THE SCAR: A TRAGEDY IN ONE ACT, by Rebecca NJAU (REBEKA NJAU).

KILIMANJARO, TANZANIA: Kibo Art Gallery, 1965. First Edition.

SIGNED, INSCRIBED and DATED in SWAHILI by REBEKA NJAU on the title page: "Asante sana kwa kututembelea Nairobi / Rebeka Njau (signed) / 7-7-72". (Thank you so much for visiting us in Nairobi / Rebeka Njau / 7-7-72.)

Booklet, black wrappers, white titles, side stapled, 5.75x7.75 (15x19.5 cm), 32 pages. Photo portrait of the author on the inside front cover.

VERY GOOD condition, lightly handled, tight, bright, clean and clear. A lovely copy.

RARE with the SIGNATURE and SWAHILI INSCRIPTION of Rebeka Njau.

About REBEKA NJAU (from Wikipedia):

******Rebeka Njau (née Nyanjega; born 15 December 1932) was Kenya's first female playwright and a pioneer in the representation of African women in literature. Her writing has addressed topics such as female genital mutilation and homosexuality. Her earliest works appeared under the name "Rebecca Njau".

THE SCAR, a one-act play, is considered the first play written by a Kenyan woman. It was published in book form in 1965 by Kibo Art Gallery in Marangu (after first appearing in a journal in 1963). THE SCAR premiered at the Uganda National Theatre in 1963 and went on to be performed in Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania and the USA. The play centres on the issue of female genital mutilation. The main character is Mariana, a former prostitute who tries to help girls escape female genital mutilation, which she regards as a "brutal custom". She advocates for alternative forms of initiation that can empower girls. Mariana is opposed by other women, who claim to be acting on behalf of the community's elders. The play ends with Mariana being shamed for having an illegitimate child and losing her status. In 1964, a second play by Njau, In the Round Chain, was performed before being banned by the Ugandan government.******