Overview

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o was a towering figure in African literature, and his novels A Grain of Wheat; Weep Not, Child; and Petals of Blood are modern classics. Emerging from a literary scene that flourished in the 1950s and '60s during the last years of colonialism in Africa, he became known not just as a novelist--one who, in the late '70s, famously stopped writing novels in English and turned to the language he grew up speaking, Gĩkũyũ--but as a major postcolonial theorist. In Decolonizing Language and Other Revolutionary Ideas, Ngũgĩ gives us a series of essays that build on the revolutionary ideas about language and its constructive role in national culture, history, and identity that he set out in his earlier work. Intricate and deeply nuanced, this collection examines the enduring power of African languages in resisting both the psychic and material impacts of colonialism, past and present. A brave call for discourse and immensely relevant to our present moment, Decolonizing Language and Other Revolutionary Ideas works both as a wonderful introduction to the enduring themes of Ngũgĩ's work as well as a vital addition to the library of the world's greatest and most provocative writers.

Full Product Details

9798228616691

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Ngugi wa Thiong'o (1938-2025) was a leading Kenyan author and academic. He is the author of A Grain of Wheat; Weep Not, Child; and Petals of Blood, as well as Birth of a Dream Weaver, Wrestling with the Devil, Minutes of Glory, The Perfect Nine, and Decolonizing Language and Other Revolutionary Ideas. He was the recipient of twelve honorary doctorates, among other awards, and was nominated for the Man Booker International Prize. Benjamin A. Onyango has a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from California State University, Stanislaus, in Turlock, California. After graduating in 1992, he relocated to Hollywood, California, to pursue a career in music and acting and an occasional crack at standup comedy. His TV credits include The Wives (Kenya), General Hospital, The Shield, and The X-Files. His film credits include Senior Year, Beautifully Broken, God's Not Dead 1, 2, 3, and 4, Freshman Year, The Boy, Father Africa, Default, Kwame, in which he won a 2009 Best Actor Award, Chains, and Tears of the Sun. His knowledge of and fluency in the Swahili language has landed him voice acting and ADR roles in many Hollywood films, including The Unbreakable Sword, The Last Face, Furious 7, Constantine, Night at the Museum 1 and 3, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Machine Gun Preacher, Inception, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Primeval, Path to 911, and A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and the video games Resident Evil V and Mass Effect 3. His commercial credits include Pringles and Jardiance. His business, Substitute Teachers Placement Services, Inc., employs teachers and teacher assistants for assignment to special education Schools to work with children on the Autism spectrum. Benjamin A. Onyango has a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from California State University, Stanislaus, in Turlock, California. After graduating in 1992, he relocated to Hollywood, California, to pursue a career in music and acting and an occasional crack at standup comedy. His TV credits include The Wives (Kenya), General Hospital, The Shield, and The X-Files. His film credits include Senior Year, Beautifully Broken, God's Not Dead 1, 2, 3, and 4, Freshman Year, The Boy, Father Africa, Default, Kwame, in which he won a 2009 Best Actor Award, Chains, and Tears of the Sun. His knowledge of and fluency in the Swahili language has landed him voice acting and ADR roles in many Hollywood films, including The Unbreakable Sword, The Last Face, Furious 7, Constantine, Night at the Museum 1 and 3, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Machine Gun Preacher, Inception, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Primeval, Path to 911, and A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and the video games Resident Evil V and Mass Effect 3. His commercial credits include Pringles and Jardiance. His business, Substitute Teachers Placement Services, Inc., employs teachers and teacher assistants for assignment to special education Schools to work with children on the Autism spectrum.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available