# Mukoma Wa Ngugi

**Source**: https://africana.cornell.edu/mukoma-wa-ngugi
**Parent**: https://africana.cornell.edu/graduate-field-faculty

## Professor

### Overview

Mukoma Wa Ngugi is Associate Professor of Literatures in English at Cornell University and the author of [*The Rise of the African Novel: Politics of Language, Identity and Ownership*](https://www.amazon.com/Rise-African-Novel-Ownership-Perspectives/dp/047205368X), the novels [*Mrs. Shaw,*](http://www.mukomawangugi.com/mrs-shaw.html) [*Black Star Nairobi*](http://www.amazon.com/Black-Nairobi-Melville-International-Crime/dp/1612192106), [*Nairobi Heat*](http://www.amazon.com/Nairobi-Heat-Melville-International-Crime/dp/1935554646), and two books of poetry, [*Logotherapy*](https://www.amazon.com/Logotherapy-African-Poetry-Mukoma-Ngugi/dp/0803290675) and [*Hurling Words at Consciousness*](http://www.amazon.com/Hurling-Words-Consciousness-Mukoma-Ngugi/dp/1592214630).*[Unbury Our Dead With Song](https://cassavarepublic.biz/product/unbury-our-dead-with-song/?v=7516fd43adaa),* a novel about competing Tizita musicians, was released from Cassava Republic Press in May of 2021.

Some of his works have been translated into German, Turkish, and French.  A member of the African Literature Association’s Executive Council, he is the co-founder of the [Mabati-Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature](http://kiswahiliprize.cornell.edu/). In 2013, *New African* magazine named him one of the 100 most Influential Africans. In 2015 he was a juror for the [Writivism Short Story Prize](http://writivism.com/) and the [Neustadt International Prize for Literature](http://neustadtprize.org/the-neustadt-prize/#.VK1egueNUUg). He co-edited with Prof. Laura Murphy, a Special Issue of New Orleans Review titled *The African Literary Hustle*. In 2016, he wrote an eight part play radio play, [*Drugs to Kill, Drug to Cure*](http://www.dw.com/en/drugs-to-cure-drugs-to-kill-ep-1-death-has-no-manners/av-18869806) for Deutsche Welle that was translated into Portuguese, Lingala, Kiswahili, Hausa and  French.

Mukoma holds a PhD in English from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, an MA in Creative Writing from Boston University and a BA in English and Political Science from Albright College. In 2009, he was shortlisted for the [Caine Prize for African Writing](http://www.caineprize.com/) and in 2010 for the Penguin Prize for African Writing for his novel manuscript, *The First and Second Books of Transition* (Mrs. Shaw). The German translation of *Nairobi Heat* was named the 2014 Crime Book of the Season by [Buchkultur](http://www.buchmarkt.de/content/59045-die-buchkultur-jury-hat-entschieden-bester-krimi-der-saison-2014-nairobi-heat-von-mukoma-wa-ngugi-.htm).

A former co-editor of[Pambazuka News](https://landportal.org/node/74640) and political columnist for the [BBC Focus on Africa Magazine,](http://www.bbc.co.uk/focusonafricamagazine/index.shtml) Mukoma's columns have also appeared in [*The Guardian*](http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/mukoma-wa-ngugi),[*International Herald Tribune*](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/25/opinion/25iht-ednug.3.14793755.html), Ebony.com, *Chimurenga*, *Los Angeles Times*, *South African Labour Bulletin*, *Africa is a Country,  Daily Nation,* and *Business Daily Africa.*He has been a guest on Democracy Now, NPR, Al Jazeera, Nation TV, and the BBC World Service among others.

### Research Focus

- African literature
- Post-colonial literature and theory
- African poetry
- African popular literature and film
- Women and resistance in African literature
- The black diaspora in Africa
- Translation and African literature

## In the news

- [Shortlist Announced for Mabati-Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature](/news/shortlist-announced-mabati-cornell-kiswahili-prize-african-literature)
- [From Kenya to Cornell, writer Mukoma ranges across genres](/news/kenya-cornell-writer-mukoma-ranges-across-genres)
- [Two win Mabati Cornell Kiswahili Prizes](/news/two-win-mabati-cornell-kiswahili-prizes-0)
- [The non-confrontational question that helps men become feminists](/news/non-confrontational-question-helps-men-become-feminists)
- [Mukoma explores African literacy tradition in new book](/news/mukoma-explores-african-literacy-tradition-new-book)

## Courses - Fall 2025

- [ASRC 4902 : Independent Study](https://classes.cornell.edu/browse/roster/FA25/class/ASRC/4902)

## Courses - Spring 2026

- [ASRC 3340 : Race, Class, Gender and Violence in the Enlightenment](https://classes.cornell.edu/browse/roster/SP26/class/ASRC/3340)
- [ASRC 4570 : Africa Writes Back: Colonizer and the Colonized](https://classes.cornell.edu/browse/roster/SP26/class/ASRC/4570)
- [ASRC 4903 : Independent Study](https://classes.cornell.edu/browse/roster/SP26/class/ASRC/4903)