An Introduction to the Literature of eSwatini

(Hardback)

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Description

This book is the first comprehensive introduction to the literature of eSwatini. It details a literary trajectory that begins with renditions of the country by early travelers and settlers and follows with the emergence of a national literature that is marked by early oral influences and molded by unique sociopolitical interests. Along the way, the author considers how contemporary writing by visitors, expatriates, and journalists have salvaged and recycled earlier images and attitudes through a series of representational and rhetorical practices. In particular, the lingering influence of colonial discourse is explored in the context of the nations pivotal incwala ritual. A chapter on Hilda Kuper that situates her fiction and drama between outsider and insider accounts is followed by the final two chapters that trace the development of anglophone and siSwati writing and identify themes arising from the major literary genres produced by local authors. The concluding section features a comprehensive registry of writers, with brief summaries of their works.

Reviews

At one and the same time sensitive and incisive, Vincents account succeeds in demonstrating how different the literature of eSwatini is from other African literatures, and makes a strong case for its in-depth scholarly consideration. Ranging through gasp-inducing colonialist and settler writing and ethnographic fiction to contemporary poetry, fiction and drama, his book is thoroughly researched, tackling the relevant scholarly theoretical texts, and yet is always eloquent and consistently provokes ones curiosity. It is encyclopedic in scope and also benefits from Vincents intimate knowledge of the country. An eye-opening account of a controversy-bound country and of the literature it has produced. -- Chris Dunton, National University of Lesotho

Author Bio

Kerry Vincent is associate professor in the Department of English and Theatre at Acadia University.