Nelson Rholihlahla Mandela: Reflections through the eyes of poets

In this innovative anthology of essays, Munzhedzi James Mafela brings together voices that give a radically fresh perspective on the life and work of Nelson Mandela. In a groundbreaking multi-lingual context, contributors view the life of Mandela through the prism of poetry written about him. The poetry-in a number of indigenous southern African languages with translations-is interpreted and analyzed, thus bringing previously scattered, neglected or unknown material into the public domain. This publication is distinguished by its garnering of scholarly research into selected African indigenous poetic works about Mandela. In this way, the volume serves as an appreciation and critical appraisal both of the man and of the poetry about him. The included offerings present a rare and original insight into the life of the man as it unfolds. Together, poets and interpreters weave a wide net, drawing in the interest not only of literary and political science scholars, but also sociolinguists, sociologists, historians, and anthropologists interested in literary anthropology. "A celebration of Nelson Mandela's life and work, challenges and tribulations, through the poetical eye. This book honours Mandela through multilingual southern African poetry-it is an all-inclusive, multicultural poetic mirror to Mandela's being-and appropriately so."--Russel Kaschula, African Languages Association of South Africa, and holder of the NRF SARChI Chair in the Intellectualisation of African Languages, Multilingualism & Education at Rhodes University [Subject: African Studies, Literary Criticism, Poetry, History, Sociology]