Ngugi wa Thiong’o wins S. Korean literary prize

Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Distinguished Professor of English and comparative literature, has been named the winner of the sixth Pak Kyong-ni Prize. South Korea’s first international literary award, it was established in 2011 to honor the achievements of the late South Korean novelist Pak Kyong-ni (1926-2008) and, with a cash prize of more than $90,000, is one of the richest literary prizes in the world. The Kenyan-born Thiong’o was recognized by the review committee for work that “distinctly reveals different angles of the lives of people undergoing the process of globalization.” The award ceremony will take place at the Toji Cultural Center in Wonju, Gangwon Province, on Oct. 22, during the Pak Kyong-ni Literature Festival.