Jack Mapanje’s poems join generations in a new anthology honouring Malawi

A new poetry collection has brought Jack Mapanje’s work together with poems by writers from across generations, arriving at a poignant moment as tributes continue following his death. Titled Rare Earths, the anthology is available on Amazon and includes contributions from a group of prominent Malawian poets. Former legislator and Cabinet minister Ken Lipenga congratulated the publishers in a Facebook post. He said Mapanje’s presence in the collection carried special meaning after the poet’s passing. Lipenga added that he was honoured to have his own work, including the more recent Birth of Sombani, featured alongside Mapanje and fellow writers such as Steve Chimombo, David Rubadiri, Benedicto Wokomaatani Malunga, Q Malewezi and Stella Chipasula. Poet Mashallo Samilo also praised the anthology, describing its value as the conversation it creates between writers separated by time and experience. He said it gives the dead and the living, as well as exiled and rooted voices, a shared space to speak to one another. The title points both to Malawi’s natural riches and to the poets, presented as witnesses who draw on the country’s memory. The poems range across landscapes including Mulanje, Sapitwa, the Shire, Zomba, Likoma and Lake Malawi. According to the publishers, the collection also takes on deforestation, the destruction caused by Cyclone Freddy, political disappointment and personal loss, while making room for love, family and the beauty of everyday life. Mapanje, who died in the United Kingdom on November 4, 2026, was originally from Mangochi District. His work included Of Chameleons and Gods. He is survived by his wife, three children and five grandchildren, while family members have yet to announce plans for his burial.