The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Indigenous Language Media in Africa (ILMA) research niche area will be hosting renowned Kenyan author and scholar, Prof Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, who will deliver a public lecture on 15 August 2024.

During the lecture, titled "The Joycean Paradox revisited: Language empires and literary identity theft", Prof Wa Thiong’o will explore themes related to linguistic imperialism and the impact of colonial languages on literary identity.

Prof Wa Thiong’o is a distinguished professor of English and comparative literature at the University of California, Irvine, and is celebrated for his extensive contributions to literature and his advocacy for African languages. His works, which include critically acclaimed novels such as Weep Not, Child, A Grain of Wheat, and Petals of Blood, have been translated into more than 30 languages, highlighting his global influence.

The topic of his lecture is particularly relevant - given his own transition from writing in English to his native Gikuyu, a decision he made while imprisoned by the Kenyan government in 1977. His insights are expected to spark significant discourse on the preservation and promotion of indigenous languages in literature.

Prof Abiodun Salawu, director of the ILMA research niche area says they are honoured to be hosting this lecture.

“Prof Wa Thiong’o’s ideology of doing his creative works in African languages, Gikuyu in particular, is an inspiration for what we do in ILMA. While our interest is in media in African languages, his is in literature in African languages.

“However, both the media and literature are forms of expression. What is important to both Prof Wa Thiong’o and us is the expression in African languages as a form of resistance to coloniality, and as a way of connecting with the vast majority of our people whose daily expressions are in their local languages,” says Prof Salawu.

He adds that this lecture will be a landmark event for ILMA, offering profound reflections on the intersection of language, power and identity in the postcolonial literary landscape.

The public lecture will start at 15:00 South African time (GMT+2) on Thursday, 15 August and is open to the public. Interested attendees can join in person at the multi-functional boardroom on the Mahikeng Campus or virtually via Microsoft Teams.

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