Africa Ablaze!
Poems and prose pieces of war and civil conflict.
Love. Song. Loss. Exile. Journeys. War's folly. Figures in urban and rural landscapes. Wilderness. Simple pictures of life. Shades of the human condition. Pathos. Poignancy. The joy in small things. Light. The colours of Africa.
The completed work seems to be a jewelled quilt, one that glows in the dark, rippling in a dune-movement of lyricism.
Dedication:
Africa! Ablaze is dedicated to the memory of Gunner Officer Anthony Clarke, who spared from destruction Piero della Francesca’s fresco, ‘The Resurrection’, by electing not to fire on the Italian town of Sansepolcro, during the Allied advance of World War 2 through Italy, because he knew that there existed in the town hall—in Aldous Huxley’s words—‘The most beautiful painting in the world’.
Reviews:
“These are arguably the most important anthologies of poetry to ever come out of South Africa.” Read the review.
“Africa Ablaze! is an ambitious work. Nothing published to date matches this collection for its scope and commitment to arranging a choir of competing voices. Schonstein's work is to be commended. Her notable eye for detail and constant, panopticon gaze is impressive.”
“Africa, Ablaze! is an incredibly important poetry anthology. It is a powerful work of art and history, and is very moving.”
“A greatly admirable collection of wide-ranging, hard-hitting writing.”
Key Review Words:
Admirable. Impressive. Powerful