Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o was born in Kamiriithu, Kenya on January 5th, 1938 and passed away at the age of 87 on May 28th, 2025.

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Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o Stats: The most read book by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o on Book Notification is A Grain of Wheat, a Standalone novel. The second most read book is Decolonising the Mind, a Non-Fiction book.

Below is a complete list of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o books in publication and chronological order, broken down by series.

List of Adventures of Njamba Nene Books in Publication Order

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
Njamba Nene and the flying bus
1986
Go
2
Njama Nene's Pistol
1986
Go

List of Memoirs in Publication Order

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
Dreams in a Time of War
2005
Go
2
In the House of the Interpreter
2012
Go
3
Birth of a Dream Weaver
2016
Go

List of Standalone Novels in Publication Order

Ranked by popularity, the top standalone books are A Grain of Wheat, Wizard of the Crow, and Weep Not, Child.

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
Weep Not, Child
1964
Go
2
The River Between
1965
Go
3
10
A Grain of Wheat
1967
Go
4
Petals of Blood
1977
Go
5
Devil on the Cross
1980
Go
6
Matigari
1986
Go
7
Wizard of the Crow
2004
Go
8
The Perfect Nine
2018
Go

List of Short Stories/Novellas in Publication Order

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
The Upright Revolution
2016
Go

List of Plays in Publication Order

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
The Black Hermit
1968
Go
2
The Trial of Dedan Kimathi
1976
Go
3
5
I Will Marry When I Want
1982
Go

List of Collections in Publication Order

Ranked by popularity, the top collections are This Time Tomorrow, Minutes of Glory and Other Stories, and Secret Lives and Other Stories.

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
Secret Lives and Other Stories
1975
Go
2
This Time Tomorrow
1977
Go
3
To Stir the Heart: Four African Stories
2007
Go
4
Minutes of Glory and Other Stories
2019
Go

List of Non-Fiction Books in Publication Order

Ranked by popularity, the top non-fiction books are Decolonising the Mind, Something Torn and New, and Globalectics.

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
Homecoming
1972
Go
2
Detained
1981
Go
3
10
Decolonising the Mind
1981
Go
4
Writers in Politics
1981
Go
5
Barrel of a Pen
1983
Go
6
Writing Against Neocolonialism
1986
Go
7
Moving the Centre
1993
Go
8
Ngugi Wa Thiong'o Speaks
2005
Go
9
Something Torn and New
2009
Go
10
Globalectics
2012
Go
11
In the Name of the Mother
2013
Go
12
Secure the Base
2015
Go
13
Wrestling with the Devil: A Prison Memoir
2018
Go
14
Mau Mau From Within: The Story of the Kenya Land and Freedom Army (With: Micere Githae Mugo, Karari Njama, Donald L Barnett, Gitu wa Kahengeri, Kamoji Wachiira)
2021
Go
15
The Language of Languages
2022
Go
16
Decolonizing Language and Other Revolutionary Ideas
2025
Go

List of Africa List Books in Publication Order

An exploration of African identity, history, and culture through fiction and essays.

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
As Long As Trees Take Root in the Earth (By: Alain Mabanckou)
2007
Go
2
Black Diamond (By: Zakes Mda)
2009
Go
3
Passage of Tears (By: Abdourahman A. Waberi)
2009
Go
4
Rachel's Blue (By: Zakes Mda)
2013
Go
5
Naming the Dawn (By: Abdourahman A. Waberi)
2019
Go
6
Modern Sovereign (By: Joseph Tonda)
2020
Go
7
Of Morsels and Marvels (By: Maryse Condé)
2020
Go
8
A Land Like You (By: Tobie Nathan)
2020
Go
9
What Is Africa to Me? (By: Maryse Condé)
2021
Go
10
Seasons in Hippoland (By: Wanjiku wa Ngũgĩ)
2021
Go
11
Culture and Liberation (By: Alex la Guma)
2022
Go
12
The Journey of a Caribbean Writer (By: Maryse Condé)
2022
Go
13
The Language of Languages
2022
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Show All Books in this Series

List of Clarendon Lectures in English Books in Publication Order

Ranked by popularity, the top Clarendon Lectures in English books are Fantastic Metamorphoses, Other Worlds: Ways of Telling the Self, Forensic Shakespeare, and Strange Country.

ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
Strange Country (By: Seamus Deane)
1990
Go
2
States of Fantasy (By: Jacqueline Rose)
1996
Go
3
Penpoints, Gunpoints, and Dreams
1998
Go
4
Fantastic Metamorphoses, Other Worlds: Ways of Telling the Self (By: Marina Warner)
2002
Go
5
Yeats and Violence (By: Michael Wood)
2010
Go
6
Under the Hammer (By: James Simpson)
2010
Go
7
Forensic Shakespeare (By: Quentin Skinner)
2014
Go
8
Psyche and Ethos (By: Amanda Anderson)
2018
Go
9
Street Songs (By: Daniel Karlin)
2018
Go
10
Poetics of the Pillory (By: Tom Keymer)
2019
Go
11
The Trouble with Literature (By: Victoria Kahn)
2020
Go
12
Messing About in Boats (By: Michael Hofmann)
2021
Go
13
Bibliophobia (By: Brian Cummings)
2022
Go
Show All Books in this Series

List of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o Anthologies in Publication Order

#ReadTitle Avg.YearBook Link
1
Four Continents
2008
Go
2
Gods and Soldiers
2009
Go
Show All Anthologies
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Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o was born on January 5th, 1938. Ngũgĩ passed away May 28th, 2025 at 87 years old. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o was born in Kamiriithu, Kenya. Thiong’o attended Makerere University College where he received a B.A. in English and.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o has written 16 Non-Fiction Books. The first was released in 1972 with the book Homecoming. The most recently released was Decolonizing Language and Other Revolutionary Ideas which was released in 2025.

Ng?g? held honourary doctorates from Albright College, Roskilde University, University of Leeds, Walter Sisulu University, CSU Dominguez Hills, Dillard University, University of Auckland, New York University, University of Dar es Saalam, University of Bayreuth, and Yale University.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o: Awards & Accolades

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o was nominated for the International Booker Prize, Outstanding Achievement in Fiction, in 2009.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o: Lists & Other Mentions

  • Decolonising the Mind: Book Riot: 25 of the Best Nonfiction Books of All Time Selection in 2022.
  • A Grain of Wheat: BBC: Big Jubilee Read Selection in 2022.

Related Authors

Fans of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o also enjoy these authors:

  1. Stephen King, author of The Dark Tower Series.
  2. Isabel Allende, author of: The House of the Spirits.
  3. Olga Tokarczuk, author of: Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead.
  4. Mikhail Bulgakov, author of: The Master and Margarita.
  5. Ken Follett, author of the Kingsbridge Series.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o: F.A.Q

When was Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o Born?

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o was born on January 5th, 1938.

When did Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o die?

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o died on May 28th, 2025 at 87 years old.

Where was Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o Born?

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o was born in Kamiriithu, Kenya.

What was the first book Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o wrote?

The first book written by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o was Weep Not, Child, published in 1964.

What was the most recent book Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o wrote?

His most recently released work was Decolonizing Language and Other Revolutionary Ideas on May 6th, 2025.

What is the most popular book by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o?

Based on the number of readers on Book Notification, the most popular Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o book is A Grain of Wheat. Here are his most popular books and their average ratings:
  1. A Grain of Wheat (10.00)
  2. Decolonising the Mind (10.00)
  3. I Will Marry When I Want (5.00)

How many books has Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o written?

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o has written 38 books across 10 series and categories, excluding contributions to anthologies.
  • 2 books in the Adventures of Njamba Nene Series
  • 3 books in the Memoirs Series
  • 8 Standalone Novels
  • 1 Short Stories/Novella
  • 3 Plays
  • 4 Collections
  • 16 Non-Fiction Books
  • 1 book in the Africa List Series
  • 1 book in the Clarendon Lectures in English Series

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