Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, who has died aged 87, was a titan of modern African literature - a storyteller who refused to be bound by jail, exile and illness.
His work spanned roughly six decades, primarily documenting the transformation of his country - Kenya - from a colonial subject to a democracy.
Ngũgĩ was tipped to win the Nobel Prize for Literature countless times, leaving fans dismayed each time the medal slipped through his fingers.
He will be remembered not only as a Nobel-worthy writer, but also as a fierce proponent of literature written in native African languages.
