Mpina captures life in Blood Suckers
Writer-cum-poet William Mpina has captured the rising and falling, fear and uncertainty, love and death in life through his latest publication Blood Suckers, a collection of his 77 poems.
This is the writer’s fourth book after Njiru, Namayeni and Shadows of Death and Other Poems.
Speaking in an interview yesterday, Mpina said he wanted to bring out a reflection of a celebration of life and what it offers in the newly published book.
He added that the cover title is a poem depicting a life of hide and seek, blackmail and people deliberately attacking each other by creating creatures that do not exist.
“It brings about so many questions that I would want my readers to explore through. The answers will not only come on the title of the poem itself, but through the whole book,” said Mpina.
Other poems in the compilation include Malawi, Martyrs, Wild Thoughts, Chameleon, Evening Tale, Time, Separated to gather alone, Say no to a better word, My stepmother, Pamferanduna, At the cathedral, Everybody writes poetry and Celebrations.
It has taken the 42-year-old poet at least six years to write and rewrite the poems as the book was initially planned for publication in 2014.
The writer, a cousin of creative writer Edison Mpina, recognises the influence his cousin has had on his career as a writer as he always engaged him in some literally talk at every interaction.
“He kept a lot of books that I used to borrow and read. Sometimes he would select some books he knew would inspire me. He pushed me to continue writing though he was not convinced I would become one,” he said.
Mpina, who is a head teacher at New Era Boys Secondary School in Ntcheu, said his passion for writing has kept his grip tight on the art.
Currently, people can access the book on www.scribblepublication.com. The hard copy version of the book will be available in September, he said.
Commenting on the development, literary critic and author Temwani Mgunda said Mpina has proved to be on a steady rise in poetry over the years.
“His pieces are quite mature. No wonder a number of international literary journals have published his poems,” he said.
