Introduction

The introductory chapter begins by contextualising Marechera’s works with the historical and political background of Zimbabwe (at the time known as Rhodesia). While Ian Smith’s white minority government was still in power, the fight for independence was fierce. Nonetheless, Marechera’s works did not fit in to the dominant narratives of decolonisation and nationalism, and he rejected all kinds of ideologies and identities imposed on him. The chapter then provides a literature review on the works of Marechera, highlighting the fact that few scholars have produced thorough research on his works while some criticise his “nihilism”. It then unpacks the concept of utopia by offering an overview of the basic principles of utopian thinking in order to elucidate how it is related to Marechera. The introduction ends by listing which topics will be covered in each chapter and how they are logically and thematically connected with each other.