Madiba And Other Poems

This anthology of poetry is first and foremost a tribute to Madiba - Nelson Mandela, the inspiration for the volume and the subject of the title poem. Th e collection features poems written at various points in Brandt's career as a writer, cultural analyst and academic. 'Marie Village Beauty' goes back a long way to his childhood and is a first experiment with Guyanese Creole. Notably, there is also a tribute to Stephen Lawrence, a young black Briton who sadly lost his life in terrible circumstances and has been mourned by the nation ever since.

This anthology of poetry is first and foremost a tribute to Madiba - Nelson Mandela, the inspiration for the volume and the subject of the title poem. Th e collection features poems written at various points in Brandts career as a writer, cultural analyst and academic. Marie Village Beauty goes back a long way to his childhood and is a first experiment with Guyanese Creole. Notably, there is also a tribute to Stephen Lawrence, a young black Briton who sadly lost his life in terrible circumstances and has been mourned by the nation ever since.

The strength of Mandela the Spear and other Poems lies in Okais burning desire to celebrate the black experience and culture, through the iconic figures who symbolize those struggles and triumphs. Thus, not surprisingly, one encounters names like Mandela, Nadine Gordimer, Amilcar Cabral, Patrice Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah, to name a few. Okai has long established himself as one of the towering figures in the field of modern African poetry in English. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of a vigorous reinvention of the poetic genre that revolutionized the poet/audience relationship, changed the mode of expression from scriptography to narratology, and the role of the audience from that of passive reception to active participation.

The strength of Mandela the Spear and other Poems lies in Okai's burning desire to celebrate the black experience and culture, through the iconic figures who symbolize those struggles and triumphs. Thus, not surprisingly, one encounters names like Mandela, Nadine Gordimer, Amilcar Cabral, Patrice Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah, to name a few. Okai has long established himself as one of the towering figures in the field of modern African poetry in English. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of a vigorous reinvention of the poetic genre that revolutionized the poet/audience relationship, changed the mode of expression from scriptography to narratology, and the role of the audience from that of passive reception to active participation.

A broad spectrum of poets—including Tupac Shakur, Ntozake Shange, and Seamus Heaney—pay tribute to Nelson Mandela in this collection that stretches from Mandela’s imprisonment in 1963 to his 87th birthday in 2005. Nearly 100 poems from 25 countries reflect Mandela’s widespread influence, recognizing the passion he inspires and celebrating his legacy of anti-apartheid actions.