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Moving the Centre: The Struggle for Cultural Freedoms » (1st Edition)

Book cover image of Moving the Centre: The Struggle for Cultural Freedoms by Ngugi wa Thiong'o

Authors: Ngugi wa Thiong'o
ISBN-13: 9780435080792, ISBN-10: 0435080792
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Heinemann
Date Published: January 1993
Edition: 1st Edition

Author Biography: Ngugi wa Thiong'o

Ngugi is world famous for his novels from Weep Not, Child to Matigari and the impact of his plays, especially in Gikuyu, which led to his detention in Kenya. He is now Professor of Comparative Literature and Performance Studies in New York University. This book reflects many of the concerns found in Decolonising the Mind and Moving the Centre.

Book Synopsis

Ngugi advocates a cultural shift to redress the last 400 years of domination by a handful of western nations.

	Acknowledgements
	Preface
I	Freeing Culture from Eurocentrism	1
1	Moving the Centre: Towards a Pluralism of Cultures	2
2	Creating Space for a Hundred Flowers to Bloom: The Wealth of a Common Global Culture	12
3	The Universality of Local Knowledge	25
4	Imperialism of Language: English, a Language for the World?	30
5	Cultural Dialogue for a New World	42
6	The Cultural Factor in the Neo-colonial Era	47
II	Freeing Culture from Colonial Legacies	59
7	The Writer in a Neo-colonial State	60
8	Resistance to Damnation: The Role of Intellectual Workers	76
9	The Role of the Scholar in the Development of African Literatures	82
10	Post-colonial Politics and Culture	88
11	In Moi's Kenya, History is Subversive	96
12	From the Corridors of Silence: The Exile Writes Back	102
13	Imperialism and Revolution: Movements for Social Change	109
III	Freeing Culture from Racism	115
14	The Ideology of Racism: War on Peace Within and Among Nations	116
15	Racism in Literature	126
16	Her Cook, her Dog: Karen Blixen's Africa	132
17	Biggles, Mau Mau and I	136
18	Black Power in Britain	142
19	Many Years Walk to Freedom: Welcome Home Mandela!	146
IV	Matigari, Dreams and Nightmares	153
20	Life, Literature and a Longing for Home	154
21	Matigari, and the Dreams of One East Africa	159
	Index	179