About the Author

Jack Mapanje is a Malawian poet, linguist, editor and human rights activist and was formerly head of the English department at the University of Malawi. He was imprisoned on 25 September 1987 by the Dictator Hastings Kamuzu Banda of Malawi for his dissenting views and radical poetry. Upon his release on 10 May 1991 he went into exile with his family in the UK. He has published five books of poetry, edited one anthology of African prison writing and co-edited two anthologies of African oral and written poetry and an African Writers' Handbook.