Back to where it began: Joyce Wambua returns with literary triumph

 

Never one to shy away from controversy, Joyce Wambua Osborne often describes her life as a series of escape rooms. Not games or adventures, but seasons that required strategy, endurance and faith, she did not always recognise she possessed. As a young girl, she believed escape meant simply leaving difficult situations behind. Today, she understands something deeper.

“I thought I was running away,” she says of her nerve-racking life experiences. “But I was actually being prepared.”

What began as a personal writing project, a memoir and a platform for conversations about healing and self-discovery, has since grown into an award-recognised work. In 2026, it took second place in the Delaware Press Association’s Book Competition in the non-fiction, autobiography or memoir category.

Now, the Kenyan-American author is finding purpose and success in the pain of her past. Some seasons of life arrive quietly; others leave us changed forever.

After the project’s success in the United States and beyond, the humble author, who proudly flies the Kenyan flag on the global literary stage, is back home for a series of talks.

During the tour, she will meet readers and engage with leaders from different sectors, while also using her experiences to inspire and encourage younger people.