Comedian and writer Njambi McGrath has been awarded part of a £185,000 grant from the Society of Authors, in order to help the comic concentrate on her next book. The grant is shared among 48 other authors, with the aim to enable writers to bring: “exciting new work into the world from a range of genres and styles, at all stages of literary careers. The grants enable writers to focus on their work without the pressures of financial or time constraints.”
Njambi tweeted: “I was told by many that I would never be published and I was and @Soc_of_Authors have given me the greatest honour of giving me a grant to finish my new book The Residents Of The Ministry Of Works. Thanks guys for believing in me.”
This will be Njambi’s second book, following on from Through the Leopard’s Gaze. Speaking to the Society of Authors the comedian said: “When I was a teenager, my mother and I lived in a very dysfunctional compound in post-colonial Kenya. This is the inspiration for my new book The Residents of the Ministry of Works. This grant is a necessary and much appreciated tool that will give me breathing space so I can concentrate on redrafting my book for a few months without the stress of where my next pay cheque is coming from. I am truly grateful to the SoA Authors’ Foundation grant, specifically a John C Laurence Award. Thank you.”
