Soyinka's Death at Dawn, Auden's Musée des Beaux Arts, Stevie Smith's Not Waving but Drowning and Wislawa Szymborska's Some People come to mind immediately. But there are plenty, plenty more that I enjoy.

For us Africans, literature must serve a purpose: to expose, embarrass, and fight corruption and authoritarianism. It is understandable why the African artist is utilitarian.

Its a sad moment, really, when parents first become a bit frightened of their children.

Sometimes a word or an argument will trigger a poem.

There are powerful forces undermining progress in Africa. But one must never underestimate the power of the people to bring about change.

I've written poems about gifts. Life is inspirational; sometimes it comes from the most unlikely places.

I always wanted to write poetry, even when I was very young.