Discussion with Ngugi wa Thiong’o on Language as Protest

Our guest is none other than Prof Ngugi wa Thiongo, Novelist, Theorist, Pioneering decolonial writer, and distinguished Professor of Literature at the University of California, Irvine. In today’s broadcast, Prof Ngugi and Dr Mwangi will be exploring Language as protest as well as other the future of Maendeleo in Africa, all in the context of the ever-encroaching globalisation. -Is decolonisation still relevant given the breaking of boundaries by technology? -What is the future of African(southern) languages in this future? -Because of rapid modernisation in some African states, some argue ‘old’ debates on decolonisation are no longer valid? -What is the state of ‘development’ in relation to the above/ Are we there yet in this Maendeleo journey? Curated by Dr Mwangi wa Wanjiru (University of Kent law school) and hosted by Firoze Manji of the Daraja Press, this is part of The Baobab Discourses, a series of Interviews, Talks, Lectures, and Art events engaging with the wider Global South realities. The series stems from the need to ‘democratise’ discourse and take it from the university to communities. Themes to be explored will include Decolonisation, International Order, Language, Art