Meja Mwangi

Mwangi was born David Dominic Mwangi in Nanyuki, Kenya, and was educated at Nanyuki Secondary School, Kenyatta College, and briefly at the University of Leeds.He did not complete a full university degree at University of Leeds.{{cite web|url=https://literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/meja-mwangi|title=Meja Mwangi biography|access-date=26 October 2016}} He then worked for the French Broadcasting Corporation doing odd jobs and the British Council in Nairobi as Visual Aids Officer,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OgqgREKxjNoC&q=%22Meja+Mwangi%22|title=An H.E.B. Student's Guide Notes on Meja Mwangi's Kill Me Quick|last=Chakava|first=Henry|publisher=Heinemann Educational Books (East Africa) Ltd|location=Nairobi, Kenya|year=1976|access-date=24 October 2016}} before turning to writing full-time. He was Fellow in Writing at the University of Iowa (1975–76).

After a prolonged period on the Kenyan and African publishing scene, Mwangi moved to the US after gaining international recognition and winning several awards.{{cite web|url=http://www.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/weekend/Meja-Mwangi--the-reclusive-writer-with-a-mighty-pen/1220-2111002-jetitvz/index.html|title=Meja Mwangi, the reclusive writer with a mighty pen|last=Ciugu |first=Mwagiru|publisher=Nation Media Group|date=13 December 2013|access-date=24 October 2016}}

His best-known early work includes the novels Kill Me Quick (1973), Going Down River Road (1976), and The Cockroach Dance (1979), which illustrate the urban landscapes of Kenya, the struggle against poverty, and the AIDS epidemic.Dictionary of African Biography, via Oxford African American Studies Center database, accessed 13 March 2015.

• Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature for Kill Me Quick (1974 – English winner); The Last Plague (2001 – English winner); Boy Gift (2007 – English Youth third place); Big Chief (2009 – English Adult Fiction third place).
• Lotus Prize for Literature (1978) presented by the Afro-Asian Writers' Association (aka Association of Asian and African Writers){{cite book|last=Arana|first=R. Victoria|title=The Facts on File companion to world poetry: 1900 to the present|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lblcBR7uDoYC&pg=PA244|accessdate=25 November 2011|year=2008|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=978-0-8160-6457-1|page=244}}

• Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis (German Youth Literature Prize), for Kariuki und sein weißer Freund. Eine Erzählung aus Kenia (Little White Man (1990), title changed to The Mzungu Boy (1992))
• Le Prix Lire au College for Kariuki (1992)
• American Library Association (USA) Notable Children's Books Award for Older Readers, The Mzungu Boy (2006){{cite web|url=http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=archive&template=/contentmanagement/contentdisplay.cfm&ContentID=115431|title=2006 Notable Children's Books announced — Older Readers|publisher=The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)|date=6 February 2006 |access-date=26 October 2016}}

• Noma Award (Honourable mention), for Bread of Sorrow (1989)
• International Dublin Literary Award (Nomination), for The Last Plague (2002)

• {{cite book|title=Kill Me Quick|publisher= East African Ecucational Publishers|year=1973|title-link=Kill Me Quick}}{{cite book|url=http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth02D3O532712627281 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406092640/http://literature.britishcouncil.org/meja-mwangi |archive-date=6 April 2012 |series=Literature: Writers |title=Meja Mwangi |publisher=British Council |isbn=0-435-90143-5 |access-date=23 October 2016 |url-status=dead |date=5 November 1973 }}
• {{cite book|title=Carcase for Hounds|series=Peak Library|publisher=Heinemann Educational|isbn=0-435-90145-1|year=1974|title-link=Carcase for Hounds}} Adapted for the film "Cry Freedom".[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082218/?ref_=nv_sr_2?ref_=nv_sr_2]
• {{cite book|title=Taste of Death|series=Peak Library|publisher=East African Publishing House|location=Kenya|year=1975}}
• {{cite book|title=Going Down River Road|series=Peak Library|publisher=Heinemann|isbn=978-0435901769|year=1976|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/goingdownriverro0000mwan}}
• {{cite book|title=The Bushtrackers|isbn=0-582-78525-1|year=1979|last1=Mwangi|first1=Meja|publisher=Longman Drumbeat }}
• {{cite book|title=The Cockroach Dance|isbn=0-582-64276-0|year=1979|last1=Mwangi|first1=Meja|publisher=Longman }}
• {{cite book|title=Bread of Sorrow|year=1987}}
• {{cite book|title=The Return of Shaka|year=1989}}
• {{cite book|title=Weapon of Hunger|isbn=9966-49-813-3|year=1989|last1=Mwangi|first1=Meja|publisher=Longman Kenya }}
• {{cite book|title=Jimi the Dog|year=1990}}
• {{cite book|title=Striving for the Wind|series=Peak Library|publisher=Heinemann International Literature|isbn=978-0435909796|year=1992}}
• {{cite book|title=The Hunter's Dream|publisher=Macmillan Education|location=United Kingdom|isbn=978-0333580028|year=1994}}
• {{cite book|title=The Last Plague (Vitabu Vya Nyota Series, 2)|series=Peak Library|publisher=East African Educational Publisher|isbn= 978-9966250827|year=1997}}{{cite magazine|title=The 'Total/Real' Man and the 'Proper' Woman: 1 Safe sex, risk and gender in Meja Mwangi's The Last Plague|magazine=English Studies in Africa| last=Muriungi|first= Agnes |date=31 December 2001 }}
• {{cite book|title=Mountain of Bones|year=2001}}
• {{cite book|title=The Boy Gift|publisher=HM Books|isbn=978-1-84728-471-6|year=2006}}
• {{cite book|title=The Mzungu Boy|publisher=Groundwood Books|location=Canada|isbn=978-0888996640|year=2006|title-link=The Mzungu Boy}}
• {{cite book|title=Mama Dudu, the Insect Woman|isbn=978-1-84728-468-6|year=2007|last1=Mwangi|first1=Meja}}
• {{cite book|title=Baba Pesa|publisher=HM Books Intl|isbn=978-0-9796476-1-1|date=2007}}
• {{cite book|title=The Big Chiefs|isbn=978-0-9796476-3-5|year=2007|last1=Mwangi|first1=Meja}}
• {{cite book|title=Gun Runner|isbn=978-0-9796476-0-4|year=2007|last1=Mwangi|first1=Meja|publisher=HM Books Intl. }}
• {{cite book|title=Free?: Stories Celebrating Human Rights|publisher=Walker|year=2009|isbn= 978-1406318302}}
• {{cite book|title=Rafiki - Man Guitar|publisher=HM Books Intl|date=2013}}
• {{cite book|title=Christmas Without Tusker|publisher=HM Books|isbn=978-0-982012680|year=2015}}

• {{cite book|url=http://www.sudoc.fr/010950788|title=Carcaça para càès|trans-title=Carcase for Hounds|translator=Fernanda Tomé da Silva |location=Lisboa|publisher=Ediçoès 70|year=1980|language=pt}}
• {{cite book|title=Wie ein Aas für Hunde|trans-title=Carcase for Hounds|translator=Gunter Böhnke |publisher=Philipp Reclam|location=Leipzig|language=de|year= 1985}}
• {{cite book|title=Narben des Himmels|trans-title=Striving for the Wind|publisher= Peter Hammer Verlag|location=Wuppertal|isbn=978-3872944719|year=1992|language=de}}
• {{cite book|title=Kariuki (aventures avec le petit homme blanc)|trans-title=The Mzungu Boy|year=1992|language=fr}}{{cite book|url=http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb12032232q|title=Kariuki (aventures avec le petit homme blanc)|access-date=26 October 2016|year=1992|language=fr}}
• {{cite book|title=Mister Rivers letztes Solo|trans-title=Weapon of Hunger|publisher= Peter Hammer Verlag|location=Wuppertal|isbn=978-3872946409|year=1995|language=de}}
• {{cite book|title=Kariuki und sein weißer Freund|trans-title=The Mzungu Boy|isbn=978-3889773227|year=1995|language=de|last1=Mwangi|first1=Meja|publisher=Lamuv }}
• {{cite book|title=Die Achte Plage|trans-title=The Last Plague|translator= Susanne Koehler |language=de|isbn=978-3872947758|publisher=Peter Hammer Verlag|location=Wuppertal|year=1997}}
• {{cite book|url=http://www.sudoc.fr/056311842|title=La Ballade des perdus|trans-title=Kill Me Quick|translator= Françoise Balogun |publisher=Editions Dapper|isbn=978-2906067646|year=2001|language=fr}}
• {{cite book|title=Descente a River Road|trans-title=Going Down River Road|editor=Mwangi, Meja |translator=Jean-Baptiste Evette |location=Paris|publisher=Dapper |isbn=978-2906067813|year=2002|language=fr}}
• {{cite book|url=http://d-nb.info/977765806|title=Happy Valley|trans-title=The Boy Gift|translator= Thomas Brückner |publisher= Peter Hammer Verlag|location=Wuppertal|language=de|year=2006|isbn=9783779500513}}
• {{cite book|url=http://d-nb.info/983998752|title=Das Buschbaby|trans-title= Mama Dudu, the Insect Woman|translator= Thomas Brückner |publisher=Peter Hammer Verlag|location=Wuppertal|language=de|isbn=9783779501534|year=2007}}
• {{cite book|url=http://d-nb.info/991848535|title=Big Chiefs|trans-title= The Big Chiefs|translator= Thomas Brückner |publisher=Peter Hammer Verlag|location=Wuppertal|year=2009|language=de|isbn=9783779502319}}
• {{cite book|url=http://d-nb.info/1045222232|title=Rafiki|trans-title= Rafiki – Man Guitar|translator= Thomas Brückner |publisher=Peter Hammer Verlag|location=Wuppertal|year=2014|language=de|isbn=9783779504825}}
• {{cite book|url=http://d-nb.info/1070195936|title=Tanz der Kakerlaken|trans-title= The Cockroach Dance|translator= Jutta Himmelreich |publisher=Peter Hammer Verlag|location=Wuppertal|year= 2015|language=de|isbn=9783779505280}}
• {{cite book|title=Descente à River Road|isbn=978-2906067813|language=fr|year=2002|last1=Mwangi|first1=Meja|publisher=Dapper }}
• {{cite book|title=Nairobi, River Road|year=1982 |trans-title=Going Down River Road |publisher= Peter Hammer Verlag|location=Wuppertal|isbn=978-3872942012|language=de}}
• {{cite book|title=Die Wilderer|trans-title=The Bushtrackers|isbn=978-3293202184|language=de|year=2001|last1=Mwangi|first1=Meja|publisher=Unionsverl. }}

• {{cite book|title=Power|isbn=978-0-9796476-9-7|year=2009|publisher=HM Books }} (adaptation of The Big Chiefs – 2007)
• {{cite book|title=Blood Brothers|isbn=978-0-9820126-0-4|year=2009|last1=Mwangi|first1=Meja|publisher=HM Books Intl. }} (adaptation of Mama Dudu, the Insect Woman – 2007)

• {{cite AV media|title=Out of Africa|people=Assistant director|year=1985}}
• {{cite AV media|title=White Mischief|people=Second assistant director|year=1987}}
• {{cite AV media|title=The Kitchen Toto|people=Casting director|year=1988}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{official website|mejamwangi.com}}
• {{IMDb name | id=0616535 | name=Meja Mwangi}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mwangi, Meja}}

Category:1948 births

Category:Living people

Category:Kenyan writers

Category:International Writing Program alumni

Category:Kenyan screenwriters

Category:People from Laikipia County

Category:Alumni of the University of Leeds