Dear All,
The Executive Committee of the ALA wishes to share the news that Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, one of the most prominent African writers has departed the world of the living. His creative writing, scholarship, and social activism has impacted many in the ALA family and around the world. While his early work was passionately invested in the idea of decolonizing the mind and moving centers, his articulation of globalectics comes in handy in this moment of his transition. Both here and there, those impacted by his work join from equidistant places on the globe to pay homage to Ngũgĩ. As he wished, “rĩaratha na rĩathũa, tũrĩ aira” (whether at sunrise or sunset, we are witnesses). He may not have been thinking about himself, but we are witnesses that even though the sun has set on Ngũgĩ, it shone bright. As we celebrate his life, let us carry his guiding light higher. There will be a celebration of Ngũgĩ’s life and works at our annual conference in June. More announcements to follow.
Gĩchingiri Ndĩgĩrĩgĩ
President, African Literature Association.