The Life of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and a List of His Books
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o is an African author. His works resonate with the African experience of colonialism. His book ‘A Grain of Wheat‘ is recommended for use in schools.
About Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o was born in Kamiriithu, near Limuru, Kenya, in 1938, and his formative years unfolded amidst the chaotic background of the Mau Mau Uprising. The horrid experiences of losing two brothers and witnessing his mother’s torture deeply influenced his worldview and literary endeavors.
His academic journey took him to Makerere University in Uganda, where he began his literary career by publishing his inaugural short stories and staging his play, The Black Hermit, at the 1962 African Writer’s Conference. After completing his studies in 1963, he embarked on a Master’s degree program at Leeds University in England, although he departed before finishing his thesis.
During his academic pursuits, Ngũgĩ became involved in Fanonist Marxism, a philosophy espoused by the Pan-Africanist thinker Frantz Fanon. Shedding his Western first name, he embraced Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o to assert his cultural pride. Notably, some early editions of his works, such as ‘Weep Not, Child’ and ‘The River Between’, were published under the name “James Ngugi” before he transitioned to primarily writing in Gĩkũyũ, his native language, and translating his works for English-speaking audiences.
Despite evolving stylistically, Ngũgĩ’s thematic focus on the ramifications of colonialism has remained unwavering.
His literature is often deeply political, sparking controversy within Kenya. During his tenure at the University of Nairobi, he advocated for the prioritization of African literature and the revitalization of indigenous languages, leading to the discontinuation of the English Literature program in the 1960s.
In 1976, Ngũgĩ founded The Kamiriithu Community Education and Cultural Centre, which served as a hub for African Theatre. His political activism through plays and novels like ‘Petals of Blood’ drew the ire of authorities, culminating in his arrest in 1977.
Held without trial for a year in dire conditions alongside other political detainees, Ngũgĩ composed the novel ‘Caitaani mũtharaba-Inĩ’ (Devil on the Cross) on toilet paper, vowing to exclusively write in Gĩkũyũ thereafter.
Following his release in 1978, Ngũgĩ faced persecution, prompting him to seek refuge in Europe and America until the regime change in Kenya in 2002. Throughout his exile, he imparted his knowledge as a professor at institutions such as Bayreuth University and Yale University.
In 2004, Ngũgĩ returned to Kenya with his wife, only to encounter adversity, including a violent assault believed to be politically motivated. Subsequent incidents, such as harassment in San Francisco in 2006, marked the ongoing challenges he faced. Despite these hardships, Ngũgĩ’s literary output continued without a halt, encompassing memoirs and essays.
Presently, Ngũgĩ serves as a Distinguished Professor in Comparative Literature and English at the University of California, Irvine. His children, Tee Ngũgĩ, Mũkoma wa Ngũgĩ, Nducu wa Ngũgĩ, and Wanjiku wa Ngũgĩ, have also made significant contributions to literature. Ngũgĩ’s enduring impact has garnered numerous literary accolades and fourteen honorary degrees from esteemed institutions. Widely touted as a leading contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature, his legacy continues to resonate globally.
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o has authored numerous books throughout his prolific career.
Books written by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o
Here is a list of his notable works, novels, essays, poems, short stories, and plays:
- Weep Not, Child (1964)
- The River Between (1965)
- A Grain of Wheat (1967)
- Petals of Blood (1977)
- Devil on the Cross (1980)
- Matigari (1986)
- Wizard of the Crow (2006)
- Dreams in a Time of War: A Childhood Memoir (2010)
- In the House of the Interpreter: A Memoir (2012)
10. Birth of a Dream Weaver: A Writer’s Awakening (2016),
11. The Black Hermit (1968)
12. Secret Lives and Other Stories (1975)
13. Barrel of a Pen: Resistance to Repression in Neo-Colonial Kenya(1979)
14. Detained: A Writer’s Prison Diary (1981)
15. Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature (1986)
16. Moving the Centre: The Struggle for Cultural Freedoms (1993)
17. Penpoints, Gunpoints, and Dreams: Towards a Critical Theory of the Arts and the State in Africa (1998)
18. Something Torn and New: An African Renaissance (2009)
19. Globalectics: Theory and the Politics of Knowing (2012)
20. Secure the Base: Making Africa Visible in the Globe (2016)
21. Writing and Speaking from the Heart of My Mind” (2020)
22. Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature (1986)
23. Penpoints, Gunpoints, and Dreams: Towards a Critical Theory of the Arts and the State in Africa (1998)
24. Wizard of the Crow (2006)
25. Homecoming: Essays on African and Caribbean Literature, Culture, and Politics (1972)
26. Spectres of Marx: The State of the Debt, the Work of Mourning & the New International (1993)
27. Nairobi Heat (2012)
28. The Perfect Nine: The Epic of Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi (2020)
29. Gikuyu Oral Literature: The Mythic and the Historical (1990)
30. Re-membering Africa (2012)
31. Mũrogi wa Kagogo (2004)
32. he Trial of Dedan Kimathi (1976)
33. Ngaahika Ndeenda (I Will Marry When I Want) (1977) – Co-written with Ngugi wa Mirii
34. Penpoints, Gunpoints, and Dreams: Towards a Critical Theory of the Arts and the State in Africa (1998)
35. Decolonizing the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature (1986)
36. Re-membering Africa (2012)
37. Wrestling with the Devil: A Prison Memoir (2018)
38. This Time Tomorrow: Three Sisters (2010)
39. Globalectics: Theory and the Politics of Knowing (2012)
40. The Upright Revolution: Or Why Humans Walk Upright (2006)