topic of migration also brought forward discussions about them is conceptions of living abroad.

For Empress Ciku Kimani-Mwaniki, a Kenyan author and journalist, the decision to return toKenya after several years in London was met with confusion.

"People kept asking me, ‘Why would you come back?’" she recalled.

"They didn’t understand that it’s not as glamorous over there as people think."

Kimani-Mwaniki’s book, Immigrant Cocktail (2018), explores the complex realities of the African immigrant experience in the West. Her work strips away the romanticized notion of the West as a land of opportunity and prosperity, revealing the harsh truths of racism, isolation, and economic hardship that many African migrants face.

"The struggle is real," she said emphatically.

"We need to stop sugar-coating it."

Her decision to return to Kenya was driven by a deep sense of belonging and a desire to tell stories that resonate with Africans, both at home and abroad.

"Migration isn’t just about going somewhere new," she explained.

"It’s about finding where you truly belong, and for me, that’s here in Kenya."

Her words served as a reminder that the West is not always the idealized destination that many believe it to be.

Kimani-Mwaniki’s reflections also highlighted the importance of reclaiming the African narrative.

In a world that often projects a one-dimensional view of Africa, her work strives to show the complexity and richness of African identities, especially in the context of migration.

"We have to tell our own stories," she said.

"That’s the only way we can reclaim our narrative."

Hamza Koudri: Migration’s Dangerous Journeys Across Land and Sea

Hamza Koudri, a young Algerian author, brought a sobering perspective to the festival’s discussions about migration. His debut novel, Sand Roses (2023), explores the perilous journeys that many Africans undertake, not just across the sea, but through the vast and unforgiving desert.

For Koudri, the ocean and the desert are two sides of the same coin—both immense, dangerous, and alluring.

Koudri’s own experience growing up in Algiers and witnessing the struggles of migrants shaped his writing.

"Many people focus on the journey across the Mediterranean, but for many migrants, the desert is the first sea they have to cross," he explained.

Migrants from countries like Mali, Mauritania, and Niger face grueling, often fatal treks through the Sahara before they even reach the shores of North Africa.

His next novel, which will also center on migration, aims to give voice to these often overlooked stories.

"There’s so much focus on the sea crossings, but we need to also talk about the desert," he said.

"Both are vast, both are deadly, and both represent the risks that many Africans are willing to take in search of a better life."

His work is a testament to the resilience of African migrants and a call to pay attention to the full scope of their journeys.

Khadija Abdalla Bajaber: The Constant Presence of the Sea

In contrast to the dangerous and unpredictable journeys that some migrants face, Khadija Abdalla Bajaber, a Kenyan author from Mombasa, sees the ocean as a comforting, constant presence in her life.

Growing up in a coastal city where the Indian Ocean is always within sight, Bajaber’s work is infused with a deep sense of place and belonging.

Her novel The House of Rust (2021) tells the story of a Hadhrami girl searching for her fisherman father, and through this tale, Bajaber explores the ocean’s influence on identity and community.

"The ocean is never mundane," she said during her talk at the festival.

"In Mombasa, it’s a part of daily life. You can see it from almost anywhere in the city, and it shapes how we live, how we think, how we tell stories."

For Bajaber, the ocean isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a central character in her work, one that represents both the mysteries of the unknown and the familiar comforts of home.

Bajaber’s connection to the sea runs deep, and she sees it as a reflection of African resilience.

"The ocean is constantly changing, just like us," she explained.

"It can be calm one day and stormy the next, but it’s always there, always a part of us."

Her novel captures this dynamic, using the sea as a metaphor for the challenges and triumphs that Africans face, both individually and collectively.

Reclaiming the Ocean: Mshai Mwangola’s Call to Action

As the festival drew to a close, Kenyan performance scholar Mshai Mwangola delivered a powerful call to action: Africans must reclaim their relationship with the ocean.

"For so long, we’ve turned our backs on the sea because it’s brought us pain," she said.

"But we cannot ignore it—it’s part of who we are."

Mwangola’s message resonated with the festival’s overarching theme of reclaiming the ocean not just as a source of pain, but as a symbol of identity and resilience.

She pointed out that in Zanzibar, many homes don’t face the sea because it’s associated with the painful legacy of the slave trade.

"But we must look at it differently," she urged.

"The ocean is also a place of life, of survival, of connection. We need to reclaim it as part of our history and our future."

Her words were a fitting conclusion to a festival that had explored the many facets of Africa’s relationship with the sea.

From stories of migration and displacement to tales of survival and identity, the authors who gathered in Nairobi demonstrated that the ocean is more than just a body of water—it’s a living archive of Africa’s past and a powerful symbol of its future.

Conclusion: The Ocean as Africa’s Storyteller

As this year’s Macondo Literary Festival showed, Africa’s oceans are full of stories—stories of loss, longing, resilience, and rebirth. For the authors who gathered in Nairobi, the sea is not just a physical entity but a metaphor for the complexities of African identity,migration, and belonging.

From Jeferson Tenório’s reflections on Yemanjá to Hamza Koudri’s exploration of the Sahara and the Mediterranean, each writer brought a unique perspective to the festival’s theme, weaving together a rich cocktail of African experiences.

Ultimately, the festival was a reminder that Africa’s oceans are not just sources of pain—they are also wells of creativity, unity,and healing. Through literature, African authors are reclaiming the sea as part of their story, inviting the world to listen to the voices that rise from its shores.