Secret Lives and Other Stories (1974) is Ngugi's first collection of short stories and includes "The Martyr".

Petals of Blood (1977) is considered one of Ngugi's best, as well as most political, novels.

Detained: A Writer's Prison Diary (1981) is Ngugi's memoir of his time spent in prison between 1977 and 1978.

An Introduction to the Writings of Ngugi (1980) by G. D. Killam contains essays on key novels and stories by Ngugi and includes a biographical outline of Ngugi's life.

Ngugi wa Thiong'o: Texts and Contexts (1995), edited by Charles Cantalupe, is a collection of essays that place Ngugi's work in social, political, and historical context.

The World of Ngugi wa Thiong'o (1995), edited by Charles Cantalupe, is a comprehensive collection of essays covering a wide spectrum of literary and historical themes in Ngugi's work