Ngugi wa Thiong'o

'A compelling novel about the tragedy of corrupting power, set in post-independence Kenya...Ngugi writes with passion about every form, shape and colour which power can take' Sunday Times After decades of British rule Kenya has declared its independence, but drought and poor harvests still govern the village of Ilmorog. Undeterred, Munira, Karega, Wanja and Abdulla each move to Ilmorog in search of a more provincial life, only to find themselves suspects in a crime that signals a dark turning of the times. A classic of modern African literature, Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s damning satire of politics and corruption in Kenya would prove the catalyst for his imprisonment by the Kenyan government.

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'One of the greatest writers of our time' Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Ngugi wa Thiong'o is renowned for his political novels and plays, yet he honed his craft as a short story writer. First published in 1975, Secret Lives and Other Stories brings together a range of Ngugi's political short stories.From tales of the meeting between magic and superstition, to stories about the modernising forces of colonialism, and the pervasive threat of nature, this collection celebrates the storytelling might of one of Africa's best-loved writers.

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A collection of essays about language and its constructive role in national culture, history, and identity, that advocates for linguistic decolonization.'The language of literature', Ngũgĩ writes, 'cannot be discussed meaningfully outside the context of those social forces which have made it both an issue demanding our attention, and a problem calling for a resolution.' First published in 1986, Decolonising the Mind is one of Ngũgĩ's best-known and most-cited non-fiction publications, helping to cement him as a pre-eminent voice theorizing the 'language debate' in postcolonial studies. Ngũgĩ wrote his first novels and plays in English but was determined, even before his detention without trial in 1978, to move to writing in Gikuyu. He describes the book as 'a summary of some of the issues in which I have been passionately involved for the last twenty years of my practice in fiction, theatre, criticism, and in teaching of literature...'. Split into four essays - 'The Language of African Literature', 'The Language of African Theatre', 'The Language of African Fiction', and 'The Quest for Relevance' - the book offers an anti-imperialist perspective on the destiny of Africa and the role of languages in combatting and perpetrating imperialism and neo-colonialism in African nations. East Africa [Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda]: EAEP

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A dazzling, genre-defying novel in verse from the author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie calls ‘one of the greatest writers of our time’Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s novels and memoirs have received glowing praise from the likes of Barack Obama, the New Yorker, the Guardian and the New York Times Book Review; he has been a finalist for the International Booker Prize and is annually tipped to win the Nobel Prize for Literature; and his books have sold tens of thousands of copies around the world.In his first attempt at the epic form, Ngugi tells the story of the founding of the Gikuyu people of Kenya, from a strongly feminist perspective. A verse narrative, blending folklore, mythology, adventure and allegory, The Perfect Nine chronicles the efforts the Gikuyu founders made to find partners for their ten beautiful daughters – called ‘The Perfect Nine’ – and the challenges they set for the 99 suitors who seek their hands in marriage. The epic has all the elements of adventure, with suspense, danger, humor and sacrifice.Ngugi’s epic is a quest for the beautiful as an ideal of living, as the motive force behind migrations of African peoples. He notes, ‘The epic came to me one night as a revelation of ideals of quest, courage, perseverance, unity, family; and the sense of the divine, in human struggles with nature and nurture.’‘Seldom have the raw truths of Africa been exposed so vividly, yet humorously. . . With tales that tease, then bite, [Ngugi] tackles the absurdities, injustices and corruption of a continent.’ Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdad Sings on Minutes of Glory in the New York Times Book Review

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Informed by traditional African storytelling, discover Ngugi wa Thiong'o's masterpiece. To honour the Ruler’s birthday, the Free Republic of Aburiria set out to build a tower; a modern wonder of the world that will reach the gates of Heaven. But behind this pillar of unity a battle for control of the Aburirian people rages. Among the contenders: the eponymous Wizard, an avatar of folklore and wisdom; the corrupt Christian Ministry; and the nefarious Global Bank.

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In this collection of essays on African and Caribbean literature, culture, and politics, Ngugi wa Thiong’o delivers a groundbreaking critique of colonialism and capitalism in postcolonial Africa. In these essays, Ngugi wa Thiong’o eloquently interweaves a range of issues including religious oppression, consumerism, and independence with the powerful intellect and passion that has come to characterise his writing. These pieces are essential for readers wishing to uncover a critical perspective on African society and culture. Homecoming is a groundbreaking collection intended to provoke and encourage thoughtful debate on how best to ‘restore the creative glory of Africa and of all Africans’ in the wake of postcolonialism. ‘One of the greatest writers of our time.’ Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ‘A tremendous writer... It’s hard to doubt the power of the written word when you hear the story of Ngugi wa Thiong’o.’ Guardian ‘One of Africa’s greatest writers.’ New York Times

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A 50th-anniversary edition of one of the most powerful novels by the great Kenyan author and Nobel Prize nominee A legendary work of African literature, this moving and eye-opening novel lucidly captures the drama of a people and culture whose world has been overturned. The River Between explores life in the mountains of Kenya during the early days of white settlement. Faced with a choice between an alluring new religion and their own ancestral customs, the Gikuyu people are torn between those who fear the unknown and those who see beyond it.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

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