The Quiet Chameleon: The Modern Poetry of Malawi

Abstract

Because the poetry of Malawi receives so little attention (it comes from a nation much given to hiding its collective light) it might be appropriate to offer a brief overview of its main features and concerns. As in other African nations, there has been a post-colonial upsurge of writing and this in both English and the main local language Chichewa. A bibliography by Made and Jackson, however, reveals a written tradition, mainly evangelistic, dating back a cen — tury — a reminder that Malawi was the land of Livingstone and a strong missionary presence. The oral heritage is rich and a psychological rehabilitation wrought since Independence has halted its declining status and made it a fertile taproot for the emerging written tradition.