David Maillu

Maillu established Comb Books in 1972, publishing dozens of books over the next five years. These were mostly written by Maillu himself. The first release from Comb Books was also the first book of poetry ever published in Kikamba. Appearing under the title Kĩ Kyambonie: Kĩkamba nthimo, the book sold poorly due to the limited market, and Maillu quickly turned his attention to writing in English. It was Maillu's 1973 thrillers, Unfit for Human Consumption and My Dear Bottle, that brought him his first success as a writer and publisher. These two publications also demonstrated Maillu's versatility, with the first written in prose and the second as a long narrative poem. My Dear Bottle proved controversial, with Maillu presenting AIDS as a new scourge of Africa. These early titles appeared as 'Comb Mini Novels'; small format novellas measuring 3.5 x 5 inches and sold for five East African Shillings. In 1974 Maillu wrote and published After 4.30, which would again prove controversial. After 4.30 is long poem narrating the troubled life of a single mother, Emili Katongo, who is forced into prostitution. Schatzberg considers Maillu: 'remarkably ahead of his time in his acute perception of gender consciousness'. In 1975 and 1976, Maillu published his epic verse narrative The Kommon Man over three volumes. The Kommon Man is narrated by an average Kenyan struggling to survive in the difficult economic climate of the day. A series of injustices occur, illustrating the corruption and inequalities faced by many in the country.' Maillu's status as one of Kenya's most popular authors was clear by this stage, with the first print run of The Kommon Man running to 10,000 copies. It included a 20-item questionnaire to capture his readership's interests. 1976 also saw Maillu release two epistolary novels, Dear Monika and Dear Daughter, which again proved popular. By this stage, Comb Books employed seven or eight full-time staff and had purchased computerised typesetting equipment. The possibility of establishing offices in Europe and West Africa was considered. But a Tanzanian ban on his work that year, combined with political instability elsewhere in the region, marked the beginning of the end for Comb Books. No books were published in 1977, and in 1978 only two titles appeared. These were released under Maillu's pseudonym Vigad G. Mulila. The firm declared bankruptcy later that year.