Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong’o wins top German Peace prize.
University of California at Irvine, Professor Ngugi Wa Thiong’o’, his fans and followers have every reason to celebrate after the renown author was feted for his outstanding work. Tambua.africa has learnt the distinguished professor who teaches comparative literature and English was awarded the 2019 Erich Maria Remarque Peace Prize.
The professor was honored with the award for his book Decolonizing the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature. Announcing the fete, the jury said Ngugi understands communication among the different languages as a peace-building element and has been using it well.
The collection of essays in the prolific author’s book is one of his best-known and most-cited publications which advocate for linguistic decolonization. He has been writing in his native Gikuyu language and then translating his text into English.
Ngugi’s fete may have been announced but the award will be presented on November 29, 2019, at a ceremony in Osnabruck, Germany which is the birthplace of revered novelist Erich Maria Remarque, the author of All Quiet on the Western Front.
