A Malawian writer who was imprisoned without trial for more than 3½ years for expressing himself has been shortlisted for a British literary award.

Jack Mapanje, 63, who now lives in York, is among six poets nominated for the £10,000 Best Collection in the Forward Prizes for Poetry 2007. He was a political prisoner under the regime of Hastings Banda.

With a PhD in linguistics from University College London, Mapanje was one of his country’s most promising academics, and became head of English at the University of Malawi. His collection of poetry Of Gods and Chameleons criticised the Banda regime through allegory.

Mapanje was freed in 1991 after an international campaign championed by writers such as Harold Pinter and is now a senior lecturer in creative writing at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. His shortlisted collection is Beasts of Nalunga, which reflects his concern for ordinary people in Africa and beyond. Michael Symmons Roberts, the chairman of this year’s panel of Forward judges, said: “Beasts of Nalunga is political poetry dealing with oppression, but it also manages to be a book full of affirmation and humour.”

The Forward Prizes, now into their 16th year, were founded by William Sieghart to raise the profile of contemporary poetry. Worth a total of £16,000, the prizes reward both established and up-and-coming poets. There are three categories: Best Collection (£10,000), The Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection (£5,000) and the Forward Prize for Best Single Poem (£1,000).

Also on the Best Collection shortlist are Eavan Boland, John Burnside, Luke Kennard, Sean O’Brien and Adam Thorpe. The winners are announced on October 3.

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