Born in Kamirithu, Kenyan supersonic writer Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, passed aged 87 in Georgia, USA. I first read Ngugi’s works while in Form Three (1971) at Ilboru. Back then he was known as James Ngugi. The two novels we did across secondary schools were “The River Between” and “Weep not Child”. I still remember the excitement of those books. Modest but rich language. Well described incidents among Gikuyu folks, colonial history, etc. Check a scene from ‘River Between’ – two potential lovers Nyambura and Waiyaki.
“They came to a place where their ways parted. They stopped there and stood as if held by something outside of themselves. Perhaps it was the magic of the moon that held them rooted to the spot. Waiyaki wanted to dance the magic and ritual of the moon. His heart beat hard, beating out the darkness. And Nyambura stood there looking as if she were the embodiment of serene beauty, symbolised by the flooding moon and peace around.”
Note the word “moon.” Mentioned three times in such a brief description. Pure poetry. In its simplest form. Young villagers’ romance.
Later, High School at Mzumbe we read another of his sinister tale of Kenya’s Mau Mau days in 1952 “Grain of Wheat.” We read this masterpiece for A-level English Lit.
Ngugi, much as he was revered by students, the African Writing Series (AWS) by Heinemann, London, was a significant informative institution. It had on its pile, of African writers’ authors Chinua Achebe (Nigeria), Peter Abrahams (South Africa), Doris Lessing (Zimbabwe), Ama Ata Aidoo (Ghana), Nuruddin Farah (Somalia), etc…
These publications taught us to express with language. One problem for youth with very poor info skills. Not many house love for books. Or availability!! LOL. The books are well known across the world, African history and our South African poet and activist, Keorapetse Kgositsile, visited our school Mzumbe in 1974. The exiled South African was travelling across the planet and getting paid for reading his writings. He inspired us to write. Although I had already started writing (by then), his physical presence made it sound promising. Right there, I decided… I MUST write and publish. Two years later, I was a journalist at ‘Uhuru’ and later, ‘Sunday News’.
In 1987, I bumped into Ngugi wa Thiong’o in London. He spoke at the massive “Black Books International Fare” conference. Now, quite famous.
Ngugi had once been imprisoned by Kenyan Government in 1978. I had enjoyed his “Detained: A Writer’s Prison Diary”, (1981), available in Dar es Salaam. Ngugi – Prison has its own peculiar smell: A permanent heavy pall of perpetually polluted air. On arrival at Kamiti, the smell hits me in the face, it descends on me, it presses me down, it courses down my nostrils and throat, I am gasping for breath. I am really scared of an attack of asthma …” Yes! Ngugi was asthmatic. On meeting Wa Thiong’o, I was surprised how his Swahili was not so fluent. He had been promoting African languages. Even publishing a book in Gikuyu only. Fast forward 2007. Ngugi in London spoke, signed copies and promoted his new novel: “Wizard of the Crow” …
We chatted and took pictures. He was relaxed. Coherent. This time his Swahili much, much better. I think I made a joke about the improvement. There was laughter. Ngugi was special. Blessed with 9 children: Four of them established writers. After so many great books and struggles where his wife was allegedly violated “in a politically motivated” incident in Kenya, it is baffling this outstanding thinker, philosopher, academic and writer, never received a Nobel Peace Prize for Literature.
Bless your eyes.
Niataa if you speak Gikuyu.
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