Renowned author and academic Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o has died at the age of 87.
His daughter, Wanjiku wa Ngugi, shared the news, writing, “He lived a full life, fought a good fight… let’s celebrate his life and his work.” Known for powerful works like Matigari, Ngũgĩ was Kenyan-born but based in the United States.
Ngũgĩ redefined African literature. As a Marxist scholar, his work focused on political struggle during and after the colonial era, highlighting resistance against oppression, capitalism, neo-colonialism, inequality, and autocratic regimes.
Born James Ngugi on 5 January 1938, he began his literary career writing in English before later choosing to write primarily in Gikuyu. His celebrated early novel The River Between remains a cornerstone of African literature. His 1967 novel A Grain of Wheat marked his embrace of Fanonist Marxism. He subsequently renounced writing in English and the name James Ngugi, both of which he considered colonial impositions. By 1970, he had adopted the name Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and committed to writing in his native language.
His notable works include: Weep Not, Child (1964); The River Between (1965); A Grain of Wheat (1967); Petals of Blood (1977); Matigari ma Njiruungi (1986); Mũrogi wa Kagogo (Wizard of the Crow, 2006).
