On Wednesday, April 11, Ca’ Foscari International College’s students interviewed the Kenyan author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o.
As part of the “Waterlines: Residenze letterarie e artistiche a Venezia” initiative, the students of Ca’ Foscari International College – on the Island of San Servolo in Venice – had the opportunity to interview Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, one of the most influential novelists, essayist, playwrights, poets and activists in Africa.
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, born in Kenya in 1938 and imprisoned and exiled in the ‘70s because of his opposition to the regime, has always written his books in his mother tongue, Kikuyu, rather than English. Currently, he is a Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of California – Irvine.
“Waterlines” is a project by San Servolo srl, Ca’ Foscari International College and Fondazione di Venezia. It combines writing with other arts, with the aim of increasingly establishing Venice as a leading artistic and cultural centre in Italy.
The venue:
San Servolo Conference Centre is located on an island in the Venetian Lagoon, formerly used as a monastery. It has 12 meeting rooms that can seat 15-240 people and 300 bedrooms. The island is also home to the VIU-Venice International University.