The Kenyan Poet Whose House was Turned into a Museum

For 20 years of his life, Khadambi Asalache carved out of wood an intricate fretwork that covered the entirety of his house, from wall to ceiling. Beginning with a small damp patch in the kitchen, Khadambi etched out the designs on the wall, merging his interest in Moorish, Arabic, African, Islamic and European culture in the patterns he created.Upon his death in 2006, 575 Wandsworth Road, the address of his house in South London was bequeathed to the National Trust of London for its preservation as a museum.Khadambi Asalache was born in Kaimosi, Western Kenya and studied architecture at the Royal Technical College. A detour during a students' conference in Tunisia took to him to Rome, Geneva and Vienna as he studied fine art before finally moving to London in 1960.In London he wrote fiction and poetry, releasing his first novel, A Calabash of Life in 1967. The novel is set among the Tiriki community in pre-colonial Kenya chronicling the power struggle between the protagonist, Shiyuka who sets out to take back his rightful position as leader of the community. The novel earned critical acclaim and was on the syllabus in several schools in Africa. His poetry collection, Sunset in Naivasha and poem Death of a Chief are celebrated literary works as well.He had a stint in media at the BBC African Service and helped to write and produce a BBC TV Show called Danger Man. He sold his 2^nd novel, Latecomer to the BBC Service, which ran extracts from it for TV.Khadambi's life is brilliantly multi-hyphenated. In the late 1970s, he earned a Masters of Philosophy in Mathematics and went on to become a civil servant at the British treasury.He used any spare time to masterfully bring out his ideas to life on wood salvaged from wine crates and discarded wood.The home is open to the public for group tours of less than six people.