In this English translation of Hammer Blows, the famous collection of poems by renowned writer David Diop is presented in all its brilliance and wit. First published in 1956, this powerful collection was written during the height of the Negritude movement in France. Posthumously translated into English as Hammer Blows, Diop's voice offers a passionate critique of slavery in the American South and colonialism in Africa. Edited and translated from the French by Simon Mpondo and Frank Jones. 'A vigorous use of diction that cuts like a whip, an impassioned and total commitment to the oppressed.' John F. Povey