This collection reflects on the life and work of Ngugi wa Thiong’o, who celebrated his 80th birthday in 2018. Drawing from a wide range of contributors, including writers, critics, publishers, and activists, the collection traces the emergence of Ngugi as a writer in the early 1960s, his contribution to the African culture of letters in the second half of the twentieth century, and his global artistic life in the twenty-first century. The texts published here are both personal and critical reflections on the different phases of the writer’s life. These are poems of praise from friends and admirers, commentaries from his co-workers in public theatre in Kenya in the 1970s and 1980s, from his political associates in the fight for democracy, on his roles as an intellectual of decolonization, and on his experiences in the global art world.

Wachanga introduces Ngugi wa Thiong'o at the Library of Congress during Jioni na Ngugi event. Wachanga's film on Ngugi was screened at the event.