Book Review: We Are Still in the Fort by Muyaka bin Haji al-Ghassaniy (Poetry)

We Are Still in the Fort
Muyaka bin Haji al-Ghassaniy
Vanderbilt University Press
15 April 2026
212
eBook - PDF
Poetry
ARC via Edelweiss

An essential collection of the nineteenth-century’s most popular Swahili poet working in his foundational mashairi form. We Are Still in the Fort is a curated selection of about seventy poems by Muyaka bin Haji al-Ghassaniy divided into three sections spanning the quotidian, the amorous, and the political. The first part, “I Swipe Their String of Fish: Poems of Mombasan Society,” features his often satirical commentary on daily life in Mombasa. The second part, “Take Your Misery With You: Poems of Love and Marriage,” focuses on his psychologically sensitive observations on the volatility of love, marriage, and illicit affairs. The last part, “We Are Still in the Fort: Poems of War and State,” includes epigrammatic critiques of local political leaders and a series of anti-imperialist poems defending Mombasa’s independence against the invading Omani Empire. The volume also features contextual materials on Muyaka and the context of Swahili poetry, a translator’s note, and introductions for each of the three sections. 

 

I requested We Are Still in the Fort mostly to cross another country of the list in my Around the World Reading Challenge. However, I did end up finding it interesting and enjoyable. The best and most fascinating part for me was the introduction to Swahili poetry at the start of the book. It was a topic about which I knew nothing, so it was good to be able to understand the style and meter before approaching the poems. The poems themselves were fun to read. For me personally, the section of love poems was the best, but that may well vary from reader to reader. This book is recommended to those keen to learn more about poetic forms from different countries. I am giving it 4 stars.

I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.