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Prof. Chege John Githiora

Professor, Department of Literature & Linguistics

Home School of Law, Arts & Social Sciences Department of Literature & Linguistics Prof. Chege John Githiora

Prof. Chege John Githiora

Professor, Department of Literature & Linguistics

Academic Qualifications

Sheng: Rise of a Kenyan Swahili Vernacular (2018). 220pp+xiv, London: James Currey.ISBN 978-1-84701-227-2. Sheng: Rise of a Kenyan Swahili Vernacular: Githiora, Chege: Amazon.com: Books
Unmarked Grave [Kaburi Bila Msalaba] (2017). A translation from Swahili. Nairobi: Phoenix Publishers. ISBN 9966-47-899-X.
Swahili Verbs and Grammar Essentials (2014). London: JC Press, ISBN 978-0-9543960-1-5.
Afro-Mexicans: Discourse of Race and Identity in the African Diaspora (2008). 258 pp +xvii, Africa World Press, Trenton, New Jersey. ISBN 1-59221-647-1. Afro - Mexicans: com: Books
Simple Swahili (2006). London: JC Press. ISBN: 0-9543960-0-6.
Diccionario swahili-español (2002). 190pp+iv, El Colegio de Mexico, Centro de Estudios de Asia y Africa. Mexico, ISBN :968-12-1075. (First Swahili-Spanish dictionary). View article (google.co.uk)
Kwand?ka G?g?k?y? Wega (Othongirab?), London: JC Press. ISBN 978-0-9543960-2-2 (A guide for G?k?y? orthography).
With Chris Gainty (Course writers), ‘Swahili Audio Course with Supplemental Booklet,’ 10 Unit course for Pimsleur Language Programs. (2002). Simon & Schuster Audio, Concord, NH. ISBN 978-1402517747

Refereed Journal Articles

  1. Sheng : Expanding Domains of an Urban Vernacular, Journal of African Cultural Studies, January (2016). DOI: 10.1080/13696815.2015.1117962
  2. ‘Afro-Mexicans: The Third Root of Mexico,’ in Journal of African Renaissance Vol 8. No. 2 (July 2011). ISSN: 1744-2532
  3. Editorial, Special Issue on ‘East Africa,’ Journal of African Cultural Studies (JACS). Vol 20. No. 1, 2008. University of London (SOAS)
  4. “Swahili at SOAS.” in SOAS: A Celebration in Many Voices (2007). Third Milleneum Publishing, London. Catrine Clay (ed).
  5. ‘Some Problems and Insights in the Lexicography of Two Non-Kindred Languages: Spanish and Swahili,’ 2002. in Journal of African Language Learning and Teaching (JALLA) Vol 1. No.1. pp.49-73.
  6. ‘Sheng: Peer Language, Swahili Dialect or Emerging Creole?’ (2002). in Journal of African Cultural Studies (JACS), University of London (SOAS), Vol. 15 No. 2, pp. 159-183. ISSN: 1369-681
  7. ‘Afro Mexican names: A Trail of History and Kinship,’ in Conexoes, African Diaspora Research Project Newsletter , Vol 6, No. 2., Nov. 1994, Michigan State University.
  8. ‘The Afro-Mexicans: An ignored and unknown people,’ Center for Afro-American and African Studies (CAAS) Newsletter VI No.2, 1990, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Books

Sheng: Rise of a Kenyan Swahili Vernacular (2018). 220pp+xiv, London: James Currey.ISBN 978-1-84701-227-2. Sheng: Rise of a Kenyan Swahili Vernacular: Githiora, Chege: Amazon.com: Books
Unmarked Grave [Kaburi Bila Msalaba] (2017). A translation from Swahili. Nairobi: Phoenix Publishers. ISBN 9966-47-899-X.
Swahili Verbs and Grammar Essentials (2014). London: JC Press, ISBN 978-0-9543960-1-5.
Afro-Mexicans: Discourse of Race and Identity in the African Diaspora (2008). 258 pp +xvii, Africa World Press, Trenton, New Jersey. ISBN 1-59221-647-1. Afro - Mexicans: com: Books
Simple Swahili (2006). London: JC Press. ISBN: 0-9543960-0-6.
Diccionario swahili-español (2002). 190pp+iv, El Colegio de Mexico, Centro de Estudios de Asia y Africa. Mexico, ISBN :968-12-1075. (First Swahili-Spanish dictionary). View article (google.co.uk)
Kwand?ka G?g?k?y? Wega (Othongirab?), London: JC Press. ISBN 978-0-9543960-2-2 (A guide for G?k?y? orthography).
With Chris Gainty (Course writers), ‘Swahili Audio Course with Supplemental Booklet,’ 10 Unit course for Pimsleur Language Programs. (2002). Simon & Schuster Audio, Concord, NH. ISBN 978-1402517747

Book Chapters

  1. Ng?g? wa Thiong’o: Tribute on his 80 th birthday,’ in Ng?g?: Reflections on his Life of Writing (2018). Gikandi S & Wachanga (eds). London: James Currey.
  2. ‘Selected Poems of G?tahi G?t?t?’ (2016) writing in G?k?y?. With introduction, Modern Poetry in Translation (MPT) No 2, 2016, Special issue, ‘ One Thousand Suns .’
  3. Editorial, Journal of African Cultural Studies , (2011 ) University of London (SOAS), Vol. 23 No. 2 (May 2011).
  4. Special Issue on ‘East African Culture and Society,’ (ed), Journal of African Cultural Studies , University of London (SOAS), Vol. 22 Issue No. 2 (2010).
  5. (Compiler), (2007) The Ten Shillings and Other Stories. An Anthology of Short Stories from all over Africa . MacMillan, Kenya. ISBN: 9966-34-262-1.
  6. With Tabitha Otieno, Kenya . National Geographic Reader. (2007). ISBN: 978-0- 7922-7668-5
  7. “Kenya: Language and the Search for a Coherent National Identity” in Language and Nationalism in Africa , (pp. 235-251), (2008). Oxford University Press, A. Simpson (ed.). ISBN: 978-0-19-928674-4. View article (google.co.uk)
  8. ‘G?k?y? Orthography: Past and Future Perspectives,’ pp. 21-45. in Trends in African Linguistics Vol. 6 . 2003. Africa World Press, Trenton NJ. ISBN 1-59221-201-8
  9. Countries and Languages of the World: Kenya,’ in Elsevier Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics , 2 nd 2006. Keith Brown (ed).
  10. Countries and Languages of the World: G?k?y?.’ (2006). in Elsevier Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics , 2 nd 2006. Keith Brown (ed).
  11. “Shaaban Bin Robert y el Mensaje de la Poesía Swahili.” In Africa Inventando el Futuro ,
  12. Centro de Estudios de Asia y Africa, El Colegio de México, Celma Agüero Doná (ed), Mexico. (1994)
  13. With Manfredi and Littlefield. (2003). Trends in African Linguistics Vol. 6 . 2003. Africa World Press, Trenton NJ. ISBN 1-59221-201-8.
  14. (1992) Into Spanish, “Shaaban Bin Robert y el Mensaje de la Poesía Swahili.” In Africa Inventando el Futuro , Centro de Estudios de Asia y Africa, El Colegio de México, Celma Agüero Doná (ed). Mexico. Selected poems of Swahili poet Shaaban bin Robert, with Introduction.
  15. (2009) Swahili short story, ‘Mke Wangu’ by Mohammed S Abdallah, into G?k?y? ('M?tumia Wakwa,' and English, ‘My Wife’ (JC Press, 2009)
  16. (2000) ‘Binga’ (Short story) in Step into A World: A Global Anthology of the New Black Literature , Kevin Powell, (ed), John Wiley and Sons, NY, 2000. ISBN: 0471380601
  17. (2003) ‘In the Heat of the Moment,’ (Short Story) in Kwani? 2003, Vol. 1 No.1. ISBN 99669836-0-0

Conference Papers

  1. Keynote: ‘Multilingual Education in Kenya: A Necessity for Sustainable Development. “1st KAFU National Virtual Conference, May 15-16th, 2023, Kaimosi Friends University.
  2. ‘Multilingual Education: A necessity to transform education,’ International Mother Language Day, Kenyatta University, Feb 21, 2023.
  3. ‘Is Sheng an Interlanguage?’ 'Youth languages and morphosyntactic variation workshop,' Jan Gutenberg University, Germany, Sept 30-Oct. 2, 2022.
  4. Keynote: ‘The Importance of Mother Tongue in Education,’ International Mother Language Day, Kenyatta University, February 19, 2021.
  5. ‘Language Attitudes in Nairobi,’ BIEA, Nairobi, March 25, 2018.
  6. ‘Some features of Kenyan Swahili,’ Swahili Colloquim, Bayreuth University, Germany, May 8-10, 2016.
  7. ‘Ng?g? wa Thiong’o’s contribution to the east African Polysystem,’ at African Languages in the Disciplines Conference, Harvard Univeristy, April 17-19, 2016
  8. ‘Form and Function of an Urban Swahili dialect,’ ‘Urban Youth Languages of Africa Conference, December 10-13, 2015. Kenyatta University, Kenya.
  9. Invited Participant at Stakeholders’ Workshop on the ‘Draft Policy of the Languages of Kenya,’ organized by the Ministry of State for National Heritage and Culture, May 22-23, 2013, KIE, Nairobi, and March 24th, 2014.
  10. Invited speaker at ‘Academic writing workshop’ organised by African Studies Association (ASA-UK), held at Mekelle University, Ethiopia, 16-18 September 2013.
  11. Invited Speaker, ‘Sheng and Media Workshop,’ Kenya Cultural Centre, Organized by Twaweza Communications, July10, 2013.
  12. Invited Speaker to conference on, ‘Sheng Language in Kenya: Structure, Uses and Pedagogy,’ Workshop, IFRA, Nairobi, July 16th, 2013. Paper presented: ‘The rise and rise of Sheng: language and idenity in modern Kenya.’
  13. Speaker, UNESCO’s World Radio Day, ‘Radio and Minority African Languages,’ SOAS, 13
  14. Feb 2012. Published as: ‘Interview with Chege Githiora , Journal of African Cultural Studies , 25:1, 137-138. Link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13696815.2013.767191
  15. Panelist, Workshop/Report Launch, ‘The Nairobi Process and the Context for the Foundations for the Future,’ The British Academy, London, 27 Feb 2012.
  16. ‘Uchapishaji katika lahaja: Waswifu wa Shaaban bin Robert.’ CHAKITA Conference, July 2012, Kenyatta University.
  17. ‘African Contributions to Regional Identities in the Americas: The case of Mexico,’ at AfroXXI Conference (UNESCO, SEGUIB), Bahia, Brazil. November 15-19, 2011.
  18. ‘Kukuza Fasihi ya Kiswahili Duniani kwa njia ya Tafsiri ( ‘Developing Swahili literature through translation ). Chama Cha Kiswahili Cha Afrika Mashariki (CHAKAMA), Nairobi, August 21-22, 2011.
  19. ‘Kiswahili ng’ambo: Mbinu za kuikuza Lugha’ ( Swahili Abroad: Strategies for the development of the language’ ), Research Institute Swahili Studies Eastern Africa, (RISSEA), Mombasa, Nov. 17-20, 2010
  20. ‘Issues and Challenges of Inter-African Language Translation,’ African Languages and Translation Sub-Saharan African Research Network, Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Warwick, 11 March, 2011
  21. ‘Striking back at the Empire: The Mau Mau Case in London,’ Panelist, Human Rights Watch Film Festival, Ritzy Cinema, London, April 1, 2011. Also published as Commentary in The Nairobi Star Newspaper, Nairobi April 14, 2011.