Last summer, we were thrilled to welcome to MIF19 Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, a visionary Kenyan novelist, playwright and activist whose works – including the unforgettable memoir Wrestling with the Devil (Vintage), covering the year he spent as a political prisoner in a maximum-security Nairobi jail – have been translated into more than 30 languages and won awards worldwide.

When he was in Manchester for the world premiere of MIF19’s Studio Créole, in which he was one of seven featured authors, Ngũgĩ joined acclaimed poet Lemn Sissay – himself the author of a gripping memoir, My Name Is Why – to discuss his life and his writing from both personal and political perspectives. Recorded at the Albert Hall in July 2019, their conversation was streamed online at 12.30pm on Thursday 23 April in our ongoing series of MIF Encounters.

Watch Here

Produced by Manchester International Festival.