Ngugi

Reflections on his Life of Writing

Simon Gikandi (Author), Ndirangu Wachanga (Royalty Account), Alamin Mazrui (Royalty Account) , Ann Biersteker (Customer)

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English

James Currey
21 December 2018

Literary studies: post-colonial literature

This collection of essays reflects on the life and work of Ngugi wa Thiong'o, who celebrated his 80th birthday in 2018.

Drawing from a wide range of contributors, including writers, critics, publishers and activists, the volume traces the emergence of Ngugi as a novelist in the early 1960s, his contribution to the African culture of letters at its moment of inception, and his global artistic life in the twenty-first century. Here we have both personal andcritical reflections on the different phases of the writer's life: there are poems from friends and admirers, commentaries from his co-workers in public theatre in Kenya in the 1970s and 1980s, and from his political associates in the fight for democracy, and

contributions on his role as an intellectual of decolonization, as well as his experiences in the global art world. Included also are essays on Ngugi's role outside the academy, in the world of education, community theatre, and activism. In addition to tributes from other authors who were influenced by Ngugi, the collection contains hitherto unknown materials that are appearing in English for the first time. Both a celebration of the writer, and a rethinking of his legacy, this book brings together three generations of Ngugi readers. We have memories and recollections from the people he worked with closely in the 1960s, the students that he taught atthe University of Nairobi in the 1970s, his political associates during his exile in the 1980s, and the people who worked with him as he embarked on a new life and career in the United States in the 1990s. First-hand accounts reveal how Ngugi's life and work have intersected, and the multiple forces that have converged to make him one of the greatest writers to come out of Africa in the twentieth century.

Simon Gikandi is Robert Schirmer Professor of English, Princeton University. He is President of the MLA and was editor of its journal PMLA, from 2011-2016.

Ndirangu Wachanga is Professor of Media Studies and Information Science at the University of Wisconsin. He is also the authorized documentary biographer of Professors Ali A. Mazrui, Ngugi wa Thiong'o and Micere Mugo.

Contributions by: Alamin Mazrui (Royalty Account), Ann Biersteker (Customer), Anne Adams (Contributor)
Edited by: Simon Gikandi (Author), Ndirangu Wachanga (Royalty Account)
Imprint: James Currey
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 18mm
Weight: 526g
ISBN: 9781847012142
ISBN 10: 1847012140
Pages: 264
Publication Date: 21 December 2018
Audience: Professional and scholarly , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Chege Githiora is Professor of Linguistics, African Languages and Literatures at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), and is author of Afro-Mexicans: Discourse of race and identity in the African Diaspora. James Currey founded James Currey publishers in 1984 and it has long been recognized as the leading publisher of academic books on Africa. He was the editorial director at Heinemann Educational Books in charge of the African Writers Series from 1967 to 1984. He is the recipient of the African Literary Association's 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award. Jane Plastow is Professor of African Theatre, University of Leeds.

Reviews for Ngugi: Reflections on his Life of Writing

The respected contributors in the volume know Ngugi in person and use the opportunity the book offers to bring to the fore the most salient contributions Ngugi has made in literary studies. * DAILY NATION * The many considerations of Ngugi's work compiled here have produced a remarkable book, one which demonstrates the vastness of his influences [.] * JOHANNESBURG REVIEW OF BOOKS *