Poetry
On the Road Again
Freedom Nyamubaya · 1986
Synopsis
These poems, written during and after the liberation war, do not glorify the fighters and attack the new masters of the country. Several tell of the ill-treatment suffered by women fighters. "The Dog and the Hunter" denounces an elite that keeps the game and leaves the bones to others, "A Mysterious Marriage" mocks the independence celebrations, and the title poem makes life an endless journey.
Context
The collection appeared in 1986 in Harare, with the Zimbabwe Publishing House; some bibliographies date it to 1985. It is the author's first book, followed in 1995 by a second collection, Dusk of Dawn. Its poems, with strong images and jarring rhythms, seek to grapple with a brutal world. The Poetry International site publishes several of them, including the title poem. The collection has not been translated into French.
Who it is for
To hear the voice of a woman who fought for Zimbabwe's independence and says what she saw of it.
Prizes and reception
The Herald reports that it was hailed as one of the first genuine voices of liberation poetry.