african writing

The Nyanga Writers Retreat Sets Example

Story by Beaven Tapureta Some writers go on retreats with a specific structure which subtly or openly calls for participants to have a refined product at the end. There are benefits, of course, drawn from these retreats which involve working with experienced facilitators who closely follow your development for weeks or months. In terms of…

Nights in Kampala by Owen Mushabe

silhouettes of two people standing on the background of car lights at night

It’s my first time in Kampala; this city that’s as cacophonous as a hen yard. Traders selling their merchandise by the roadside seem to be in a contest to see who can sing in the loudest tone as they try to arrest the attention of passers-by. Several young men stand in circles, watching and cheering on a fellow who’s inside the circle, dancing to Lingala music from a huge cassette player.

IIFF 2023 spotlights women’s stories of resilience

Story by Khumbulani Muleya  The International Images Film Festival for Women (IIFF) 2023, themed “Women of Hope,” took place in Harare from November 28 until December 2, while the Bulawayo edition is slated to run from December 8 to 10. The theme portrays stories of women who make choices about the paths they take at…

The crooning writer, by Moses Magadza

Tee Ngugi, the eldest of Ngugi’s offspring is a writer, columnist, and singer-songwriter of note. His short fiction, essays, and commentaries have appeared in several publications including New Orleans Review, St Petersburg Review, Kwani, Brittle Paper, Timbuktu, New Black Magazine, Jahazi, and The East African, among others.

Jacana Media Publishes new Mlalazi novel

The much-anticipated novel by Christopher Mlalazi is now here, published by Jacana Media (South Africa). “‘There is something I’ve never told you about our king,’ Father was saying as we walked around the palisade. We were three abreast, and I was in the middle. He looked at me. ‘Even Guduza doesn’t know about this too,…

Zimbabwean Tribute to Literary Great, Ama Ata Aidoo, by Beaven Tapureta

  HARARE, ZIMBABWE: While international honour and tributes for the African literary legend Professor Ama Ata Aidoo who died aged 81 on May 31, 2023 are still pouring, Zimbabwe will also bear everlasting memories of her inspiring character. In Zimbabwe, she consolidated her writer’s voice, becoming a full-time writer. Not only that, but when Prof…

PROLIFIC WRITER FIGHTING FOR SHONA LANGUAGE DIGNITY

BEAVEN TAPURETA HARARE, ZIMBABWE: Prolific Zimbabwean writer and poet Oscar Gwiriri is proud of his mother tongue, Shona, which he is doing his best to preserve through writing and defending it from being diluted by modern communication technologies and other forces. Shona is one of Zimbabwe’s sixteen official languages and is spoken in five major…

Chirere Previews Ngwenya’s ‘A Portrait of Emlanjeni’, a Novel

A Portrait of Emlanjeni tries to take a panoramic picture of this place from the unique landscape, the minds of the people, their rich culture, and the subsequent challenges that they face in the changing times in Southern Zimbabwe. It is a story told through a woman’s gaze, very sensitive to how women experience a landscape made by nature and men.

Chirere Reviews Nesta Hatendi’s “Lost Memories

cover

Title: Lost Memories and other things that I thought I forgot Author: Nesta Hatendi, Publisher: Immortali Year of publication: 2022 Reviewed by Memory Chirere The first time that I read these short stories, I found out that perhaps Nesta Hatendi is working with the technique of the short story sequence. This is something that major…