Saturday Jul 22, 2023
Decolonizing the Mind: In Conversation with Ngūgī wa Thiong’o
In this episode, renowned Kenyan writer and thinker Ngūgī wa Thiong’o discusses crucial issues in African literature including the 1962 African Writers Conference in Kampala, language use and the specter of (neo)colonialism in literary productions and African development. He also talks about sociopolitical issues in contemporary Africa as well as personal challenges he’s faced in the past few years.
Co-Host: Dr. Baba Badji (Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of French and the Department of English, Rutgers University)
Music by Xuman and Keyti.
We thank Xuman and Keyti of the Journal Rappé for allowing us to use the songs below in this episode.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9edJOJa_O4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5MZnUbygGo
1 years ago
Wow! This is so educative. I appreciate Prof. Ngugi wa Thiong’o for recognizing my effort in the preservation of our African languages I’m really humbled. I have translated into Ekegusii, among others: 1. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe 2. Romeo and Juliet by W. Shakespeare 3. ’I Will Marry When I Want’ and ’The River Between’ by Ngugi wa Thiong’o 3. Murambi, The Book of Bones by Boris Boubacar Diop 4. Kwenzi Gizani by Kithaka wa Mberia.