Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o

Kenyan writer who pioneered African literature in native Gikuyu language challenging postcolonial norms

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (b.1938) sparked linguistic revolution by abandoning English for Gikuyu-language writing after his 1977 play "I Will Marry When I Want" led to imprisonment. His Decolonizing the Mind manifesto argues language as cultural battleground.

The author's "Devil on the Cross", secretly written on toilet paper in prison, became Kenya's first modern novel in an African language. His experimental theater using traditional storytelling broke Western dramatic conventions. Recent studies show his Gikuyu works inspired indigenous language revivals across 40+ African nations.

Ngũgĩ's concept of "globalectics" redefined world literature perspectives. The 85-year-old activist continues writing from California exile, recently publishing "The Perfect Nine" as epic poetry reclaiming Gikuyu creation myths.