Detail from the manuscript of 'The Idiot', a poem by Muriel Spark.
Regarding her time in Africa, Muriel Spark states:
'All this time I had never stopped writing poetry. I entered twice for the Rhodesian annual poetry competition and won twice'.
Her winning entry for 1941 in the 'Verse — Open' category, was titled 'The Idiot'. The poem was also published in 'School: The Annual of the Rhodesia Teachers' Association'.
A slightly altered version of this poem is in the Muriel Spark archive at the National Library, entitled 'Battle and the Idiot'.