New Perspectives on Mazisi Kunene

Book excerpt: New Perspectives on Mazisi Kunene shares with readers an interview inspired by correspondence and prolonged conversations on the telephone. The focus of this interview, Mazisi Kunene, is arguably one of Africa's greatest poets. Kunene's contributions to African literature as both scholar and artist remains significant, given his commitment to writing in his indigenous Zulu language and translating his corpus into English. Ntongela Masilela, a close friend to Kunene and scholar who has written extensively on Kunene oeuvre, shares views that center primarily on Kunene's importance in African literature, and his role and place in South African literary and cultural revolution.