Kinyanjui's debut novel The Last Villains of Molo was so raw that when he first wrote it, no publisher was willing to touch it, feeling that Kenyans were not ready to confront the horrors of Molo in 1992. The book is based on his experiences growing up in Molo and coming of age in Ngando. We discuss writing about pain, the struggle of getting published locally and the joy of finally getting recognition.