Ngugi wa Thiong`o is Africa’s most celebrated author, and is often discussed in connection with the Nobel Prize for literature. Thiong’o was first published in English, the language of the authorities, but then began writing in his mother tongue, Kikuyu, a decision that led to both imprisonment and corporal punishment. Since his debut in 1962, he has written more than 30 books in different genres and this spring he is making headlines in Norway with the Norwegian translation of The River Between (Elven som skiller).