Fighting for a language of one’s own

NGUGI WA THIONG’O AND HIS SELF-TRANSLATION INTO GIKUYU

by Sara Amorosini

This article analyses the twofold relationship of Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong’o (Limuru, 1938) with the practice of translation, which sees him both in the role of translated author (specifically into Italian) and of translator himself (of his own books, from Gikuyu into English). Finally, a third perspective is added by the English translation of Matigari (1989), the only novel translated into English by Kenyan writer and translator Wangui wa Goro.