Passing of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, African literary giant and UC Irvine Professor

We are sad to learn that the great Kenya author, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, passed away on 28 May 2025 at age 87. He was also Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literature, and the director of the International Center for Writing and Translation. We appreciate his dedication to championing local languages. At one point, he worked on such issues with Professor Emerita Patricia Hilden in Native American Studies at UC Berkeley, which is when I met him. Our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. 

A few of the various online tributes follow:

• Comparative Literature, UC Irvine
• Office of the Chancellor, UC Irvine
• "A tribute to the giant of African literature Ngugi wa Thiong'o." XN Iraki. 3 June 2025. The Standard
• "Gen Zs share tributes of late literary icon." Rayvon Kipng’eno, Mulki Ali and Akida Kassim. 2 June 2025, The Standard.
• "Residents of Kamirithu mourn the death of Ngugi Wa Thiong'o." 29 May 2025. KTN News Kenya.
• "Giant of African literature Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o dies aged 87," Wedaeli Chibelushi. 29 May 2025. BBC News.
• "Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Writer Who Condemned Colonists and Elites, Dies at 87." Alan Cowell. 2 June 2025. New York Times.
• "“I have come a long way, and I want to sleep”: Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o (5 January 1938-28 May 2025)." Ato Quayson. Stanford University, writing for Center for the Study of the Africa and the African Diaspora. New York University.