Discover the Penguin books that shaped us

In the House of the Interpreter

A Memoir

During the early fifties, Kenya was a country in turmoil. While Ngugi enjoys scouting trips, chess tournaments and reading about Biggles at the prestigious Alliance School near Nairobi, things are changing at home. He arrives back for his first visit since starting school to find his house razed to the ground and the entire village moved up the road closer to a guard checkpoint. Later, his brother, Good Wallace, who fights for the rebels, is captured by the British and taken to a concentration camp. Finally, Ngugi himself comes into conflict with the forces of colonialism when he is victimised by a police officer on a bus journey and thrown in prison for six days. This fascinating memoir charts the development of a significant voice in international literature, as well as standing as a record of the struggles of a nation to free itself.

Growing up in Kenya in the 1950s, the future novelist went to an elite school run by a Briton just as the Mau Mau uprising swept his family into the revolt against colonial rule. This powerful memoir depicts a youth torn between these separate worlds

i

About Ngugi wa Thiong'o

Ngugi wa Thiong’o (1938-2025) was born in Limuru, Kenya, and went on to become one of the leading writers and scholars of our times. He authored numerous works of fiction, memoir and essay, including A Grain of Wheat, Devil on the Cross and Decolonizing the Mind. Ngugi was the Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Irvine; he held fourteen honorary doctorates, among other awards, and was nominated for the Man Booker International Prize.
Details
  • Imprint: Vintage
  • ISBN: 9780099572244
  • Length: 256 pages
  • Dimensions: 198mm x 19mm x 129mm
  • Weight: 223g
  • Price: £10.99
All editions

You might like...