WRITER

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o

1938 - 2025

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Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (Gikuyu: [ᵑɡoɣe wá ðiɔŋɔ]; born James Ngugi; 5 January 1938 – 28 May 2025) was a Kenyan author and academic, who has been described as East Africa's leading novelist and an important figure in modern African literature. Ngũgĩ wrote primarily in English before switching to writing primarily in Gikuyu and becoming a strong advocate for literature written in native African languages. His works include novels such as the celebrated novel The River Between, plays, short stories, memoirs, children's literature and essays ranging from literary to social criticism. He was the founder and editor of the Gikuyu-language journal Mũtĩiri. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o is the 1,400th most popular writer (up from 2,175th in 2019), the 6th most popular biography from Kenya (up from 8th in 2019) and the most popular Kenyan Writer.

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Among WRITERS

Among writers, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o ranks 1,400 out of 7,302. Before him are Semonides of Amorgos, Wilhelm Weitling, P. D. James, E. L. James, Mavro Orbini, and Bulat Okudzhava. After him are Elsa Triolet, Ko Un, Rosika Schwimmer, James Baldwin, Cees Nooteboom, and Roland Topor.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1938, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o ranks 107. Before him are Manuel Santana, Connie Francis, Nabih Berri, Juliet Anderson, Ben E. King, and Ann Jones. After him are Ed Lauter, Roland Topor, Nino Benvenuti, Phil Knight, Ian Stewart, and Milan Galić. Among people deceased in 2025, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o ranks 74. Before him are James Foley, Stanley Fischer, Friðrik Ólafsson, Hossein Salami, Zurab Tsereteli, and Felix Baumgartner. After him are Nino Benvenuti, Souleymane Cissé, Vlastimil Hort, Greg Bell, Eugen Doga, and Lea Massari.

Others Born in 1938

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In Kenya

Among people born in Kenya, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o ranks 6 out of 150. Before him are Wangari Maathai (1940), Richard Dawkins (1941), Barack Obama Sr. (1936), Jomo Kenyatta (1893), and Louis Leakey (1903). After him are Daniel arap Moi (1924), Roger Whittaker (1936), Mwai Kibaki (1931), Richard Leakey (1944), John Njue (1944), and Kipchoge Keino (1940).

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Among WRITERS In Kenya

Among writers born in Kenya, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o ranks 1. After him are Philippa Gregory (1954), Grace Ogot (1930), and Binyavanga Wainaina (1971).

Kenyan born Writers

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