Ngugi WA Thiong'o's Literary Works and the Modern Multilingual Approach

Abstract This paper examines Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s literary works through the lens of the Modern Multilingual Approach, emphasizing how his strategic engagement with language reshapes African literature, challenges colonial linguistic paradigms, and promotes decolonial cultural consciousness. By analyzing Ngugi’s early English-language novels, his radical turn to Gikuyu, and his broader theoretical writings, the study highlights how multilingualism functions as both an aesthetic and political tool. Ngugi’s commitment to African languages, combined with his innovative use of translation, code-switching, and orature, positions him as a foundational figure for contemporary multilingual literary theory, translingual studies, and linguistic decolonization.