I believe in, and will to the best of my ability fight for, equal rights and freedom of opinion for everyone, regardless of colour, religion, nationality, orientation - you know the rest.

People reach an age... where somebody elses platform is no longer yours.

There is no country in the world with the diversity, confidence and talent and black pride like Nigeria.

I like the idea of readers feeling a familiarity, whether its with Africa or childhood.

Every human being has a bit of gangster in him.

International correspondents with their long dictaphones, and dirty jeans, and five hundred words before whiskey, are slouched over the red velvet chairs, in the VIP section in the front, looking for the Story: the Most Macheteing Deathest, Most Treasury Corruptest, Most Entrail-Eating Civil Warest, Most Crocodile-Grinning Dictatorest, MOst Heart-Wrenching and Genociding Pulitzerest, Most Black Big-Eyed Oxfam Child Starvingest, Most Wild African Savages Having AIDS-Ridden Sexest with Genetically Mutilatedest Girls...The Most Authentic Real Black Africanest story they can find.

I, Binyavanga Wainaina, quite honestly swear I have known I am a homosexual since I was five.