Chidima Anekwe is a Nigerian-American short story writer and essayist and two-time Pushcart Prize nominee. She is recently graduated from Yale University, where she studied English Literature. Her writing has appeared in or is forthcoming from MAYDAY, Torch Literary Arts, SWING, Chapter House Journal (formerly Mud City), The Madrid Review, and elsewhere. She has received…
Tsitsi Nomsa Ngwenya (TNN) is one of renowned Zimbabwean writers who write in Ndebele and English. She was born in Matebeleland South Province in Zimbabwe to a Ndebele father and Shona mother. She grew up there and attended school in Minda Girls High School, Maphisa. Her first Ndebele novel, Izinyawo Zayizolo (2016), is about the…
Kumbulani Muleya, Tsitsi Nomsa Ngwenya, Artizen International Conference, Arts for Social Transformation, Harare, Zimbabwe
In the following interview, Memory Chirere chats with Austin Kaluba regarding the letter he wrote in 2011 in memory of Dambudzo Marechera. The letter is included at the end of the interview. Chirere begins, “Very few people know that the so-called Dambudzo Marechera’s letter to Samantha, which has gone viral on many websites, was not…
There is a badge of shame that seems to haunt Zimbabwean characters in a foreign country, especially when Zimbabwe itself is in the limelight for its economic and political instabilities.
“When we started Book Fantastics, we believed and sometimes still believe it is a game changer in book distributing trends. We never thought it would allow us to see places beyond the Zimbabwean borders, let alone the African continent. Our dream has always been to reshape the Zimbabwean bookshop by going beyond book selling. We wanted to have conversations with authors and those conversations to extend and facilitate dialogue amongst author’s themselves and in turn spur similar influences between authors and readers”.
we don’t have homes anymore wrapped in a dark cloud angry floods have swept away our peace & solace buried alive in mudslides of devastation we don’t have homes anymore a church is not a home there’s a torrent of fear here a school is not a home there’s a…
Once We Were: a Poem We rode busesThe type where you felt ridiculous as you sat facing other passengersAlbion, they were called Albion, that old EmpireWe Christened these transporters all kinds of namesThey huffed, they puffedNot once did we see them out of actionWe chatted with the conductorsAnd envied their work ethicWe watched the…
Inside a great writer’s head In this wide-ranging interview, celebrated Zimbabwean writer, editor, musician, academic and media trainer Dr Ignatius Mabasa (IM) talks to multiple award-winning Zimbabwean journalist, editor, musician and scholar Moses Magadza (MM) about many issues including: his iconic PhD; promoting the vernacular; some of his famous books; Christianity and creative writing; the…
Outstanding Reading Spirit by Bookshelf The story of a book lover Costa Shizha (60), a resident of Epworth, Harare, is testimony that ordinary Zimbabweans have not yet lost appetite for reading literature for leisure. Book purchasing habits may have undeniably diminished due to economic factors but the craving for books still exists. Neighbours, friends and…
