We Run the Night

Inspired by the local urban legend of night runners, this chilling, Kenyan-set debut blends horror and the mythical to tell a universal coming-of-age story about a girl facing impossible odds.

Perfect for fans of She Is a Haunting and White Smoke

When Shani returns to her elite, isolated boarding school after her father’s mysterious death, she just wants to finish senior year with her scholarship intact—which means focusing on her work and staying out of trouble. Even with her best friend, Pendo, by her side, she’s never quite fit in at Taji Academy. But soon, strange things start happening at school—not only are students coming down with odd, grotesque skin maladies, someone is causing chaos on campus after curfew. Are they night runners, the supernatural entities that terrorize rural neighborhoods in the dark?

The strict administration insists it’s just students pulling pranks. Everyone knows that night runners are just an urban legend. But when one of the popular students, Adila, goes missing—and Shani wakes up one morning with mud on her feet, torn clothes, and a pounding headache—she knows it’s more than that. As she and others at Taji begin to transform, with no way to contact the outside world, she must figure out what is happening at Taji—before it’s too late.Peace Mbengei is a Kenyan medical doctor who was long listed for the 2019 Writivism short story prize. Her short fiction has appeared in African Writer, Praxis Magazine, Kalahari Review, and Ilanot Review and is forthcoming in Kikwetu Journal, Isele Magazine, and Halcyone.