Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o was born in Limuru, Kenya, in 1938. One of the leading African writers and scholars at work today, he is the author of many novels, short stories, essays, a memoir, and several plays. His novels include The River Between (1965) and Petals of Blood (1977). He received the prestigious Nonino International Prize for Literature in 2001. Currently he is distinguished professor in the School of Humanities and director of the International Center for Writing and Translation at the University of California, Irvine.