I’m Valerie Thurner

I am a freelance journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya, with over 25 years of work experience in creative media. I have passion for film, music and arts, worked for film production, festival programmer or contemporary art museums. I’m a native German speaker, also fluent in English. I am driven by the curiosity to find a deeper understanding of that which drives our connected world, inspired by people, learning about their worlds as expressed artistically, or as conveyed by political motivations. My aim is to tell stories from a postcolonial perspective, to identify the myths and gaps of our development narrative, that roots in a history of  imperialism of what we know as «western world». My work shall question common narrative of Western superiority, question concepts like cglobal coorporate capitalism, patriachy, and the colonial hangover.

I’ve accumulated a deeper knowledge of political and social processes in Kenya and the neighboring countries with a focus on environmental and social justice and processes of decolonization. This is reflected, for example, in my journalistic work, which is published in German speaking magazines. My work is distinguished by a thorough research and ability to connect with people.