Examines Swahili narrative poetry which, despite being available in published editions for many years, has not been studied from a historical perspective. The poetry contained narrates the episodes in the wars of conquest during the First World War. Most of these poems belong to a literary genre called Utenzi, the oldest preserved samples of which date back to the 18th century. Includes a study of the historical context in which the poems were produced and the social origins of the poets who composed these works.
