Naomi Nduta Waweru grew up in Turi, a small village in Nakuru, Kenya, where she lived with her mother in a three-room mud house surrounded by a farm of about 3 hectares. Growing up in a remote area, she was fascinated by the four huge clay tile-roofed mansions that had belonged to the white settlers, the gong from a flower farm that rang every morning, and the distance she had to walk to get supplies as basic as tomatoes, a posho mill, or access to healthcare. Little wonder why her Turi setting, the people, and the images show up in one way or another in her writing, giving it a unique texture of some sort.
In her childhood days, Naomi was fortunate to have several intentional language teachers. She particularly remembers Mr. Odera, a dark-skinned man who read poems to her during English lessons. His profound arrangement of words and recitations resonated deeply with eleven-year-old Naomi, even though she can’t remember the titles of the poems today. During her high school days, she immersed herself in the literary texts in her curriculum. Writers such as Jonathan Kariara, Antonio Jacinto, Margaret Ogola, and Danielle Steel sparked her interest in writing.
Her literary journey began after she read “Iris Beau” in the The Daily Nation, a Kenyan newspaper that used to publish poems on its Sunday pull-out. Naomi wrote an after-poem for this and started looking for literary communities to connect with fellow writers. But before she found one, her brother set up a WordPress for her, where she started journaling. He later introduced her to Algonquinstable, an online forum where poems are posted for feedback and critique. Also, one of her English teachers noticed her and urged her to find magazines that would pay for her writing. Her first poetry acceptance came from Merak Magazine.
In 2023, Naomi discovered that what she had been writing was called Confessional Poetry. It was hilarious to her, but it was also a turning point in her life. Writing had often been a way of looking inward, a work of memory. Her earliest writings have a pattern tending towards adoration for the body. She struggled so much with self-esteem, and her writing was some sort of affirmation to her body. It was also a way of seeking answers to the questions she grew up asking herself. It all started to make sense in that same year, when her work got longlisted for the 2023 Kikwetu Flash Fiction Contest.
Naomi’s introduction to literature was rather late, and to make up for not reading much in her childhood, she embraced adulthood with intentional reading, studying literary works by not only older writers but also several new voices, including Tryphena Yeboah, Samuel Adeyemi, and Praise Osawaru. She also encountered works by Michael Imossan, Adedayo Agarau, Clifton Gachagua, Frank Njugi, and Maryhilda Obasiota Ibe. Studying their poetry and development as writers, she has carved out a similar, disciplined trajectory for her writing.
Naomi began to give fiction a thought when she encountered Makena Onjerika’s Caine Prize Winning Story, “Fanta Blackcurrant”; Kabubu Mutua’s story on Adda, “A Matter of Time”; Mubanga Kalimamukwento’s short story “Inswa”, and ultimately Mubanga’s book, The Mourning Bird. Naomi has also been moved and inspired by works of authors such as Troy Onyango and Dennis Mugaa. Mofiyinoluwa Okupe is one of her greatest nonfiction inspirations.
Another major highlight was sitting in a class with Frances Ogamba, Kiprop Kimutai, and Mubanga Kalimamukwento in 2024 after she was selected to attend the inaugural Ubwali Masterclass. She got to work with Frances Ogamba on her short story, “The Way Sundays End”, a time during which she came to appreciate how much work goes into preparing a story for publication. Kiprop Kimutai’s class on Building from Memory, and especially his story “Rough Hands,” would be a solid foundation for her non-fiction, “Poems Holding my Hand”. That same year, Naomi was featured in The Star, a Kenyan national newspaper, where she spoke with Gladys Njamiu about her progress as a writer.
Late last year, Naomi moderated a book launch session with Kenyan author & poet, Amanda Nechesa, at the Alliance Française. Sitting with Amanda on stage before an audience of about 40 was magical for her because she admired Amanda’s approach to her craft so much.
When asked, however, Naomi names Lolwe’s acceptance of her short story as her breakthrough as a writer. She names this the moment when she began to think that perhaps her stories mattered and that she could learn to become a better writer. Also, being awarded the Jahazi Press Scholarship and the Ubwali Masterclass Scholarship were milestones in her writing journey. Her proudest moment, perhaps, has been emerging as the winner of the 2025 JAY Lit Prize for Nonfiction, as well as being named a 20.35 Africa New Poet Feature, a feat which also earned her publication in 20.35, Vol 8.
Naomi is currently working on a couple of short stories, mostly exploring rural life, that she hopes to have enough know-how to navigate. She’s taking time with poetry, trying to situate honesty, visual aids, and memorability in her lines. We should expect work from a poet who is learning to be in tune with her writing.
While she intends to venture into film, Naomi dreams of pursuing an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Also, to walk hand in hand with Kwame Dawes and sit with Bernadine Evaristo. In the future, she looks forward to publishing a collection of short stories and compiling a poetry collection. She would also love to experience the LOATAD Residency before she dies. As of now, what is urgent to her is sharpening her craft.
We are rooting for Naomi!
Sarah Adeyemo
Sarah Adeyemo, Swan IX, is a Nigerian poet, writer, editor, spoken word artiste and communication expert. The debut author of “The Shape of Silence”. She draws inspiration from solitude and experiences. She is a fellow of the SprinNG Writing Fellowship. Her works appeared or are forthcoming in Akpata Magazine, The Shallow Tales Review, The Muse Journal, The Weganda Review, Everscribe Magazine, Afrillhill Press, Poems For Persons Interest, TV-63 Magazine, Northern Writers Forum Journal, Eboquills, Rinna Lit. Anthologies, and elsewhere. She tweets @SarahInkspires.
