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| Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o |
‘In his company you could not be lazy’: remembering my friend Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o
A giant of African literature whose best works existed between the political and the personal, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o was warm, funny and friendly – and liked to bet on my pool games
Ben Okri
Fri 30 May 2025 17.36 BST
Among the African writers who emerged in the middle of the 20th century, the most political undoubtedly was Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o. Born in Kenya while it was still under British rule he was anti-colonialist, a communist, anti-dictatorial, and an almost militant proponent for African languages being used for African literature.
