US-Based Kenyan Author Ngugi wa Thiong’o Named 2019 Erich Maria Remarque Peace Prize Winner

US-based Kenyan author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o has been named the winner of this year’s Erich Maria Remarque Peace Prize. 

Ngugi won the prestigious award for his enlightening anti-colonial themes, use of traditional African narration, and his advocacy of preserving the mother tongue as a mark of identification.

“With Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, we are honoring a writer who is concerned with the self-determination of African cultures and with a detachment from colonial constraints. His attempt to create a dialogue about literature in spite of or precisely because of the various languages he speaks evokes understanding for the other continent and can thus contribute to peace."

"Also with regard to the avoidance of new colonialism, as it is strived for today e.g. by China. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o is an important representative of independence through language,” the jury said.

The prize named after world-famous writer Erich Maria Remarque is awarded every two years since 1991 in the city of Osnabrück, Germany.

This year's award ceremony will take place on November 29th, 2019 in Osnabrück. The winner will pocket €25,000 in prize money.