Author Ndongolera Mwangupili is back in the limelight, this time with a collection of 58 poems published in a book titled Fragments of My Broken Voices.
The book has five chapters, namely Cries of Anguish, Mating Cries, Cries of Laughter, Celestial Cries and Cries of Sorrow.
The writer depicts crying as the main theme of the poetry compilation as he reflects on how crying is an unmissable part of human life. Crying accompanies various emotions such as anger, love, laughter, prayer and even during sorrowful times.
In an interview, Mwangupili said: “I have talked about politics, love, poverty, death, diseases [one talks about Covid-19]. I have touched on multiple themes according to interpretation. But all these revolve around crying whether in joy or sorrow.
“We are born crying. Our first sound that we produce upon birth is crying. After we die, we are escorted to the graveyard with cries too.”
Fragments of My Broken Voices is a collection of Mwangupili’s poems published locally and internationally in different forms. However, some of the poems have not been published before.
According to the writer, the book is available in all Claim Mabuku bookshops nationwide.
Mwangupili said the book can also be accessed on the online platform, Amazon.
He said: “It is a self-sponsored project. However, to have the e-book on Amazon, I partnered with Nyasa Films which is owned by poet Taddja Nkhonjera. The printing was done by Montfort Media.”
Mzuzu University literature and cultural theory lecturer Albert Mtungambera Harawa said the poetry compilation represents as new wave of poetry from Malawi that has incorporated a variety of styles and flavour.
“Reading the book, one is excited with the incorporation of Chimombo’s creation myth before encountering Jack Mapanje’s cryptic style.
“Grappling with the question of existence, the poet evokes Niyi Osundare’s style of examining the beginning as well as eavesdropping into the future,” he said.
Harawa said another strong part of the book is the strategies the poet used such as rhetorical questions, paradoxes, repetitions, irony, call and response.
Mwangupili also authored book including Call it Fate And Other Stories, A Gift To The People, Poetry for Malawi and a secondary school learning instruction book called English Language for MSCE, among others.
