Ngugi wa Thiong'o was born in Kenya in 1938. When Kenyan rebels fought against the British administration there, in a conflict now known as the Mau Mau Uprising or Mau Mau Rebellion, Thiong'o was also affected. His mother was tortured, and his stepbrother killed in the struggle. Thiongo's literary career began with his first novel, Weep Not, Child. This was followed by The River Between, which examines the uneasy coexistence between Christians and non-Christians. The Mau Mau Rebellion serves as a backdrop for the work. Like Soyinka, Thiong'o has also been a victim of political persecution. His 1977 play Will Marry When I Want was highly critical of what has been termed neo-colonialism, the state of oppression and exploitation that has continued in Africa after the official end of colonial rule. Upon the release of the play, his arrest was ordered.