Treeland

A young adult novel by Mkama Mwijarubi, winner of first prize in the Burt Award for African Literature writing competition in 2009. Treeland is an imaginary land in an imaginary era, populated by a jolly people who love two things above everything else: laughter and trees, hence Treeland: The Land of Laughter. Between peals of laughter, Treelanders tend their trees with forests and loving care. They never cut down trees or act in any way that would destroy their natural environment. This tale is at once traditional and current, conventional and unconventional, modern and post-modern, existential but optimistic. Intended for young people, but readers of all ages will enjoy it. Mkama Mwijarubi has been writing stories from an early age; his first juvenile story, Mbulabesi, was published in 2003, and Treeland is his second. Mwijarubi is also the author of The Birthday Party at Row 241, another Burt Award winner.