Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o Books

Ngugi advocates a cultural shift to redress the last 400 years of domination by a handful of western nations.In this collection Ngugi is concerned with moving the centre in two senses - between nations and within nations - in order to contribute to the freeing of world cultures from the restrictive walls of nationalism, class, race and genderBetween nations the need is to move the centre from its assumed location in the West to a multiplicity of spheres in all the cultures of the world. Within nations the move should be away from all minority class establishments to the real creative centre among working people in conditions of racial, religious and gender equality.Kenya: EAEP

Die Bedeutung afrikanischer Sprachen für die kulturelle Entkolonisierung

A landmark of postcolonial African literature, Wizard of the Crow is an ambitious, magisterial, comic novel from the acclaimed Kenyan novelist, playwright, poet, and critic. Set in the fictional Free Republic of Aburiria, Wizard of the Crow dramatizes with corrosive humor and keenness of observation a battle for the souls of the Aburirian people, between a megalomaniac dictator and an unemployed young man who embraces the mantle of a magician. Fashioning the stories of the powerful and the ordinary into a dazzling mosaic, in this magnificent work of magical realism, Ngugi wa'Thiong'o—one of the most widely read African writers—reveals humanity in all its endlessly surprising complexity.

With clear, conversational prose, this volume is the first to focus entirely on Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʼo's writings about translation. A prominent figure in world literature, the Kenyan writer has long advocated for the recognition of indigenous African languages. After starting his career in English, he transitioned to writing in his native Gikũyũ in 1977, marking a significant creative and political shift. For years, Ngũgĩ has translated his Gikũyũ works into English and has actively promoted literary translation, which he describes as 'the language of languages.' This collection compiles his essays and lectures on translation from the past two decades, where he explores it as a cultural dialogue, advocates for unity among African languages, and reflects on the challenges of auto-translation. He emphasizes the crucial role translation plays in spreading ideas and calls for dismantling language hierarchies. Ngũgĩ also shares insights from his own experiences, including his story The Upright Revolution, which has been translated into over a hundred languages, making it the most widely translated work by an African author. In an era where cross-cultural dialogue is vital, this book makes a compelling case for literature without borders.

In exile for more than twenty years, Ngugi wa Thiong'o has become one of the most widely read African writers of our time, the power and scope of his work garnering him international attention and praise. His aim in WIZARD OF THE CROW is, in his own words, nothing less than 'to sum up Africa of the twentieth century in the context of 2,000 years of world history.'Commencing in 'our times' and set in the 'Free Republic of Aburiria', the novel dramatises with corrosive humour and keenness of observation a battle for control of the souls of the Aburirian people. Fashioning the stories of the powerful and the ordinary into a dazzling mosaic, Ngugi reveals humanity in all its ceaselessly surprising complexity.Informed by richly enigmatic traditional African storytelling, WIZARD OF THE CROW is a masterpiece, the crowning achievement in Ngugi wa Thiong'o's career thus far.

Renowned novelist, poet, playwright, and literary critic Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o was a student at a prestigious, British-run boarding school near Nairobi when the tumultuous Mau Mau Uprising for independence and Kenyan sovereignty gripped his country. While he enjoyed scouting trips and chess tournaments, his family home was razed to the ground and his brother, a member of the insurgency, was captured by the British and taken to a concentration camp. But Ngũgĩ could not escape history, and eventually found himself jailed after a run in with the forces of colonialism. Ngũgĩ richly and poignantly evokes the experiences that would transform him into a world-class writer and, as a political dissident, a moral compass to us all. A winning celebration of the implacable determination of youth and the power of hope, here is a searing account of the history of a man—and the story of a nation.

One of the greatest writers of our time Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

A thought-provoking and moving memoir, it chronicles the life of one of the greatest writers of our time. `Exquisite in its honesty and truth and resilience, and a necessary chronicle from one of the greatest writers of our time' Chimamanda Ngozi AdichieSelected as a Book of the Year 2016 in the GuardianWhen Ngugi wa Thiong'o arrives at the prestigious Makerere University, it embodies all the potential and excitement of the early 1960s. Campus is a haven of opportunity for the brightest African students, a meeting place for thinkers and writers from all over the world, and its alumni are filling Africa's emerging political and cultural positions. Despite the challenges he faces as a young black man in a British colony, it is here that Ngugi begins to find his voice as a playwright, journalist and novelist, writing his first, pivotal works just as the countries of East Africa enter the final stages of their independence struggles

Wariinga, a young woman who moves from a Kenyan town to the capital, Nairobi, only to be exploited by her boss and later a corrupt businessman. As Wariinga struggles to survive, she realizes that her problems are only symptoms of a larger societal malaise and that much of the misfortune stems from the Western, capitalist influences on her country.

Gikuyu and Mumbi settled on the peaceful and bounteous foot of Mount Kenya after fleeing war and hunger. When ninety-nine suitors arrive on their land, seeking to marry their famously beautiful daughters, called The Perfect Nine, the parents ask their daughters to choose for themselves, but to choose wisely. First the young women must embark on a treacherous quest with the suitors, to find a magical cure for their youngest sister, Warigia, who cannot walk. As they journey up the mountain, the number of suitors diminishes and the sisters put their sharp minds and bold hearts to the test, conquering fear, doubt, hunger and many menacing ogres, as they attempt to return home. But it is perhaps Warigia's unexpected adventure that will be most challenging of all. Blending folklore, mythology and allegory, Ngugi wa Thiong'o chronicles the adventures of Gikuyu and Mumbi, and how their brave daughters became the matriarchs of the Gikuyu clans, in stunning verse, with all the epic elements of danger, humour and suspense.

This is a simple and powerful tale of the effects of the Mau Mau war on individuals and families in Kenya. Two brothers must decide where their loyalties lie; Njoroge, the dreamer and accomplished student, finds it hard to give up schooling and is drawn relentlessly into turmoil. Good and evil are portrayed somewhat more starkly than in Ngugi's later works.

Ambitious, caustic, and impassioned New Yorker

Ngugi wa Thiong'o was born the fifth child of his father's third wife, in a family that includes twenty-four children born to four different mothers. He spent his 1930s childhood as the apple of his mother's eye, before attending school to slake what is considered a bizarre thirst for learning. As he grows up, the wider political and social changes occurring in Kenya begin to impinge on the boy's life in both inspiring and frightening ways. Through the story of his grandparents and parents, and his brothers' involvement in the violent Mau Mau uprising, Ngugi deftly etches a tumultuous era, capturing the landscape, the people and their culture, and the social and political vicissitudes of life under colonialism and war.

A novel that portrays several characters in a village whose intertwined lives are transformed by the 1952-1960 Emergency in Kenya. It features a reticent Mugo, the village's chosen hero and a man haunted by a terrible secret. schovat popis

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

Sein literarisches Werk macht den kenianischen Kulturwissenschaftler und Schriftsteller Ngugi wa Thiong’o [Autor u.a. von ›Herr der Krähen‹, ›Der gekreuzigte Teufel‹ oder ›Träume in Zeiten des Krieges‹] seit vielen Jahren zu einem Kandidaten für den Literaturnobelpreis. In seiner Essay-Sammlung Dekolonisierung des Denkens analysiert er die geistigen Folgen des europäischen Kolonialismus, der Unterdrückung der Sprachen Afrikas und damit auch der Zerstörung von Kulturen. Als das Ende der kolonialen Herrschaft erkämpft war, bestand die europäische kulturelle Dominanz fort. Europas Sprachen, sein Denken, sein Blick auf Geschichte und Gegenwart beeinflussen das afrikanische Selbstverständnis bis heute. Durch die Essays von Ngugi wa Thiong’o wird deutlich, dass die afrikanischen Sprachen ein wesentliches Mittel zur Befreiung von kolonialen Herrschafts- und Denkstrukturen sind. Denn die Sprache bildet den Grundstein für die Vermittlung von Kultur und Geschichte. Die nun erstmals auf Deutsch vorliegende Essaysammlung wird durch aktuelle Beiträge afrikanischer Autor*innen und Wissenschaftler*innen ergänzt, die sich mit der Bedeutung auseinandersetzen, die Ngugi wa Thiong’os Thesen in ihrer Heimat erlangt haben: Boubacar Boris Diop (Senegal), Achille Mbembe (Kamerun), Petina Gappah (Simbabwe), Sonwabiso Ngcowa (Südafrika) und Mukoma wa Ngugi, einem Sohn Ngugi wa Thiong’os. Quelle: Klappentext

Nachw. Koehler, Susanne. Roman aus Kenia. 189 S.

Der gekreuzigte Teufel von Ngũgĩ ist ein kraftvoller Roman, der die Themen Korruption und Unabhängigkeit in Kenia behandelt. Protagonistin Wariinga flieht nach Ilmorog und wird mit den Machenschaften von Dieben konfrontiert. Ngũgĩ verbindet traditionelle Erzähltechniken mit modernen Themen und hinterfragt westlichen Symbolismus.

Belletristik : Kenya ; Kolonialzeit - Unabhängigkeit.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o ist ein einflussreicher kenianischer Schriftsteller, dessen Kurzgeschichten von 1963 bis 1975 Themen wie den Mau-Mau-Aufstand, den Konflikt zwischen Tradition und Christentum sowie ländliche und städtische Werte behandeln. Seine direkte Erzählweise spiegelt persönliche Erfahrungen und gesellschaftliche Probleme wider.

›Im Haus des Hüters‹ ist nach ›Träume in Zeiten des Krieges‹ der zweite Band der Lebenserinnerungen des kenianischen Schriftstellers Ngugi wa Thiong’o: ein einzigartiges Dokument der gesellschaftlichen Umbrüche in Kenia gegen Ende der britischen Kolonialzeit. Es herrscht Ausnahmezustand in Kenia, der bewaffnete Aufstand der Mau-Mau-Bewegung für die Unabhängigkeit des Landes ist 1955 auf dem Höhepunkt. Für den sechzehnjährigen Ngugi wa Thiong’o wird seine Schule zum Refugium, das die Grausamkeiten des Krieges fernhält. Als er in den Ferien erstmals nach Hause zurückkehrt, findet er sein Dorf zerstört vor. Die politische Wirklichkeit bricht mit unbarmherziger Härte auch in seine Welt ein. Mit suggestiver Kraft beschreibt Ngugi wa Thiong’o einen Heranwachsenden auf der Suche nach seinem Platz in der Welt.

Druhý díl série Postkoloniální myšlení I–IV, navazující na překlad knihy Frantze Fanona, se zaměřuje na historické východisko postkoloniálního myšlení jako emancipačního programu druhé vlny dekolonizace. Tento proces, probíhající v Asii a Africe od konce druhé světové války do poloviny sedmdesátých let, byl na Západě vnímán jako rozklad evropských imperiálních říší. Autoři v knize vyjadřují perspektivu osvobození od koloniální nadvlády a systémů útlaku. Klíčovou otázkou je postkoloniální identita a konstrukce nové politiky identity: bude vycházet z národního esencialismu, nebo z konstruktivistického pohledu na národ jako myšlené společenství? Tyto nekompatibilní koncepce reflektují problémy, které se objevují i v kontextu postsocialistické transformace po roce 1989. Publikace zahrnuje klasické texty, které definují témata univerzality, diference, rezistence a jazyka jako struktury moci. Specifikum výběru spočívá v dvou místních aspektech pohledu na postkoloniální situaci: roli autora a dědictví totalitního režimu, které formovalo stereotypy ideologií.