My favourite writer or novelist is a Kenyan born writer who was born in 1938. He is the founder and editor of the Gikuyi language journal known as Mutiiri. His name is Ngugi Wa Thiang’O of Weep not child fame-a book he published in 1964 whilst he was studying at Leeds University, England. In fact, it was the first novel to be published by an East African at that time.
After the publication of Weep not child, he has many books such as The River Between, published in 1965 respectively. In 1967, he published A Grain of Wheat, and then sequentially went on to publish others such as Decolonising the mind; Barrel of Pen; Mother, Sing for me; Something torn and new; and finally Dreams in a Time of War which was published in 2010.
Besides the books, he has written lots of plays, essays and short stories. Some of his written plays are, The trial of Dedan, I will Marry When I want to Marry and This Time tomorrow. In fact, his play entitled “I will marry when I want to marry” made Arap Moi, the then vice president of Kenya to put him in jail. However, that did not make him to stop speaking against the evils around him till date.
The reason why I like him is because he is Afrocentric and is against injustice and discrimination, and uses his pen and knowledge to fight them. Aside, he is one of the few Africans writers who have lasted on the scene till date, and are doing great things. Above all, today he writes in the African languages like Swahili and Gikuyi, something many famous African will not do and lecturers around the world as well. Today he even has his own journal which is published in Gikuyu.
There are many African writers, but none of them is as Ngugi-the reasons are many. So, to me he is the best African writer of our time. If am given a chance to give an award to African writers, my nomination will be Ngugi Wa Thiang’O from Kenya.