Ebrahim Hussein (Professor) is a Swahili thinker, scholar, poet, dramatist, playwright and a chronicler of the African colonial and post-independence situation. His contribution to Swahili literature, particularly in drama and theatre arts makes him one of the most iconic Kiswahili drama luminaries who, along with Professor P. Muhando and Professor A. Lihamba, are recognized as pioneers of African experimental theatre, which has developed to become a firm form. Hussein was born on 5/6/1943 in Kilwa, Lindi region in the British colonial teritory of Tanganyika. He attended school in Lindi and later Khan schools in Dar es Salaam. In 1966, he joined the University of Dar es Salaam and studied Swahili literature, French, Sociology and Drama. He graduated in 1969. Hussein is among the first Kiswahili students at the University of Dar es Salaam who were later entrusted with the duty of becoming the first teachers and scholars in the language. In 1970 he undertook PhD at the Humboldt University in Germany specializing in Drama and Performing Arts. In 1975 he graduated and returned to the University of Dar es Salaam as a lecturer and was later promoted to Professor. He served until 1985. Hussein emerged as a playwright in 1967, when he performed then published Wakati Ukuta (Time is a Wall), which was about 10 years since Graham Hyslop published the first Kiswahili play, Afadhali Mchawi na Mgeni Karibu and Henry Kuria’s Nakupenda Lakini... In the same year, he published Alikiona (Just Deserts). Kinjeketile followed in 1969. It was translated into English in 1977 and performed at the FESTAC festival in Lagos. Mashetani (Devils) followed in 1971. Kinjeketile and Mashetani are political allegories depicting the colonial and post-colonial experiences in Africa. Jogoo Kijijini (Village Cock) and Ngao ya Jadi (Traditional Shield) (1976) – were solo performances based on traditional folktales. Arusi (Wedding), followed in 1980. In 1988 he published Kwenye Ukingo wa Thim (On the Edge of Doom), that depicts inter-alia, the post-colonial challenges of forging ‘nations’ from disparate and mutually suspicious ethnic nationalities. Hussein‘s works are celebrated for their nuanced exploration of social and political themes, often reflecting the complexities of post-colonial Tanzanian society and for a rich use of free verse poetry to convey complex ideas and emotions. The works manifest Hussein’s unflinching yet liberal defence of the African culture, history and identity. His innovative approach to language and form has inspired playwrights, poets and scholars, fostering a deeper appreciation for the African identity and its rich cultural landscape. Hussein is a major literary figure and is among the most studied figures in Kiswahili globally. Though his choice of use of the Kiswahili for his writing may have denied him renown on the international stage for sometime, the impact his works, along with works of others pioneers, on the development and eventual popularity of Kiswahili language and its literature is a greater reward to a greater cause. Kenyan Professor Chacha Nyaigotti, former dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Egerton University, a playwright, scholar and contemporary of Prof. Hussein, explains: Hussein is a profound creator of knowledge in the Kiswahili language whose contribution to literally discourse has helped Kiswahili penetrate the politics realm across the African continent... Prof MM Mulokozi, himself an accomplished scholar and researcher in Kiswahili and African literature, states that, “E. Hussein works always probe the big social and historical issues and challenge the intellect of the reader or spectator.” Hussein has won several prizes, including the Tanzania Writer’s Union (UWAVITA) Prize and the Zeze Award from the Tanzania Culture Fund. In recognition of his contribution to Kiswahili, the Ebrahim Hussein Poetry Prize was established in 2014 through funds committed in the will of his colleague and friend, Canadian film maker, Gerald Belkin (1940 – 2012), to honour him and the language whose authenticity he has championed all his life.