In world terms the assault on the Westgate Centre in Nairobi is just another example of pointless slaughter by young men who believe that only they are right; another case of cruelty for sake of attention. Even I, the most liberal of humanists, find my tolerance of puritanical Islam wearing very thin indeed. You may wonder why I am posting this on a Festivals blog page. The reason is to pay tribute to the great Ghanaian poet, playwright and diplomat Kofi Awoonor. He had travelled to Nairobi to read at StoryMoja – Hay Festival Nairobi; one of the world network of literature festivals that take their name from the parent festival held in Wales each year in June. Performing at a festival should not cost an artist his life. Read the full blog by Simon Mundy on Festival Bytes.