Ngugi wa Thiong'o

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o: three days with a giant of African literature

The long read: The Kenyan novelist’s life and work has intersected with many of the biggest events of the past century. At 85, he reflects on his long, uncompromising life in writing

Carey Baraka

13, Jun, 2023 @5:00 AM

‘Restoring the river’: why Kenyans are returning to precolonial spirituality

From TikTok videos to traditional songs and stories, Kikuyu cultural beliefs and practices suppressed under 19th-century colonialism are seeing a revival

Caroline Kimeu in Nairobi

22, Sep, 2022 @5:00 AM

Namwali Serpell: ‘I find uncertainty compelling in literature’

The award-winning Zambia-born writer on her reading habits, being emboldened by Toni Morrison, and her belief that books aren’t about self-improvement, but engagement

Anthony Cummins

13, Aug, 2022 @5:00 PM

Top 10 books about neocolonialism | Susan Williams

Decades of economic imperialism and conditional aid have inspired authors from Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o to Graham Greene to explore insidious western control

Susan Williams

28, Oct, 2021 @3:18 PM

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o nominated as author and translator in first for International Booker

Kenyan novelist’s The Perfect Nine is first work written in an indigenous African language to be longlisted

Sian Cain

30, Mar, 2021 @8:00 AM

The best recent poetry collections – review roundup

Runaway by Jorie Graham; It Says Here by Sean O’Brien; The Problem of the Many by Timothy Donnelly; and The Perfect Nine by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o

Fiona Sampson

10, Oct, 2020 @11:00 AM

Mandela's relatives to visit prisoners as part of Edinburgh book festival

Zindzi Mandela and her grandchildren will hold private reading at Shotts prison

Severin Carrell Scotland editor

07, Jun, 2018 @5:30 PM

Bank heists, political satire and Ngugi wa Thiong’o: top 10 books about Kenya

From classics like A Grain of Wheat to a coming of age novel and a servant’s memoir, here are 10 books that explore both modern and historical Kenya

Peter Kimani

14, Mar, 2018 @11:14 AM

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o: 'Resistance is the best way of keeping alive'

The Kenyan author was jailed without trial for a year in 1978 and with the re-release of his prison memoir, he talks about the importance of resisting injustice

Kyla Marshell

12, Mar, 2018 @9:00 AM

Perspectives on decolonising and diversifying English teaching | Letters

Letters: Guardian readers, teachers and academics respond to the controversy around the Cambridge university English syllabus

Letters

30, Oct, 2017 @7:05 PM

Nobel prize in literature set to reveal 2017 winner on 5 October

The Swedish Academy announces date for this year’s laureate, with Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and Haruki Murakami leading bookmakers’ odds

Alison Flood

03, Oct, 2017 @11:33 AM

Haruki Murakami named 4/1 favourite to win 2016 Nobel prize in literature

The hugely popular Japanese novelist is Ladbrokes’ most-backed author for the award, with Adonis, Philip Roth and Ngugi wa Thiong’o close behind