Simon Gikandi

It would be easy to assume that, in the eighteenth century, slavery and the culture of taste--the world of politeness, manners, and aesthetics--existed as separate and unequal domains, unrelated in th

It would be easy to assume that, in the eighteenth century, slavery and the culture of taste--the world of politeness, manners, and aesthetics--existed as separate and unequal domains, unrelated in th

Kenyan dramatist and novelist Ngugi wa Thiong'o is a hugely influential African writer respected not only for his creative work but also for his criticism of wider cultural issues - issues such as nation and narration, power and performance, language and identity, empire and postcoloniality. Simon Gikandi's study, first published in 2000, offers a comprehensive analysis of all Ngugi's published work and explores the development of the major novels and plays against a background of colonialism and decolonisation in Kenya. Gikandi places the works in a context that examines the way they engage with the changing history of Africa. Tracing Ngugi's career from the 1960s through to his role in shaping a radical culture in East Africa in the 1970s and his imprisonment and exile in the 1980s, this book provides fresh insight into the author's life and the historic events that produced his work.

Simon Gikandi's study offers a comprehensive analysis of all the published works of the influential Kenyan dramatist, novelist, and critic Ngugi wa Thiong'o. Gikandi traces Ngugi's literary career fro

Gikandi explores the politics of identity to analyze how the colonial experience inspired narrative forms that changed the nature of the English identity by surveying the British imperial tradition si

Analysis of the writings of Chinua Achebe aimed at students of literature.

Death and the King's Horseman (1975) is the most widely read work byNigerian author Wole Soyinka, winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize forLiterature.

Why did the novel take such a long time to emerge in the colonial world? And, what cultural work did it come to perform in societies where subjects were not free and modes of social organization diver

A useful starting point.... It is the breadth of the coverage that makes the Encyclopedia of African Literature stand out. Booklist/RBB [A] comprehensive work for general readers.... Highly recommend

The most comprehensive reference work on African literature to date, this book covers all the key historical and cultural issues in the field. The Encyclopedia contains over 600 entries covering criti

"The Columbia Guide to East African Literature in English Since 1945" challenges the conventional belief that the English-language literary traditions of East Africa are restricted to the former Briti

This collection of essays reflects on the life and work of Ngugi wa Thiong'o, who celebrated his 80th birthday in 2018. Drawing from a wide range of contributors, including writers, critics, publisher

Wonderfully-crafted and provocatively-titled essays engage genres of oral and written literature and film. Helen Nabasuta Mugambi and Tuzyline Jita Allan combine their formidable experience in resear