The Turbulent Life and Career of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o
The BBC has recently shone the spotlight on the remarkable life and career of Kenyan author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, a man whose literary journey has been marked by both critical acclaim and controversy. According to the BBC, Ngũgĩ’s story is one of transformation, from a young writer struggling to find his voice to a renowned author who has refused to be silenced.
In 1959, as Britain struggled to maintain its grip on Kenya, Ngũgĩ left to study in Uganda, enrolling at Makerere University, one of Africa’s most prestigious institutions. It was during a writers’ conference at Makerere that Ngũgĩ shared the manuscript for his debut novel with revered Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, as reported by the BBC. Achebe, it is said, forwarded the manuscript to his publisher in the UK, and the book, Weep Not, Child, was released to critical acclaim in 1964. The BBC notes that this was the first major English-language novel to be written by an East African.
The BBC reports that Ngũgĩ swiftly followed up with two more popular novels, A Grain of Wheat and The River Between. In 1972, the UK’s Times newspaper said Ngũgĩ, then aged 33, was "accepted as one of Africa’s outstanding contemporary writers". However, it was 1977 that marked a significant turning point in Ngũgĩ’s life and career. According to the BBC, this was the year he became Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, shedding his birth name, James, in a bid to distance himself from colonial influence.
The BBC reveals that Ngũgĩ also made a bold decision to
