Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o Coming to Münster

Guess who will be attending and speaking at the 15th Afrika Festival in Münster? The one and only renowned Kenyan novelist, poet, playwright, and literary critic, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o.

Ngũgĩ will be showcasing his memoir, In the House of the Interpreter: A Memoir, in German: Im Haus des Hüters: Jugendjahre. The book tells the story of Ngũgĩ’s schooldays in Kenya against the backdrop of the intensification of the struggle for independence. He was a student at a prestigious, British-run boarding school near Nairobi when the tumultuous Mau Mau Uprising for independence and Kenyan sovereignty gripped his country. While he enjoyed scouting trips and chess tournaments, his family home was razed to the ground and his brother, a member of the insurgency, was captured by the British and taken to a concentration camp. But Ngũgĩ could not escape history, and eventually found himself jailed after a run in with the forces of colonialism.

Ngũgĩ richly and poignantly evokes the experiences that would transform him into a world-class writer and, as a political dissident, a moral compass to us all. A winning celebration of the implacable determination of youth and the power of hope, here is a searing account of the history of a man—and the story of a nation.

The festival that has been running from the 3rd of this month will be ending on the 14th.

Details to Ngũgĩ’s Book Reading:

Date: Tuesday, 12th May 2015,
Time: 7 pm (19.00 Uhr)
Venue: Hörsaal Jo 1, Johannisstraße 4, 48143 Münster
Entry fee: 8,00 € / 4,00 € ermäßigt (Vorverkauf: ROSTA Buchladen, Aegidiistraße 12)