The Jive Talker

Book excerpt: A bawdy, brilliant and heartbreaking memoir by the award-winning Malawian-born artist. With exuberant prose, a cast of extraordinary characters and a rebellious spirit, Samson Kambalu tells the story of how a little boy obsessed with fashion, football, Nietzsche and Michael Jackson won a free education at the Kamuzu Academy ('The Eton of Africa') and began his long journey to art school, and international artistic and academic success. The son of a philosophising, hard-drinking, poorly paid hospital manager, Kambalu's award-winning conceptual work is now shown in galleries across the world and still evokes that childhood landscape of literary excitement, family chaos and music; post-colonial injustice, poverty and Aids. 'A book filled with wonder, humour and hope. It is a magnificent achievement.' Aminatta Forna, Sunday Telegraph 'Read Kambalu, cry, clap your hands.' Iain Finlayson, The Times 'A truly original book.'Pride Magazine