Title: Just a Little Food, Two Books, and One Axe: The Desire for Homeland and Ethnic Writings by Diasporic Novelist Legson Kayira

Abstract: As the first novelist in Malawi, Legson Kayira plays undoubtedly an important role in the history of African literature in English. With a little food, two books and one axe, he embarked on his life-long journey. His autobiography I Will Try records the first half of his epic life, whose publication created a sensation in America and European countries and made Kayira a new star on the stage of world literature. The Looming Shadow and Jingala, published in the 1960s, are noted for their fresh and beautiful village scenes, which embedded the author’s desire for his homeland and contemplation on the conflicts between African and Western cultures. The novels in the 1970s, The Civil Servant and The Detainee, show Legson’s concern about Malawi’s politics, which not only reveals lawblast at but also his pity for Malawians’ sufferings. Legson Kayira’s life experience and literary writings contribute much to the development and dissemination of Malawian literature and culture.

Keywords: Malawi, African English literature, Legson Kayira, diaspora, desire for homeland, ethnic writing

Author: Weifang Zhu, School of Humanities, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China.

DOI: 10.19967/j.cnki.flc.2022.03.002