UH to Host Leading Kenyan Author, Activist Ngugi wa Thiong'o November 11 & 12

Ngugi wa Thiong'o, one of the world's most celebrated authors, as well as one of its most outspoken literary and social justice activists, will speak on the University of Houston (UH) campus November 11 and 12. Both events are free and open to the public and will be held in the Honors College Commons (second floor of UH's M.D. Anderson Library).

"The past two years, Ngugi wa Thiong'o has been mentioned as a strong contender for the Nobel Prize for Literature," said Hosam Aboul-Ela, an expert in postcolonial literature and associate professor of English at UH. "We are excited to bring him to Houston because he is probably the most prominent living writer from the African subcontinent. He has made very important contributions in multiple genres, especially his novels, essays and plays."

Ngugi wa Thiong'o will participate in a discussion at 4 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 11 moderated by Aboul-Ela.

At 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 12, Ngugi wa Thiong'o will read from his works as part of the Poetry and Prose Series with Peter Kimani, a Ph.D. candidate in UH's Creative Writing Program and former columnist and senior editor in Kenya's national press.

A Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Irvine, Ngugi wa Thiong'o has been awarded numerous awards and honorary degrees from around the globe. He started his writing career around the time Kenya gained its independence from Britain in 1963. His first novel was published in 1964, making it the first novel in English to be published by an East African writer.

His novels include: "A Grain of Wheat," "Petals of Blood" and "Wizard of the Crow." His memoirs and autobiographies include, "Detained: A Writer's Prison Diary, Dreams in a Time of War" and "In the House of the Interpreter" - a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

His visit is hosted by the Department of English, History and Modern Classical Languages and funded by the Martha Gano Houston Endowment and the El Paso Corporation Lecture Series.

What:
Nobel Prize Nominee and Kenyan Author Ngugi wa Thiong'o
Talk and a Discussion, moderated by UH associate professor of English Hosam Aboul-Ela
4 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 11
A reception will follow the event.

Poetry and Prose Series Presenting Ngugi wa Thiong'o and reading with Peter Kimani, a Ph.D. candidate in UH's Creative Writing Program and former columnist and senior editor in Kenya's national press.
5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 12
Free and open to the public.

Where:
Both events will be in UH's Honors College Commons on the second floor of the M.D. Anderson Library.
Public parking is available in the UH Welcome Center Garage.
Entrance 1 off Calhoun Road
University of Houston
4800 Calhoun Road
Houston, Texas 77204

Who:
Department of English, History and Modern Classical Languages and funded by the Martha Gano Houston Endowment and the El Paso Corporation Lecture Series

About the University of Houston
The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized by The Princeton Review as one of the nation's best colleges for undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's fourth-largest city, UH serves more than 40,900 students in the most ethnically and culturally diverse region in the country.

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