Call for Abstracts

Generation Pichadithi: what history for which heritage?

Deadline for submission: 16 December 2024

From the 1980s, do you remember the Pichadithi series featuring popular literary heroes? Every generation has its own cultural references, but Terry Hirst’s comics certainly left their mark on a generation of readers across Kenya, and perhaps still have something to give to future generations. Because of its impact on the Kenyan society in the last third of the 20th century and the inspiration it has given to many Kenyan artists, more research needs to be done on the extent of the Pichadithi phenomenon to understand the artistic, social, cultural and political significance it has represented.

When Kenya went through the trauma of the attempted coup d’état in 1982, an old man who had made a name for himself in the country as a pioneering editorial cartoonist on a national daily found himself without a job. It did not end there; his contract as a lecturer in graphics at a local university was not renewed and yet he had to fend for his family. Faced with this, Terry Hirst, who had always made comic books, turned to his artistic talents to try and make ends meet. He managed to persuade Kul Bakoo of Kul Graphics to venture into this hitherto non-existent market. Kul became his patron/agent and would pay him up-front on receiving the completed finished, camera-ready, artwork monthly, thus financing the completion of the next month’s issue. The series became a runaway hit and soon achieved a monthly circulation of over 20,000 copies. The series titled Pichadithi—picture stories—had over twenty comics that were developed from various popular fables, myths and legends that were drawn from various Kenyan communities, and they were enjoyed by young readers. Terry Hirst touched young minds with this series, whose title was coined from two Kiswahili words Picha (pictures), (H)adithi (story) and was also grounded in the African traditional oral literature.

The “Generation Pichadithi” workshop, to be held as a hybrid event in mid-March 2025 in Nairobi aims to bring together Pichadithi enthusiasts, artists, journalists, researchers and even key actors of the period, in order to grasp the historical significance of the work, discuss its legacies and, why not, its revival. Contributions are invited to address one of three main themes:

1) Pichadithi in 1980s Kenya

The first axis will address the political, social and cultural context of the 1980s. Born in a political regime that muzzled political opposition, Pichadithi is an example of how an indirect approach to politics could be used. At the same time, the economic context in which it was published allowed its creators to take advantage of the booming capitalist system (as shown by the advertisements in the pages of the comic), while also taking a considerable financial risk at the outset, unsure as to whether the Pichadithi venture would be a success or not, particularly in light of the history of print media in Kenya, where this comic is seen as a pioneering work. It is worth pointing out that the economic boom in Kenya was based on the coffee sector boom, which enriched the big and, above all, the small farmers, leading to the development of the rural middle classes and gave them access to education. Hence, this specific context raises the issue of the strong relationship between the readership of comics and education, dissemination and promotion of written and printed culture. Finally, taking an interest in Pichadithi is also a way of shining a light on its broad and diverse readership, and in particular on the middle and upper classes in the rural and urban spaces which were strongly connected at that time, who immediately adopted these stories.

What was the political significance of Pichadithi in the Moi regime?How can we define the place of this work in the emerging economy of print media?

Who were Pichadithi’s readers from a sociological point of view? Why was Pichadithi a success with this readership?

Can it be assumed that the publication of Pichadithi eventually contributed to the democratisation of Kenyan society?

2) Using the past in comics

The second axis in which contributions are invited relates to the content of the issues published. Each edition represents either a folk tale or an oral tradition, often focusing on a particular region of Kenya. This has involved re-reading these stories through a modern medium (comics), providing a fresh take on existing tales. Some of these editions feature old stories from pre-colonial times, helping to pass on this ancient heritage to new generations of Kenyans, in a political context where regional histories are helping to shape a common national narrative.

How did Pichadithi manage the challenge of gathering the essence of oral traditions and turning it into material that speaks to young Kenyans?

What editorial choices have been made in the stories featured, and how has the material on which these stories are based been collected and restored?

Do some of the editions feature new versions of oral traditions?

Has Pichadithi played a part in building symbolically the Kenyan nation (among other features)? 

3) What is the future for Pichadithi?

This comic series arouses both nostalgia and enthusiasm. Pichadithi has enjoyed a wide readership (20,000 copies a month) and, without taking too many risks, we could easily speak of a Kenyan national “legacy” when referring to this piece of work, given the impact it has had on several generations of Kenyans. This work is also the heritage of a family, Terry Hirst’s family, who are of course the ones who will decide what happens next. So, what does the future hold for Pichadithi? Should Pichadithi be republished? On what media or medium and for which public should it be done? While paper, and even colourisation, could hold some promise, other options are now possible thanks to the advent of the Internet: open access for part of the work could be a way of relaunching Pichadithi and making it available to national and international readers.

The hybrid workshop will also welcome witnesses from the period and those who played a part in Pichadithi’s success, with a round-table discussion where participants will be invited to share their memories.

The abstracts of the presentations (500 words) and a CV of the author (1 page) are due by 16 December 2024 and should be sent to the following address: info@infra-nairobi.net Decisions on the selected proposals will be communicated on 3 January 2025. The workshop will take place in mid-March 2025 in Nairobi without participation fees. Travel and accommodation expenses will not be covered by the organisers.

Organising Committee:

Msanii Kimani wa Wanjiru, Curator-in-Chief, REVEAL! Comic Conversations

Rosebelle Otieno, Publisher IFRA-Nairobi

Clélia Coret, Researcher History, National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)

Maëline Le Lay, Researcher Literature, CNRS

Anne-Marie Peatrik, Researcher Anthropology, CNRS

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