Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʼo

Quotes

• “Our fathers fought bravely. But do you know the biggest weapon unleashed by the enemy against them? It was not the Maxim gun. It was division among them. Why? Because a people united in faith are stronger than the bomb.”

• “As long as he did not know the truth, he could interpret the story in the only way that gave him hope: the coming of black rule would not mean, could never mean the end of white power.”

• “A big lump blocked Mugo’s throat. Something heaved forth; he trembled; he was at the bottom of the pool, but up there, above the pool, ran the earth; life, struggle, even amidst pain and blood and poverty, seemed beautiful; only for a moment; how dared he believe in such a vision, an illusion?”

• “Stories, like food, lose their flavor if cooked in a hurry.”

• “It's terrible when the old have to bury the young. But it is more terrible when neither the old nor the young are there to bury each other.”

Books by Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʼo in order

Books by Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʼo in the order they were published, from Weep Not, Child (1964) to The Upright Revolution (2019).

1. 1Weep Not, ChildWeep Not, Child1964
2. 2The River BetweenThe River Between1965
3. 3A Grain of WheatA Grain of Wheat1967
4. 4The Black HermitThe Black Hermit1968
5. 5This Time TomorrowThis Time Tomorrow1970
6. 6Secret Lives and Other StoriesSecret Lives and Other Stories1975
7. 7The Trial of Dedan KimathiThe Trial of Dedan Kimathi1976
8. 8I Will Marry When I WantI Will Marry When I Want1977
9. 9Petals of BloodPetals of Blood1977
10. 10Devil on the CrossDevil on the Cross1980
11. 11Writers in PoliticsWriters in Politics1981
12. 12Njamba Nene and the Flying BusNjamba Nene and the Flying Bus1982
13. 13Barrel of a PenBarrel of a Pen1983
14. 14Njamba Nene's PistolNjamba Nene's Pistol1984
15. 15Decolonising the MindDecolonising the Mind1986
16. 16MatigariMatigari1986
17. 17Wizard of the CrowWizard of the Crow2006
18. 18Dreams in a Time of WarDreams in a Time of War2010
19. 19In the House of the InterpreterIn the House of the Interpreter2012
20. 20Birth of a Dream WeaverBirth of a Dream Weaver2016
21. 21Secure the BaseSecure the Base2016
22. 22Perfect NinePerfect Nine2018
23. 23Wrestling with the DevilWrestling with the Devil2018
24. 24The Upright RevolutionThe Upright Revolution2019