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For me, being in prison writing in an African language was a way of saying: “Even if you put me in prison, I will keep on writing in the language which made you put me in prison.”

Ngugi wa Thiong'o

They want to be the ones telling people: “This is what we have done in history” but when people begin to say, “No this is what we have done in history” it’s a different thing.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Begin Different Done History One People Say Tell Thing
Any writer likes to be near the area which is the location of his work.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Area Like Location Work Writer
Many people do not know that Jesus did not speak Latin or English or Hebrew; he spoke Aramaic. But nobody knows that language.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Jesus Know Language Many People Speak
So what I thought was just an African problem or issue is actually a global phenomenon about relationships of power between languages and cultures.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Country Culture Global Language Power Problem
The same questions are there in Native American languages, they’re there in native Canadian languages, they’re there is some marginalized European languages, like say, Irish.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Country Culture Language Phenomenon Power Problem Relationship
If poverty was to be sold three cents today, i can’t buy it.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Buy Cent Poverty Sold Three Today
How did we arrive at this, that the best leader is the one that knows how to beg for a share of what he has already given away at the price of a broken tool? Where is the future of Africa?
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Arrive Away Best Broken Future Known Leader Price
The Bible affects everybody’s life who is a Christian, from the middle class in Europe to the peasant in Africa and Asia.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Asia Bible Christian Claas Country Effect Everybody Middle Peasant
I’m writing for those people in Kenya, but in Irvine and in New York.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Country Irvine People People Person Write
We think of politics in terms of power and who has the power. Politics is the end to which that power is put.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

End Politic Power Put Term Think
I was wondering why I was put in prison for working in an African language when I had not been put in prison for working in English. So really, in prison I started thinking more seriously about the relation between language and power.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Country English Language Periostin Power Serious Wonder Work
So we’re talking about the Bible itself being a translation of a translation of a translation. And, in reality, it has affected people’s lives in history.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Affect Being Bible History Itself Live Reality Talk Translation
The Pan-Africanism that envisaged the ideal of wholeness was gradually cut down to the size of a continent, then a nation, a region, an ethnos, a clan, and even a village in some instances But Pan-Africanism has not outlived its mission.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Continent Country Down Envisaged Gradually Ideal Nation Pan Problem Region Similar Size Wholeness
In terms of language, English is very dominant vis-Ã-vis African language. That in itself is a power relationship – between languages and communities – because the English language is a determinant of the ladder to achievement.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Country Dominant English Gradually Language Term
How could Europe lord it over a continent ten times its size? Why does needy Africa continue to let its wealth meet the needs of those outside its borders and then follow behind with hands outstretched for a loan of the very wealth it let go?
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Birder Continent Country Hand Need Outside Outstretched Over Size Time Wealth
There is no way we can survive as a nation in the world without finding unity.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Find Nation Nom Way Survive Unity World

For me, being in prison writing in an African language was a way of saying: “Even if you put me in prison, I will keep on writing in the language which made you put me in prison.”

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For me, being in prison writing in an African language was a way of saying: “Even if you put me in prison, I will keep on writing in the language which made you put me in prison.”

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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