Exploring Haji Gora Haji’s poetics in his collection Shuwari

This article has its roots in a project carried out with Irene Brunotti (University of Leipzig), the result of which was the publication of a bilingual Swahili-English edition of the latest collection of poems by Haji Gora Haji, a well-known Swahili poet from Tumbatu, entitled Shuwari (“The Calm;” Buluu Publishing, 2019). The aim of the paper is to analyse the poetry of Haji Gora Haji with a focus on this latest anthology, dwelling in particular on the great originality of his handling of the Swahili language, cultural repertoires and natural imagery, all essential elements of the poet’s long-lasting dialogue with other Swahili poets and with the readers of/listeners to his poetry.