The quiet chameleon: modern poetry from central Africa

Book synopsis: The Quiet Chameleon provides a highly readable introduction to the poetry in English which has emerged in recent times from Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Convinced that the verse from this part of the continent deserves to be much better known - given its range and technical variety - the authors seek to show both the general and specialist reader how a select group of writers are responding to Africa's contemporary situation and reflecting on personal and national issues. They investigate the rich irony of Malawi's best known writer, Jack Mapanje, the hauntingly reflective verse of Felix Mnthali, the passionate exile voice of Frank Chipasula, the realism of Edison Mpina, and the work of other poets such as Steve Chimombo, or Zimbabwe's Musaemura Zimunya. Close scrutiny of key texts identifies the distinctive themes, motifs and strategies of each other's work. The textual analysis is enhanced by descriptions of the poets themselves, their careers to date and their critical reception - reflecting the varied influences of personal and political experience on literary development. What emerges is a lively, in-depth portrait of a group of poets who have been hitherto slow to come to the fore, but whose collective output is probably one of the most significant on the current African literary scene