John Kiyaya: Mpiga Picha Mtanzania na Watu wa Ziwa Tanganyika

John Kiyaya was born in 1970 in Kisanga Village, Sumbawanga, Tanzania. His story, in pursuit of his passion as a photographer known only to his subjects—the workers, fishermen, and peasants of this region of Tanzania along Lake Tanganyika—brought him acclaim from international photography circles, first in Europe and then in the U.S.A.
He was selected at the Photographic Research Centre, Boston University, as the top winner of the prestigious Leopold Godowsky Jr. Colour Photography Award, competing with photographers from Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.

This book tells John Kiyaya’s story and brings together a selection of his photographs which brought him fame, even if not fortune. From here on, he will no longer be the unknown photographer from Tanzania. A long interview with John Kiyaya by the publisher, along with several essays about him and his work, places him in the context of Tanzania and its people’s pride in their culture as they pursue their livelihoods, celebrate their national and religious festivals, hold weddings, and mark the rites of passage of their children.