HARARE, ZIMBABWE: Tinashe Muchuri, staff writer at Parade, a leading Zimbabwean magazine, and current Secretary General of the Zimbabwe Writers Association,who is also a contributor to Munyori Literary Journal, is the winner of the coveted Delta Corporation Arts and Entertainment Journalist of the year for 2012-13 in the National Journalism and Media Awards (NJAMA).
Muchuri penned the winning entry called: ‘What do Zimbabweans Read?’ Appearing in the Parade’s relaunch Edition of December 2012, it dwelt on the important but highly neglected subject of the literary arts.
Part of the judges’ citation goes: “The reporter interrogates Zimbabwe’s reading culture and asks the fundamental question – What do Zimbabweans read? The story brings out interesting facts about the country’s reading culture, while successfully tackling the subject and bringing out the challenges in an engaging manner. The article, which also taps into diverse expert sources, is well-written and well edited and captivates the reader. It is evident that the reporter committed some thought, time and effort in developing the story.”
Previous winners in the same category include 2004: Limukani Ncube, 2005: Wonder Guchu, 2007: John Mokwetsi, 2008: Shame Kanyumwa, 2009: Godwin Muzari, 2011: Nkululeko Sibanda and 2012: Kenneth Matimura.
Muchuri himself says that he is excited. “I feel that there are some eyes away from where one toils that look and recognize hard work. On top of that, I have discovered that journalism is like raising a child. It is a task that requires the whole community. This is the result of team work at the ‘Padare reNhau’ (publishers of Parade Magazine.) My editor, Ray Mawerera deserves respect too, for always plucking out all the weeds from my stories and for believing in me.”
Muchuri walked away with a certificate, hamper, some money and a floating trophy.
Muchuri is an actor, performing poet and novelist. His forthcoming work comes out before Christmas 2013 through Bhabhu Books of Harare. It is a novel entitled Chibarabada. It is a unique and amazing novel script in the Shona language, threatening to take the Shona narrative way beyond Kunyarara Hakusi Kutaura? and Mapenzi in matters of style. Revolving around chibarabada, an illicit brew, the novel proceeds in the form(s) of first person, second person and third person narratives, (all in one script), creating the impression of a whole community talking at once to itself and beyond.
This article originally appeared on Memory Chirere’s blog and is used here with the author’s permission.
Memory Chirere is a Zimbabwean writer. He enjoys reading and writing short stories and some of his are published in Nomore Plastic Balls (1999), A Roof to Repair (2000), Writing Still (2003) and Creatures Graet and Small(2005). He has published short story books; Somewhere in This Country (2006), Tudikidiki (2007)and Toriro and His Goats (2010).Together with Prof Maurice Vambe, he compiled and edited (so far the only full volume critical text on Mungoshi called): Charles Mungoshi: A Critical Reader (2006) He is with the University of Zimbabwe (in Harare) where he lectures in literature. Email: memorychirere@yahoo.com
