A remarkable documentary following two Nairobi women attempting to transform a former colonial-era library into a vibrant new cultural and creative hub comes to Bristol Central Library for Black History Month.
How to Build a Library follows novelist Shiro Koinange and publisher Angela Wachuka, who left their jobs in 2017 to take on the huge task of restoring a neglected state-owned library in downtown Nairobi.
The building had been a whites-only library until 1958, leaving the pair to confront both its physical deterioration and the legacy of Kenya’s colonial past.
With no previous experience of construction and a major fundraising challenge ahead, they bring together artists, writers, architects, intellectuals and technology specialists to reimagine the library for a new generation.
The film explores questions of colonial history, public space, culture, identity and who gets to shape the institutions that preserve knowledge.
The screening is presented by Bristol Libraries and the British Library Living Knowledge Network.
Doors open at 5.30pm.
The film runs from 6pm to 7.30pm.
Booking is required.
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