Lost in Menippea: the metabiography of Dambudzo Marechera

This creative writing thesis on Dambudzo Marechera divides into two parts: creative practice and critical commentary. In the creative practice, I dwell on the extraordinary life of Dambudzo Marechera, the late Zimbabwean writer, a life inseparable from Marechera’s equally remarkable fiction. This thesis fills a significant gap in biographical research into Marechera, and it is the first ‘literary’ biography of the author written in the form of creative metabiography. Menippean satire, or menippea, is fundamental to the execution of the metabiography. I draw on Menippean heterogeneity to narrativise Marechera’s life and experiment with various forms and styles of writing. This menippean ‘medley’ includes autobiography, creative nonfiction, memoir, poetry, diatribe/soliloquy, fiction, and a playlet. In the critical commentary, I examine the process of creating the metabiography and, in so doing, shed light on the various techniques that I use in the creative practice. I write about metabiography and clarify the unprecedented and inventive ways in which I have redefined and recontextualised the term. I also evaluate the multiple Menippean strategies deployed in inscribing the metabiography. Additionally, I methodise the creative practice with other devices and concepts like the uncanny, abnormalism, literary nonfiction, counterfactual narrative and epigonism. Significantly, the critical analysis complements the creative practice by proffering insight into the biographical complexities of the subject, Dambudzo Marechera.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

phd

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

London Metropolitan University

Year dc:date.issued

2023

Author dc:creator

• Oriku, Adebowale

• 420 English & Old English
• 800 Literature & rhetoric

Dc Identifier Grantnumber

N/A

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.londonmet.ac.uk:11169