Wanjikũ wa Ngũgĩ (born 1970s) is a Kenyan writer, who has lived and worked in Eritrea, Zimbabwe and Finland. She is the founder and former director of the Helsinki African Film Festival (HAFF).[1] Also a political analyst, she is a member of the editorial board of Matatu: Journal for African Literature and Culture and Society, and has been a columnist for the Finnish development magazine Maailman Kuvalehti. Among journals and newspapers in which her work has appeared are The Herald (Zimbabwe), The Daily Nation, Business Daily, Pambazuka News and Chimurenga.[2] She is the author of a novel published in 2014 and a contributor to anthologies including New Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Writing by Women of African Descent (2019, edited by Margaret Busby), Nairobi Noir (2020, edited by Peter Kimani).[3]
Wanjikũ wa Ngũgĩ | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1970s Kenya |
| Alma mater | New York University; University of Houston |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Father | Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o |
| Relatives | Mũkoma wa Ngũgĩ (brother) |
| Website | www |
Biography
editWanjikũ wa Ngũgĩ was born in Kenya into a family of writers that includes her father, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, and her brother Mũkoma wa Ngũgĩ.[2] She studied for a BA in political science and sociology at New York University[4][5] and holds an MFA from the University of Houston.[6] She later worked as an editor for the American publishing house Africa World Press, and has served in other editorial positions, such as on the editorial board of the journal Matatu.[7]
After completing her studies she spent time in Eritrea, before moving to Zimbabwe, where she lived for five years and worked as an editor as well as production manager,[8] also travelling during these years to different African countries, including South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania, and Mozambique.[9] In 2007, she and her Finnish partner moved to Helsinki, where she founded the Helsinki African Film Festival (HAFF).[6]
Wanjikũ has written plays and short stories,[10] and her first novel, The Fall of Saints, was published by Atria Books in 2014.[11] Her short story "Hundred Acres of Marshland" featured in 2019's New Daughters of Africa,[12] edited by Margaret Busby, and she was also a contributor to Nairobi Noir, edited by Peter Kimani (2020).[13] Among other publications in which her short stories and essays have appeared are Houston Noir, The Barelife Review, St. Petersburg Review, Wasafiri, Auburn Avenue, Cunning Folk Magazine, and Chimurenga.[6][12]
Wanjikũ's second novel, Seasons in Hippoland, was published by Seagull Press in 2021,[7][14] characterised by one reviewer as a "dreamlike coming-of-age novel ... about the power of storytelling".[15]
Writings
editBooks
edit- The Fall of Saints, Atria Books, 2014. ISBN 9781476714936[16]
- Seasons of Hippoland, Seagull Press, 2021. ISBN 9780857428943[17]
References
edit- ^ Shepperd, Joye (29 May 2015). "An Interview with Wanjiku wa Ngugi". Washington Independent Review of Books. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- ^ a b "5 Things You Didn't Know About Author Wanjiku Wa Ngugi". KenyanVibe. 8 December 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- ^ "News". Wanjiku wa Ngugi. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- ^ "Wanjiku Wa Ngugi". SixDegrees. 3 April 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- ^ Kimani, Peter; Kiundu Waweru (6 June 2015). "Return of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o with his writing children". The Standard. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- ^ a b c "About". Wanjiku wa Ngugi. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- ^ a b Edoro, Ainehi (15 April 2021). "Wanjikũ Wa Ngũgĩ's New Book is Titled Seasons of Hippoland". Brittle Paper. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ^ "Wanjiku Wa Ngugi". Six Degrees. 23 April 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ^ Adero, Malaika (5 July 2014). "Writing & Life: A New Chapter Begins with the Fall of Saints". Home Slice. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ^ "Wanjiku wa Ngugi puts together what she sees and smells". Business Daily. 18 September 2014.
- ^ The Fall of Saints. Simon & Schuster. 25 February 2014. ISBN 9781476714936.
- ^ a b "Wanjikũ wa Ngũgĩ". Seagull Books. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ^ Chepkwony, Michael (2020). "In dad's footsteps: Ngugi, daughter star in anthology". The Standard. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ^ Wanjikũ wa Ngũgĩ (24 November 2021). "Excerpt: Seasons in Hippoland". Literary Hub. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ^ Rabe, Kristen (September–October 2021). "Seasons in Hippoland". Foreword Reviews. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ^ Ngugi, Wanjiku wa (25 February 2014). The Fall of Saints. Simon & Schuster |. ISBN 9781476714936. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
- ^ "Seasons in Hippoland". University of Chicago Press | Books. Retrieved 16 April 2021.