Writers in Politics: A Re-engagement with Issues of Literature and Society (Studies in African Literature)

Writers in Politics: A Re-engagement with Issues of Literature and Society (Studies in African Literature)

This book reflects many of the concerns found in Decolonising the Mind and Moving the Centre . Ngugi has put together a new collection under an old title, rewriting most of the pieces that appeared in the original 1981 edition, and adding completely new essays, such as 'Freedom of Expression', written for the campaign to try to save Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Niger Delta activists and writers from execution in Nigeria. Kenya: EAEP The overall impression is that Ngugi has retained the substance and thrust of the earlier text, strengthened the focus and structure of his arguments and made some attempt to recast the polemical bluntness of the first edition. Although, of course, both editions are valuable as explicit markers in the process of Ngugi's developing reformist views, the revised edition, extending and reflecting on its prototype, is unequivocally the better book.- -- Diane Schwerdt ― AFSAAP ... from the 1970s on, Ngugi's commitment has never faltered, and his involvement has only become more outspoken and uncompromising, and one function of the re-edition is to bring earlier material more in line with the developments in his political stance since the appearance of the original in 1981. - -- Patrick Williams ― JOURNAL OF MODERN AFRICAN STUDIES Used Book in Good Condition