The re-issue of archival volumes ALT 1 to ALT 14 makes the complete
series available and provides the historical perspective of these early
contributions to the literature and its criticism.
First published in 1973, this volume of the series includes a tribute
from the Editor to the poet Christopher Okigbo who died fighting in the
Biafran War in 1967, and two articles on his poetry. Also discussed are
Leopold Senghor, Dennis Brutus, Wole Soyinka, Lenrie Peters and
Ferdinand Oyono. The contributions analyse East African poetry, French
Algerian poetry, Zulu poetry, and "Rara" chants in Yoruba oral poetry.
Donatus I. Nwoga writes a general article on modern African poetry. The
new books reviewed include Mazisi Kunene's Zulu Poems and Okot p'Bitek's
Two Songs: "Song of Prisoner" and "Song of Malaya" and Taban lo Liyong's
Another Nigger Dead.