Mukoma Wa Ngugi
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    • The Rise of the African Novel
    • Logotherapy
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    • Nairobi Heat
    • Hurling Words at Consciousness
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"As an African and a Black person, I feel that I have a duty to love all the places I call home. Love need not always be pleasant—it can be demanding, defensive, angry and wrong. But it always wants to build, not destroy."

NOVELIST.  POET.  ACTIVIST. SCHOLAR.

Mukoma Wa Ngugi is an Associate Professor of English at Cornell University and the author of The Rise of the African Novel: Politics of Language, Identity and Ownership, the novels Mrs. Shaw, Black Star Nairobi, Nairobi Heat, and two books of poetry, Logotherapy and Hurling Words at Consciousness. He is the co-founder of the Mabati-Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature and co-director of the Global South Project - Cornell.
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BLACK STAR NAIROBI

“Ngugi’s ability to weave a complex narrative, which connects crime and racial tensions in the US to an in-depth knowledge of Kenya and its nuances, to Rwanda and its genocide past within this African crime thriller, is nothing but the work of a genius craftsman and wordsmith.”
--New African Magazine

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NAIROBI HEAT

"Nairobi Heat takes us to Kenya with a refreshing authority... Besides the usual fun and thrill of crime novels, what makes the book a delicious read is that it’s also packed with engaged and relevant social commentary." 
--
The 
New York Times

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MRS. SHAW

“Mukoma Wa Ngugi is a deft, poised storyteller who has mastered the art of sweeping up the reader. From the first page of Mrs. Shaw I found myself hooked, in awe, riveted. Here's a sad, gripping and highly entertaining romp of a novel.”
--
Okey Ndibe, author of Foreign Gods, Inc. and Arrows of Rain

                 


video

Mukoma Wa Ngugi reads from his work and discusses contemporary African literature at the Library of Congress, part of the series of Conversations with African Poets and Writers.


upcoming events

Berlin International Literature Festival
5 September 2018
 
Kaduna Book Festival, Nigeria
7–8 September 2018
 
In Conversation with Andy Zee, Revolution Books
14 September 2018
 
Ake Arts Festival, Lagos, Nigeria
24–28 October 2018

reviews

Read NoViolet Bulawayo's review of crime fiction novel Nairobi Heat in The New York Times.
Mukoma reviews Africa39 in the Los Angeles Review of Books

radio & television

Watch Jeff Koinange's (KTN) interview with Ngugi wa Thiong'o and Mukoma wa Ngugi, part 2
Watch Jeff Koinange's (KTN) interview with Ngugi wa Thiong'o and Mukoma wa Ngugi, part 3
Watch The Trend (NTV Kenya): Ngugi wa Thiong'o and the first family of literature
Listen to Mukoma's interview on National Public Radio about his latest crime fiction Black Star Nairobi.
Watch BBC interview with Mukoma and Ngugi wa Thiong'o
Watch video from a book reading by Mukoma and NoViolet Bulawayo at Cornell University

           © Mukoma Wa Ngugi, 2018. All rights reserved.