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Finding Inspiration from Location – in Kenya

Writer's picture: Stuart Grant Stuart Grant

Nine times out of ten when it comes to writing a new book my start point is geographic location. It might be a particular country, or geographic area – or it might be a building or a landscape where a story comes to me. This time with my current work-in-progress I am finding inspiration in location – in Kenya. Not for the whole book – just the first couple of chapters – as the scene will then shift – so watch this space for an update on that.

Why Kenya? I'm working on a follow-up to my last Penang novel, A Painter in Penang, which began there.  At the end of the book my main character, Jasmine Barrington, was heading back to Kenya by sea from Penang. Jasmine's family live there – her adoptive father, Arthur, works for the colonial service. In Painter Jasmine hates living in Nairobi and can't wait to return to Penang. Now, a year later, and after her dramatic experiences during the beginning of the Malalayan Emergency, Jasmine has changed in so many ways and I thought it would be interesting to find out how her feelings about Africa have changed, before I send her off into the next phase of her adventures.

I have only visited Kenya once and it was a long time ago. I did a safari there in 1991. It wouldn't be feasible now to make another trip – nor justified for a couple of chapters – but it is important to get into the mood as I write and recapture the sights, sounds, and smells of the place. So I dug out my old photo albums and used those to help inspire me. As well as seeing incredible wild life, I visited some local villages and decided it would be a good thing for Jasmine to do that too.

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