17/04/2025
The 5th Pan-African Cultural Symposium and book launch of The Killing of the Queen by Aleena Zahir.
Publisher: Bleeding Ink Publishers, Nairobi | Year: 2025
Aleena Zahir is not just a name — she is a movement. At 32, the Ugandan artist, Pan-African activist, human rights advocate, and soulful musician has become a voice of her generation. Through songs like Wake Up, where she calls Africa to consciousness, Konyonza, a lyrical tribute to village life, We Rise, a bold prophecy of Africa’s renaissance, Humanity, her cry for justice and peace, and Woman, a raw reflection of the burdened yet unbroken African woman — Aleena sings truth into the world.
Her debut book, The Killing of the Queen, breathes the same message — only this time, in prose. Across sixteen chapters, Aleena shifts her lyrical cadence into a steady, reflective drumbeat. The book may bear a tragic title, but it is, in fact, a triumphant call to reawaken the spirit of African womanhood — a spirit stifled by patriarchy, colonial residue, violence, and systems designed to silence.
Written after a six-month journey of spiritual reckoning — sparked by a life-changing encounter at a refugee settlement and the miracle birth of her son despite a heart condition — this work pulses with lived experience. It is a continuation of Aleena’s music, only breathing differently, unfolding chapter by chapter with the same fire, clarity, and purpose: to shape a future Africa her son — and all our children — would be proud to live in.
Venue: Nairobi National Museum
Date : 19th April 2025
Time: 9.00am
Logistics: Available ( Breakfast and Lunch )
Entry : Free
