IZIGANEKO ZESIZWE, occasional poems (1900-1943), edited and translated by Jeff Opland and Peter T. Mtuze

478pp., paperback, Publications of the Opland Collection of Xhosa Literature, Volume 4, Pietermaritzburg, 2017

Foreword by Barney Pityana.

Samuel Edward Krune Mqhayi (1875-1945) was the most prominent South African "imbongi", or Xhosa oral poet, of his day. The 60 poems assembled in this book chronicile the poet's responses to significant events such as the Boer War, the World Wars, visits from British kings, and meetings with Ministers of State.

The poems are in both English and Xhosa.

Jeff Opland is currently Visiting Professor in the School of Languages: African Language Studies at Rhodes University. He is also the author of "Xhosa Oral Poetry" (1983) and "Xhosa Poets and Poetry" (1998), and has also edited and translated Xhosa works by William Wellington Gqoba, D.L.P Yali-Manisi, John Solilo and S.E.K.Mqhayi.
Peter Mtuze has written many novels, short stories, essays, plays, poetry, autobiographies and language books in Xhosa. He translated Nelson Mandela's autobiography, "Long Walk to Freedom", into Xhosa.