Famous African Poets

01. Breyten Breytenbach

Breyten Breytenbach was born in September 16, 1939. He is an South-African writer. Besides

writing he is good at painting. He won Anisfield-Wolf Book Award. His famous works are- A veil

of footsteps, All one horse (1990), Dog Heart: A Memoir, Mouroir(1984) etc.

02. Chinua Achebe

He was born in November 16, 1930, Ogidi, Anambra, Nigeria. His first work Things Fall Apart

becomes successful. He was not only a poet but also a novelist. For his outstanding literary

work he won Man Booker International Prize. His famous work are- Things Fall Apart ,No

Longer at Ease, A Man of the People, Arrow of God ,Anthills of the Savannah.

03. Christopher Okigbo

Christopher Okigbo was born in Okigbo was born on 16 August 1930. He is an postcolonial

poet. He is the founder member of African Authors Association. He died in the independence

of Biafra.Path of Thunder, Dance of the Painted Maidens, Lament of the Masks these are the

famous works of Christopher Okigbo.

04. Dambudzo Marechera

The poet who was born in Zimbabwe and became famous for his literary works is Dambudzo

Marechera. He was born in June 4, 1952, Rusape, Zimbabwe. He won Guardian Fiction Prize.

Black sunlight ,The House of Hunger ,The black insider and Cemetery of mind are his famous

literary works.

05. David Wright

David Wright was born in February 23, 1920, Johannesburg, South Africa. He was the student

of Oriel College, Oxford. His notable poems are- An Agnostic Gets A Shave In Pakistan, The

Teacher's Reward, Making the Most of What We Have, Spring and I are Restless, A Santa Fe

Storm.

06. Dennis Brutus

Dennis Brutus was a south African poet who was born in November 28, 1924, Harare,

Zimbabwe. He was also known as a journalist. His famous works are: Simple Lust, Stubborn

hope, Still the Sirens/Poems, Salutes & censures, Remembering, Leaf Drift.

07. Ingrid Jonker

Many of her poetry is translated into other languages. This great woman was born in

September 19, 1933, Northern Cape, South Africa. She is also considered south African Sylvia

Plath. Her famous poems are- The child is not dead, Ontvlugting ,Ek herhaal jou, The Face of

Love, My omhelsing het my verdubbel, Ek herhaal jou (I repeat you), This journey, Begin

Summer, L’Art poetique and 25 December.

08. Keorapetse Kgositsile

Keorapetse Kgositsile was an South African poet who is known as "Bra Willie". He was born in

September 19, 1938, Johannesburg, South Africa. When the clouds clear, o the Bitter End,

This Way I Salute You these are his famous literary writings.

09. Kofi Awoonor

Whose writings depicted the culture of Ewe people and their religion is Kofi Awoonor. He was

born in March 13, 1935, Gold Coast; so he is an Ghanaian poet. His remarkable writings are

The African predicament, Comes the voyager at last and The Promise of Hope.

10. Wole Soyinka

Wole Soyinka is an Nigerian poet who was born in July 13, 1934 (age 80), Abeokuta, Nigeria.

He is the first poet who won Nobel Prize for Africa in Literature. Ake, The Interpreters, King

Baabu, The Beatification of the Area Boy are his famous writings.

11. Leopold Sedar Senghor

Leopold Sedar Senghor was born in October 9, 1906, Joal-Fadiouth, Senegal. He is not only a

poet but he is the first president of Senegal. His famous books are The collected poetry,

Oeuvre poetique, Poems of a black Orpheus and Selected Poems of Leopold Sedar Senghor.

12. Kwame Dawes

Kwame Dawes is an Ghanaian poet who is actually not only a poet but also an actor, musician

and editor. He was born in July 28, 1962. He got Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts, US

& Canada. His famous works are: Bob Marley: Lyrical Genius, Shook foil, Natural mysticism

and Impossible Flying: Poems.

13.Phillis Wheatley

Wheatley was seized from Senegal, when she was about seven years old. This African poet

was born in May 8, 1753. She started her early life in slavery and throughout her life she had

to struggle against poverty. She believes in the power of literature especially in the power of

poetry. Her notable works are-On Imagination, An Hymn To The Morning, One Being Brought

From Africa To America, On Being Brought from Africa to America, A Farewell To America to

Mrs. S. W., On The Death Of A Young Lady Of Five Years, An Hymn to Humanity, An Hymn

To The Evening, Ode To Neptune, On Recollection, On, Virtue, A Rebus and so on.

14.Nikki Giovanni

Nikki Giovanni was an African-American poet and born in June 7, 1943, Knoxville, Tennessee,

United States. Not only she writes poems but also was known as a commentator. Her notable

works are- Bicycles: Love Poems, Cotton candy on a rainy day, Quilting the black‐eyed pea,

Ego-tripping and other poems for young people etc.

15. Guy Butler

Guy Butler was born in January 21, 1918. He is a South African poet and critic. He completed

his education from Oxford University. His notable books are Demea, Karoo morning and

Pilgrimage to Dias Cross.