Of Chameleons and Gods

Blurb

Of Chameleons and Gods is the title of the first collection of poetry by Malawian poet Jack Mapanje, published in 1981 in the United Kingdom, in Heinemann's African Writers Series. Despite critical acclaim, the collection was withdrawn from circulation in Malawi, because it was seen as a critique of the current government and especially the leader Hastings Kamuzu Banda.
Mapanje, in his introduction to the work, describes as the result of the work of "ten turbulent years". The 'chameleon' of the title refers to the disguise of personal voice he deemed necessary in order to mount a criticism of the politics at the time.
Of Chameleons and Gods is divided into four sections: "Of Chameleons and Gods", '"Sketches from London", "Re-entering Chingwe's Hole" and "Assembling Another Voice". The sections are almost chronological: poems in "Sketches from London"were written between 1972 and 1975; those in "Re-entering Chingwe's Hole", on Mapanje's return from London between 1975 and 1978; and those in "Assembling Another Voice" were probably the last to be written'.