When did Ngugi wa Thiong'o live?

Ngugi wa Thiong'o was born in 1938 and died in 2025.

Where was Ngugi wa Thiong'o from?

Ngugi wa Thiong'o was a Kenyan philosopher of the Contemporary era.

What philosophical movements is Ngugi wa Thiong'o associated with?

Ngugi wa Thiong'o was associated with Postcolonial Philosophy.

How many quotes are attributed to Ngugi wa Thiong'o?

There are 15 attributed quotations from Ngugi wa Thiong'o in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.

Ngugi wa Thiong'o 1938 – 2025

Ngugi wa Thiong'o (1938 – 2025) was a Kenyan philosopher of the Contemporary era, associated with Postcolonial Philosophy.

Ngugi wa Thiong'o was a Kenyan novelist, philosopher, and one of the most influential theorists of language, culture, and postcolonial liberation. Decolonising the Mind argued that the language of literature is not a neutral vehicle but the principal site of cultural formation, and that the African writer must reclaim African languages from the long colonial dispossession of imagination. His later Globalectics and Something Torn and New developed a positive program of cultural re-membering, in which fragmented African traditions are rejoined to one another through translation, conversation, and the careful work of memory. Imprisoned without trial in 1977 for the Gikuyu-language play I Will Marry When I Want, he wrote his subsequent novels in Gikuyu before translating them into English.

Key facts

Nationality: Kenyan
Era: Contemporary
Movements: Postcolonial Philosophy

Selected quotes

Attributed to Ngugi wa Thiong'o:

“Language is not just a tool of communication; it is also a carrier of culture.”
Attributed to Ngugi wa Thiong'o:

“The biggest weapon wielded and actually daily unleashed by imperialism is the cultural bomb.”
Attributed to Ngugi wa Thiong'o:

“The African writer must reclaim the African languages.”
Attributed to Ngugi wa Thiong'o:

“Decolonization is not an event; it is a long re-membering of what was torn.”
Attributed to Ngugi wa Thiong'o:

“The harvest of speaking is reading; the harvest of reading is more speaking.”

Read all Ngugi wa Thiong'o quotes

Frequently asked about Ngugi wa Thiong'o

When did Ngugi wa Thiong'o live?: Ngugi wa Thiong'o was born in 1938 and died in 2025.
Where was Ngugi wa Thiong'o from?: Ngugi wa Thiong'o was a Kenyan philosopher of the Contemporary era.
What philosophical movements is Ngugi wa Thiong'o associated with?: Ngugi wa Thiong'o was associated with Postcolonial Philosophy.
What was Ngugi wa Thiong'o known for?: Ngugi wa Thiong'o was a Kenyan novelist, philosopher, and one of the most influential theorists of language, culture, and postcolonial liberation.
How many quotes are attributed to Ngugi wa Thiong'o?: There are 15 attributed quotations from Ngugi wa Thiong'o in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.