There are moments when a book club session quietly transforms into something else, something you do not quite plan for.
Today was one of those moments.
We gathered for a hybrid Turning Pages session, blending in-person and virtual participation. The setting was Balqees Restaurant, but the atmosphere stretched far beyond Kigali. The table itself told the story before we even began.
Set against a desert backdrop, an Arab man poured Sudanese coffee into a small cup, slowly and deliberately. Behind him, camels wandered across the sand. In front of that scene, copies of Nyanza: Through the Eyes of a Domestic Tourist rested on the table. A Rwandan story placed within a Sudanese setting.
From that moment, the tone of the session was set.
As we sipped the coffee, the conversation followed the path laid out by the book, taking us into Nyanza District and into the heart of Rwanda's pre-colonial kingdom. We spoke about structure, order, and the quiet precision that defined a centralized system long before colonial disruption.
The discussion, however, did not remain within Rwanda's borders.
The participants, young Sudanese pursuing their education in the Land of a Thousand Hills, naturally drew parallels between the two countries. Questions led to comparisons. Observations created connections. What began as a reflection on Nyanza gradually evolved into a dialogue between histories and cultures.
At some point, the session ceased to be simply about a book.
It became an exchange.
In a sense, we were taking Nyanza to Sudan, placing it on the table, opening it up, and allowing it to travel through conversation. At the same time, we were receiving something in return. Through the coffee, the perspectives, and the shared curiosity, Sudan found its way into the discussion just as deeply.
Sometimes, all it takes is a table, a cup of coffee, and a story to bring two worlds into the same room.