{"title":"Poetry — African","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"the-penguin-book-of-modern-african-poetry-penguin-classics-5-9780140424720b","title":"The Penguin Book of Modern African Poetry (Penguin Classics, 5th Edition)","description":"\"Poetry, always foremost of the arts in traditional Africa,\" writes Gerald Moore, \"has continued to compete for primacy against the newer forms of prose fiction and theatre drama.\" Now revised and expanded, this comprehensive anthology features the work of ninety-nine poets from twenty-seven countries; thirty-one of the poets appear here for the first time. War songs, satires, and political protests jostle with poems about love, nature, and the surprises of life, offering a rich and wide-ranging body of creative work.","brand":"Penguin Group","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42819749412944,"sku":"9780140424720B","price":8.79,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9780140424720-l.jpg?v=1785877185"},{"product_id":"a-fire-in-my-head-poems-for-the-dawn-9781635423082b","title":"A Fire in My Head: Poems for the Dawn","description":"\u003cb\u003eFrom the renowned Booker Prize–winning author, a powerful collection of poems covering topics of the day, such as the refugee crisis, Black Lives Matter protests, and COVID-19. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eIn our times of crisis \u003cbr\u003e The mind has its powers\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eThis book brings together many of Ben Okri’s most acclaimed and politically charged poems.\u003cbr\u003e    “Grenfell Tower, June 2017” was published in the \u003ci\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/i\u003e less than ten days after the fire, and Okri’s reading of it was played more than six million times on Facebook.\u003cbr\u003e    “Notre-Dame Is Telling Us Something” was first read on BBC Radio 4, in the aftermath of the cathedral’s near destruction. It speaks eloquently of the despair that was felt around the world.\u003cbr\u003e    In “shaved head poem,” Okri writes of the confusion and anxiety felt as the world grappled with a health crisis unprecedented in our times.\u003cbr\u003e    “Breathing the Light” is his response to the events of summer 2020, when a Black man died beneath the knee of a white policeman, a tragedy sparking a movement for change.\u003cbr\u003e    These poems and others, including poems for Ken Saro-Wiwa, Barack Obama, Amnesty International, and more, make this a uniquely powerful collection that blends anger and tenderness with Okri’s inimitable vision.","brand":"Other Press","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42819767992400,"sku":"9781635423082B","price":8.79,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9781635423082-l.jpg?v=1785877278"},{"product_id":"an-african-elegy-poems-9781635423105b","title":"An African Elegy: Poems","description":"\u003cb\u003eThis moving poetry collection from the Booker Prize–winning author finds strength and hope while reflecting on the complex issues that have burdened Africa.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFirst published in 1992, Ben Okri’s remarkable debut collection features poems that are now considered classics and taught in schools and universities worldwide. Here he plays with the mystique of the African continent, countering simplistic narratives of suffering that have been imposed on it with vibrant, nuanced portraits of the traditions and resilience of African peoples. An invaluable window onto Okri’s experiences as a Nigerian immigrant to the United Kingdom and as a writer discovering his calling, these poems also speak to universal truths about love, injustice, and the search for meaning.","brand":"Other Press","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42819856662608,"sku":"9781635423105B","price":8.79,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9781635423105-l.jpg?v=1785877641"},{"product_id":"oral-and-written-african-poetry-and-poetics-african-literatu-9781847013910b","title":"Oral and Written African Poetry and Poetics (African Literature Today, 42)","description":"\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003eExamines the state of African poetry today, the enduring influence of Africa's pioneer poets, today's new generation and their work in written poetry and in spoken word, continuing oral indigenous traditions. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eAlmost half a century after \u003cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eALT \u003c\/span\u003e6 and thirty-three years after \u003cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eALT \u003c\/span\u003e16, what is the state of poetry and poetics in Africa? This volume of \u003cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eALT \u003c\/span\u003ehighlights major developments and continuities in the practice of the art of poetry in the continent. Contributions analyse new frontiers in the traditional African epic and the Yoruba oríkì genre and innovations in form and theme, such as 'spoken word poetry' shared on digital media and pandemic poetry in the wake of COVID-19. They compare and contrast the work of Romeo Oriogun, Christopher Okigbo, and Gabriel Okara and of T.S. Eliot and Kofi Anyidoho. Other essays examine the complexities of translation from Ewe into English and the development of oral African poetry, underscoring its dynamism and the centrality of performance. \u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003eThe volume also includes interviews with poets Kofi Anyidoho, Kwame Dawes, and Kehinde Akano and tributes to Ama Ata Aidoo. Altogether, it highlights the richness and vibrancy of contemporary praxis and points to future directions in the field.\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"James Currey Oxford","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42820206493776,"sku":"9781847013910B","price":56.39,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9781847013910-l.jpg?v=1785878910"},{"product_id":"african-voices-poetry-tales-9781787553064b","title":"African Voices: Poetry \u0026 Tales","description":"African poetry is unique in its complexity, both because of its linguistic diversity and the devastating impact of colonialism and slavery. From the traditional oral poets to the vast outpouring of writing generated throughout the Atlantic slave trade, beautifully lyrical and haunting works are reproduced here to create a wide picture of African culture. The collection includes a mix of poetry –humorous, celebratory, thoughtful and angry – and above all is a look at the history of Africa through the voices of those who lived through it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis title includes poetry by Kafui Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Ndi’Aphrykah, Adjei Agyei Baah, Azola Dayile, Tjawangwa Dema, Gloria D. Gonsalves, Sage Hasson, Cynthia ‘Flowchyld’ Marangwanda, Tinashe Mushakavanhu, Sandra A. Mushi, Phyllis Muthoni, Sitawa Namwalie, Tina Abena Oforiwa, Yewande Omotoso, Harold Lee Rush, Tiro Sebina, Mariska Taylor-Darko,Janine ‘Blaq Pearl’ Van Rooy-Overmeyer and Raya Wambui.","brand":"Flame Tree Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42820885708880,"sku":"9781787553064B","price":6.39,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9781787553064-l.jpg?v=1785881494"},{"product_id":"bless-the-daughter-raised-by-a-voice-in-her-head-9780735239807b","title":"Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head","description":"\u003cb\u003e2022 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Poetry\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eMama, I made it \/ out of your home \/ alive, raised by \/ the voices \/ in my head.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\nWith her first full-length poetry collection, Warsan Shire introduces us to a young girl, who, in the absence of a nurturing guide, makes her own way toward womanhood. Drawing from her own life, as well as pop culture and news headlines, Shire finds vivid, unique details in the experiences of refugees and immigrants, mothers and daughters, Black women and teenage girls. In Shire’s hands, lives spring into fullness. This is noisy life, full of music and weeping and surahs and sirens and birds. This is fragrant life, full of blood and perfume and shisha smoke and jasmine and incense. This is polychrome life, full of henna and moonlight and lipstick and turmeric and kohl. The long-awaited collection from one of our most exciting contemporary poets, this book is a blessing, an incantatory celebration of resilience and survival. Each reader will come away changed.","brand":"Penguin Random House Canada","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42821056757840,"sku":"9780735239807B","price":7.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9780735239807-l.jpg?v=1785882172"},{"product_id":"seasonal-fires-new-and-selected-poems-9781583227183b","title":"Seasonal Fires: New and Selected Poems","description":"Ingrid de Kok's first book to be published in the United States is also the first volume to demonstrate the variety and continuity of de Kok’s work over the last 25 years. In South Africa and internationally, readers have recognized and responded to de Kok’s deeply developed sense of compassion. South Africa’s most lucid and composed voice in contemporary poetry, she shares her ability to interweave the intensely personal world with the politically panoramic. Ingrid de Kok is one of the few poets to successfully broach the burden of tragedy revealed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings and the ceaseless ravaging of the AIDS pandemic. In doing so, \"she captures, in the most delicate and individual terms, devastating phenomena\" (Antjie Krog).","brand":"Seven Stories Press","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42821238456400,"sku":"9781583227183B","price":8.39,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9781583227183-l.jpg?v=1785882889"},{"product_id":"saltwater-demands-a-psalm-poems-9781644452271b","title":"Saltwater Demands a Psalm: Poems","description":"In Ghana’s Akan tradition, on the eighth day of life a child is named according to the day of the week on which they were born. This marks their true birth. In Kweku Abimbola’s rhapsodic debut, the intimacy of this practice yields an intricately layered poetics of time and body based in Black possibility, ancestry, and joy. While odes and praise songs celebrate rituals of self- and collective-care—of durags, stank faces, and dance—Abimbola’s elegies imagine alternate lives and afterlives for those slain by police, returning to naming as a means of rebirth and reconnection following the lost understanding of time and space that accompanies Black death.\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSaltwater Demands a Psalm\u003c\/span\u003e creates a cosmology in search of Black eternity governed by Adinkra symbols—pictographs central to Ghanaian language and culture in their proverbial meanings—and rooted in units of time created from the rhythms of Black life. These poems groove, remix, and recenter African language and spiritual practice to rejoice in liberation’s struggles and triumphs. Abimbola’s poetry invokes the ecstasy and sorrow of saying the names of the departed, of seeing and being seen, of being called and calling back.\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Graywolf Press","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42870156001360,"sku":"9781644452271B","price":7.19,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9781644452271-l.jpg?v=1785883370"},{"product_id":"woman-eat-me-whole-poems-9780063092921b","title":"Woman, Eat Me Whole: Poems","description":"\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003eA bold, mesmerizing debut collection exploring womanhood, the body, mental illness, and what it means to move between cultures \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRenowned for her storytelling and spoken-word artistry, Ama Asantewa Diaka is also an exultant, fierce, and visceral poet whose work leaves a lasting impact.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTouching on themes from perceptions of beauty to the betrayals of the body, from what it means to give consent to how we grapple with demons internal and external, \u003cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eWoman, Eat Me Whole\u003c\/span\u003e is an entirely fresh and powerful look at womanhood and personhood in a shifting world. Moving between Ghana and the United States, Diaka probes those countries’ ever-changing cultural expectations and norms while investigating the dislocation and fragmentation of a body—and a mind—so often restless or ill at ease.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVivid and bodily while also deeply cerebral, \u003cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eWoman, Eat Me Whole\u003c\/span\u003e is a searing debut collection from a poet with an inimitable voice and vision. ","brand":"Ecco","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42870242803792,"sku":"9780063092921B","price":8.39,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9780063092921-l.jpg?v=1785883559"},{"product_id":"mental-fight-an-epic-poem-9781635422900b","title":"Mental Fight: An Epic Poem","description":"\u003cb\u003eAn epic poem touching on issues of racism, intolerance, and environmental destruction, from the Booker Prize–winning author.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere is much to celebrate in the human journey so far—art in all its forms, advances made in the fields of technology and medicine, and for many of us, the miracle of freedom. But there is also much to regret—racism, intolerance, the destruction of our environment, the reality and the legacy of slavery. In this long, sustained consideration of the state we find ourselves in, Ben Okri invokes the past to explain the present, and sings out a message of hope. The future is still ours to make.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis epic poem, an anthem for the twenty-first century, first appeared in \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e in January 1999. Its message could hardly be more relevant to our present condition. Discover this revised edition of an inspiring and extraordinarily tender work.","brand":"Other Press","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42822194462800,"sku":"9781635422900B","price":8.79,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9781635422900-l.jpg?v=1785886880"},{"product_id":"chinua-achebe-collected-poems-9781400076581b","title":"Chinua Achebe: Collected Poems","description":"\u003cb\u003e\"The father of African literature in the English language and undoubtedly one of the most important writers of the second half of the twentieth century.\" --Caryl Phillips, \u003ci\u003eThe Observer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eChinua Achebe's award-winning poems are marked by a subtle richness and the political acuity and moral vision that are a signature of all of his work. Focused and powerful, and suffused with wisdom and compassion, \u003ci\u003eCollected Poems \u003c\/i\u003eis further evidence of this great writer's sublime gifts and it is an essential part of the oeuvre of a giant of world literature.","brand":"Penguin Books","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42822831079504,"sku":"9781400076581B","price":6.79,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9781400076581-l.jpg?v=1785889698"},{"product_id":"velvet-dragonflies-9781524876807b","title":"Velvet Dragonflies","description":"\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003eEmbark on a gentle journey back to self with this wistful and inspiring collection of poetry from beloved poet and writer Billy Chapata.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003eCushioned with love and tenderness, breakout poet Billy Chapata escorts readers through the oftentimes coarse path back to self-love in his latest collection of poetry, Velvet Dragonflies. This collection is divided into five sections––“Viscose,” “Koigu,” “Damask,” “Charmeuse,” and “Landing”––with each section representing the evolving softness that is found when true, deep self-respect and acceptance is rediscovered. Much like his two previous works, Chapata writes words that will echo around readers’ minds long after they’ve finished reading.\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Andrews McMeel Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42871154770000,"sku":"9781524876807B","price":7.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9781524876807-l.jpg?v=1785898581"},{"product_id":"woman-eat-me-whole-9780063092914b","title":"Woman, Eat Me Whole","description":"Renowned for her storytelling and spoken-word artistry, Ama Asantewa Diaka is also an exultant, fierce, and visceral poet whose work leaves a lasting impact.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\nTouching on themes from perceptions of beauty to the betrayals of the body, from what it means to give consent to how we grapple with demons internal and external, \u003ci\u003eWoman, Eat Me Whole\u003c\/i\u003e is an entirely fresh and powerful look at womanhood and personhood in a shifting world. Moving between Ghana and the United States, Diaka probes those countries’ ever-changing cultural expectations and norms while investigating the dislocation and fragmentation of a body—and a mind—so often restless or ill at ease.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\nVivid and bodily while also deeply cerebral, \u003ci\u003eWoman, Eat Me Whole\u003c\/i\u003e is a searing debut collection from a poet with an inimitable voice and vision. ","brand":"Ecco","offers":[{"title":"Bargain","offer_id":42826715332688,"sku":"9780063092914B","price":7.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0592\/8173\/5760\/files\/9780063092914-l.jpg?v=1785907171"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookoutlet.com\/en-ca\/collections\/poetry-african.oembed","provider":"Book Outlet","version":"1.0","type":"link"}