As the year draws to a close, the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies reflects on the achievements of its staff, scholars and students. One such achievement would be the publication and launch of Umalusi (The Shepard): A Collection of Xhosa Poems by the Department’s very own Edwin T. Smith. Umalusi is a collection of poetry written and conceived in Xhosa by Smith and published by ESI Press. The book is beautifully illustrated by Smith’s daughter, Mbali-Enhle Khaya Smith. The collection showcases both Smith’s exceptional poetic talent and his Xhosa heritage and has been highly acclaimed by fellow academics and acknowledged in scholarly journals.

The launch of Umalusi in May 2023 coincided with Mother’s Day, a significant event for both the collection and its creator. The central subject of Umalusi is Smith’s mother, a Xhosa woman from whom Smith learned the Xhosa language. In early May 2010, Smith travelled to Cape Town to fetch his mother after she was discharged from Groote Schuur Hospital. After embarking on their journey back to Pretoria, Smith’s mother passed away during their road trip on Mother’s Day, 2010. It is to his mother that Smith had dedicated Umalusi.

The title, Umalusi, is the Xhosa term for ‘a shepherd’, which fittingly encapsulates the spirit of Smith’s collection. Furthermore, in the Introduction, Smith explains the essence of the collection, which he articulates is a story of him “shepherding” his mother home. Although the poetic contents of the collection was originally written by Smith in Xhosa, English translations have been included to combat issues of accessibility due to language constraints. However, Smith acknowledges the challenges that come with translation as he writes in Umalusi’s Introduction:

While Umalusi was conceived and intended as a Xhosa collection without an

English translation, this exercise enables the translation of the poems into English

for sharing with a broader, non-Xhosa reading community, without, as far

as possible, compromising the original intention

(Smith, 2023, ix)

Additionally, Smith’s “Unchokozo wakho/Your beauty” from his collection was published in Imbiza: Journal for African Writing 1(6) in August 2023. Here is “Umchokozo wakho/Your beauty” with its English translation:

In Umalusi’s Preface, Smith asserts that he does not wish for his poetry to be compared to the work of “proper Xhosa writers or traditional poets” (Smith, 2023, xxv). Nor should it be. Umalusi is Smith’s own contribution to Xhosa literature and poetry, which is both original and exceptional. Smith’s collection is a touching and unique accomplishment and deserves to be read and appreciated in its own right.

Congratulations on the publication of your remarkable collection of poetry, Edwin – you have made the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies, as well as the Faculty of Humanities, proud!

The eBook copy of Umalusi can be downloaded from the ESI website here.