Head of Zeus

Select by ISBN

Select by other criteria

Cover Reveal Coming Soon

01 Oct 2023 * EBOOK * £7.99 * 9781803288802

In this collection of essays on African and Caribbean literature, culture, and politics, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o delivers a critique of colonialism and capitalism in postcolonial Africa.

Non Fiction / DNF (Language and Literary Studies)

Extent: 256 pages

Exclusive: GB CA AU NZ IN ZA SG US

Homecoming

by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, foreword by Ime Ikiddeh

In this collection of essays on African and Caribbean literature, culture, and politics, the critically acclaimed author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o delivers a stunning critique of colonialism and capitalism in postcolonial Africa.

'Nobody who has passed through the major cities of Europe and America, where capitalism is in full bloom, can ever wish the same fate on Africa.'

In these essays, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o eloquently interweaves a range of issues including religious oppression, consumerism, and independence with the powerful intellect and passion that has come to characterise his writing. These pieces are essential for readers wishing to uncover a critical perspective on African society and culture.

Homecoming is a ground-breaking account of influential African thinkers, intended to provoke and encourage thoughtful debate on how best to 'restore the creative glory of Africa and of all Africans' in the wake of postcolonialism.

Foreword written by Ime Ikiddeh.

'One of the greatest writers of our time.' Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
'A tremendous writer... It's hard to doubt the power of the written word when you hear the story of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o.' Guardian
'Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o is one of Africa's greatest writers.' New York Times

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o was born in Limuru, Kenya in 1938 and was educated at Makerere University College and the University of Leeds. He is world renowned for his novels, short stories, plays, and non-fiction. He wrote Homecoming while teaching at the University of Nairobi before being imprisoned by the Kenyan government in 1977 due to his work's strong political messages. Since then, he has been the recipient of over ten honourary doctorates and received numerous awards for his literary and non-fiction work. His novel, The Perfect Nine was longlisted for the 2021 International Booker Prize and he is a perennial favourite to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. Currently, he works as a Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Irvine. Find out more by visiting ngugiwathiongo.com

First published in 1972, Homecoming broadly discusses African and Carribean literature, culture, and politics.

Longlisted for the 2021 International Booker Prize for his novel, The Perfect Nine, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o was the first writer to be nominated as both an author and translator. The book, originally published in Gikuyu, was also the first longlisted work to be written in an indigenous African language.

Homecoming was Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o's first major publication under this name, and marks a defining shift in his career. Previously, he published under the name James Ngugi but, at this point, renounced English as the language of his nation's oppressors.

A greatly revered political thinker and writer, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o has been named 'one of the greatest writers of our time' by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and 'tremendous' by the Guardian.

MARKET: Chinua Achebe; Wole Soyinka; Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

'One of the greatest writers of our time' Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

'A tremendous writer... It's hard to doubt the power of the written word when you hear the story of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o' Guardian

'Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o is one of Africa's greatest writers' New York Times

FOR MORE INFORMATION

✆ +44 (0) 20 7253 5557

✉ digitalsales@headofzeus.com

headofzeus.com | @HoZ_Books | An Apollo Book