
PEACE MBENGEI
Peace Mbengei grew up in Nairobi, Kenya. She graduated from the University of Nairobi with a Bachelors degree in Medicine & Surgery and earned a Masters degree in Public Health from the University of London. She was longlisted for the 2019 Writivism short story prize and her short fiction has appeared in several magazines.
She caught the writing bug when she was a little girl. Fortunately, they are yet to find a cure and she hopes they never will.

WE RUN THE NIGHT
Soho Teen, 2026
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.
“Will keep readers on the edges of their seats… An atmospheric, mind-bending novel that examines the complexities of grief.” – Kirkus, starred review
“Beautifully written and expertly executed, We Run The Night is as stunning and electric as a flash of lightning (and I tore through it just as fast). This gripping supernatural thriller with a beating heart will stay with you.” —Dana Mele, author of The Beast You Let In
“With a haunting opening, cinematic and visceral descriptions, and a strong emotional core, We Run the Night is a compulsively readable thriller that lingers long after the last page.”
—Kelly Murashige, author of The Yomigaeri Tunnel
“Weaving supernatural horror with social commentary, this delightfully creepy boarding school mystery rooted in a Kenyan urban legend is perfect for fans of Tiffany D. Jackson and Trang Thanh Tran.”
—Alyssa Raymond, Copper Dog Books (Beverly, MA)