WINZ Newsletter, Issue No 24

Dear writers, after the successful launch of our seven-month activity calendar at the Book Café last week, we are patiently preparing for the next move. We will be loyal to our calendar. Our next activity, as indicated on the calendar, will be a literary discussion and poetry performance galore to mark Day of the African Child usually held on 16 June. We are likely to be at a local school and the focus is on the students. Details of this event will be posted on this blog soon. Meanwhile, the June online poetry workshop with poet Georgia Ann Martin-Banks (PICTURED RIGHT) is about to roar and is getting more and more popular. Poets interested in the programme should register (free registration) so that when the second group begins, there are no regrets.

WIZZY MANGOMA DOES IT AGAIN

Wizzy Mangoma

PRESS RELEASE

PublishAmerica Presents "Manjanja" by Wizzy Mangoma

Frederick, MD May 11, 2011 -- PublishAmerica is proud to present "Manjanja" by Wizzy Mangoma of Dallas, Texas.

Kanda is one man who is different from all the others in a small African village where people know how to share. Despite Kanda being a different character from everyone else, everyone has an admiration for his family.

“It has been an extreme pleasure to work with this talented and dedicated author,” said PublishAmerica Public Relations Director Shawn Street.  “For ordering information, please visit www.publishamerica.com.”

PublishAmerica is the home of 50,000 talented authors.  PublishAmerica is a traditional publishing company whose primary goal is to encourage and promote the works of new, previously undiscovered writers.  Like more mainstream publishers, PublishAmerica pays its authors advances and royalties and makes its books available through all bookstores.  PublishAmerica offers a distinctly personal, supportive alternative to vanity presses and less accessible publishers.

Visit us online at http://www.facebook.com/publishamerica.publisher and www.publishamerica.com.

Additional Information

Publisher:	PublishAmerica
Publication Date:	4/29/2011
ISBN:	9781462604753
Ean:	1462604757
Paperback:	32 pages
Language:	English

ECHOES FROM THE LAUNCH

(Pictures: Win-Zimbabwe/Global Arts) 

 

'

 Tinashe Mutumwapavi' Muchuri demonstrating his oral talent as he tells a story titled “Tawanda Nembwa Dzake Shanu” 

Win-Zimbabwe Director, Beaven Tapureta, updating launch attendees on the status of the association

 

Publishing in Local languages and the setbacks: Jerry Zondo (above)

 

Mingling and sharing contacts after the launch

 

Students from Contingency College who were part of the Awake Zimbabwe drama group

 Mr. Hosea Tokwe, giving closing remarks

AUDITIONS!!

For TV Commercial to be shot in the SADC region

Actors - young boys required 8-11yrs. (Will be accompanied by parent/guardian or family appointed representative.)

Candidates must have strong acting skills with ability to portray various facial expressions, be confident in front of the camera, and be able to speak and understand English

Please Note

Valid ZIMBABWEAN passport required!!!!!!!

To book an appointment, please phone 0774 170 364 /0774 664292   /0733474513 

Email: zimwriter@gmail.com

 THE REGULAR WRITER

with

Tinashe "Mutumwapavi" Muchuri

COMPLETE ARTS PROJECT TO TAKE POETRY TO A HIGHER LEVEL

Complete Arts Project is set to unveil  two nights of different poetry slams at Cresta Jameson hotel on June 17 and 18 2011. 

The slam will see about twelve poets battle for top undisclosed prizes. The audience, which will also stand a chance to recite their creations on the day as sacrificial poets, will be the major adjudicator.

Complete Arts administrator, Rutendo Tapiwa Chigudu (pictured), said, “This initiative is a result of the successful running of the play Opus Mystic Ngoda written and directed by Peter Churu at the same venue. The play had live music, dance and poetry. Our audience loved the play and asked us to do more. We are now introducing poetry at its best.  We will work with poets who have been performing on many fora and have experience. We want these poets to entice our audience with their poetry.”

This will be the second poetry slam in the city apart from House of Hunger Poetry slam run by Pamberi Arts Trust at the Book Cafe.

Rutendo said, “The slam will be taking in poets who have the experience of entertaining the audience. The tried and tested poets like Chenjerai ‘Vasadza’ Mazambani, Ticha Muzavazi, Mbizo, Breezy, and Semalo are some of the poets who will be trading their craftsmanship at the venue on the two nights.”

When asked what type of an audience is at the Cresta Jameson Hotel, Rutendo said, “The audience is a dedicated paying audience who love poetry. We are in a way trying to commercialize poetry.”

Complete Arts Project was established in 2007 under the leadership of Peter Churu, a theatre entrepreneur .     

You are a writer until you write!

WINZ Newsletter, Issue No 23

2011 EVENTS CALENDAR LAUNCH IN PICTURES

(All photos: Win-Zimbabwe) 

Edwin Mhandu, Win-Zimbabwe Board member and other guests enjoying proceedings

Mbizo 'The Black Poet' Chirasha, flying with his poem

 Mr. Chirumbwana from Glen View 2 High enjoying the event with young writers from his school

 

  Awake Zimbabwe Drama Group in action as they rendered their  HIV/AIDS play

 

Above: Mr. Samuel Makore (clapping hands) from ZANA (Zimbabwe Academic and Non-Fiction Authors) with renowned writer Virginia Phiri

Left: Chipo Muvezwa, Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust Programs Officer, presenting her paper 'Funding Literary publications

KEEP WRITING YOUR DREAM !

WINZ Newsletter, Issue No 22

We greet you all in the special name of writing. We are continually humbled by the growth of our network and the love and interest with which writers have come to embrace Writers International Network Zimbabwe. This was apparent at the recently held official launch of our calendar of events at the Book Café in Harare. In June, American poet Georgia Ann Banks-Martin leads a Zimbabwean group of poets on a journey into new avenues of creative thought. Enjoy!

A MONTH OF POETRY WITH GEORGIA ANN BANKS-MARTIN 
By Win-Zimbabwe

Georgia Ann Banks-Martin

(Photo: http://georgiabanksmartin.com)

A group of Zimbabwean poets will participate in a month-long online workshop to be facilitated by a published American poet.

Georgia Ann Banks-Martin, author of Rhapsody for Lessons Learned or Remembered and editor of a poetry magazine called New Mirage Journal (http://newmiragejournal.com), will expose the poets to new fields of creative imagination.

She says she will introduce the group to what is known as ekphrastic poetry and also spend some time reading and discussing the work of the group members, work produced outside the workshop.

The participants have been drawn from Writers International Network Zimbabwe list of poets and they include Batsirai Chigama, Mbizo Chirasha, Mgcini Nyoni, Hosea Tokwe, Tinashe Muchuri, Sympathy Sibanda, and Beaven Tapureta.

New poets are still welcome in this first group (scheduled to start in June) and registration is via email winzimbabwe@gmail.com.

This workshop is one of a series of online literary exchange programmes with international writers/poets, which Win-Zimbabwe will try to generate for its members.

Please feel free to visit Georgia Ann Banks Martin’s webpage http://georgiabanksmartin.com. Don’t miss this opportunity.

WIN-ZIMBABWE/GLOBAL ARTS TRUST PARTNERSHIP LAUNCHES 2011 PROGRAM

By Win-Zimbabwe

 Win-Zimbabwe Board Chairperson, Josephine Muganiwa, presenting her keynote speech

We are family: The  group that attended the launch

 Global Arts Trust Director, Walter Muparutsa, presenting his speech

A number of literary activities will take place under the Win-Zimbabwe/Global Arts Trust partnership at different venues in Harare, starting June this year.

Unveiling the 2011 (seven-month) program at the Book Café, Harare, on May 14, the two organizations told new and established writers/poets and representatives of different writers’ associations that the main thrust this year would be to involve schools in the drive towards developing indigenous literature.

Global Arts Trust Director Walter Muparutsa said the old poets such as Modekai Hamutyinei, JC Kumbirai, Wilson Chivaura, and Edison Zvobgo, did a commendable job to keep the Shona language alive. The same job remains unfinished today, he said.

Muparutsa took his time to narrate the history of the Literature Bureau where he had a long stint and said it is from the same perspective that the Win-Zimbabwe/Global Arts Trust initiative would work but this time, with the Zimbabwean child in mind.

The veteran actor and director also called for the establishment of a new Shona dictionary to capture Shona slang and the fast developing aspects of our language.

In her speech, Win-Zimbabwe Board Chairperson Josephine Muganiwa said her association has embraced Zimbabwean writers in the Diaspora to create a synergy that will support local new writing talent. She also encouraged the use of indigenous languages in all spheres of life.

“Let us love our own languages and be proud to speak them,” she said. 

Jerry Zondo, who once lectured at the University of Zimbabwe in the African Languages department, said it was sad to note that parents still insist that children speak or learn in English language.

“When there is interest in local languages, then we can hope to raise interest in writing and publishing in local languages,” said Zondo, presenting his paper titled Publishing in Local Languages and the Setbacks.

The Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Programme Officer Chipo Muvezwa presented a paper titled Funding Literary Publications. Muvezwa said her organisation has been very active in the promotion of local writers and their works. She said so far, the Fund has assisted publications of writers such as Christopher Mlalazi, Pathisa Nyathi, Raisedon Baya, and Primrose Dzenga.

She said the Culture Fund is also involved in holding copyright workshops countrywide aimed at equipping writers with knowledge about their own rights.  

Unveiling the 2011 Events Calendar, Win-Zimbabwe Director Beaven Tapureta said it had been difficult to operate without an office and thanked the Global Arts Trust for housing his organisation. He told the audience the difficult circumstances in which Win-Zimbabwe operated before the partnership. However, he said the partnership with Muparutsa would definitely bear fruits.

Tapureta said in June, Win-Zimbabwe/Global Arts Trust would celebrate Day of the African Child through public readings and discussions at a local school. This is specifically an event for students, he said. In July, the partnership will take part in exhibitions at the Zimbabwe International Book Fair. Afterwards, there would be a short writing course in August, writing competition in September, Shona poetry anthology compilation in October, and a writers’ workshop in November before the annual End of Year Writers Get Together in December. Tapureta also said prizes for the winners in the September writing competition would be presented at the End of Year Writers Get Together.

In the background of the above said activities, Win-Zimbabwe/Global Arts Trust will be running the manuscript assessment program at the office and launching school writers’ clubs in and outside Harare.

During this May 14 event, which merged with Culture Week celebration, different poets and storytellers took turns to entertain the audience. Epworth-based Hatineti Mbira Crew enriched the mood at the event with their traditional mbira melodies. Poetry Bulawayo’s Mgcini Nyoni recited his interesting poem ‘Plastic Women’ while a sober Mbizo Chirasha thrilled the audience with the poem ‘Zinyoka Mugumbeze’ (originally written by M. Hamutyinei) and other poems. Tilda Gozho, a Form three student from Glen View 2 High, did a wonderful poem on Culture. Glen View 2 High sent eight students and a teacher for the event. Other performers at this event included Awake Zimbabwe drama group, Tinashe ‘Mutumwapavi’ Muchuri who showed he is a storyteller par excellence, Cynthia ‘Flowchyld’ Marangwanda who did a poem on what it means to be a writer, and Tendai Maduwa who also did a poem.

THE REGULAR WRITER

With

Tinashe 'Mutumwapavi' Muchuri

Performers Should Respect Time

Punctuality is the strict observance of keeping engagements. This is a skill that a performer should always strive to acquire. A performer who doesn’t observe time loses out on performance jobs, in turn he/she lose income if there is a payment to be made. If the performer is a member of a group, the group loses credibility, dignity, and respect.

Punctuality enables the performer to test sound equipment, gauge the mood, plan his stage movements and have time to chat with the director of ceremony.

The other important thing to be kept in mind by a performer is the actual duration of his/her performance. If it is five (5) minutes, let it be five minutes. If one goes on and on, and forget the time limit, this makes the performer monotonous and he/she may feel humiliated when the Director of Ceremony stands up to signal the end of his/her time. Don’t steal other performers’ time. All is not well for a performer who comes to an event running and sweating. But the performer who comes in time always has his/her full energy on stage.  A performer who arrives at an event early has all the time to compose self and have a good performance.   

Until next time, cheers    

Send us your poem for the blog!

 

WINZ Newsletter, Issue No 21

GOOD NEWS FOR WRITERS
 
GOLDEN BAOBAB PRIZE:

“Inspiring African Children's Literature”

Dear Friend 

It is a pleasure to announce the ongoing Golden Baobab Prize, a literary award that annually invites entries of unpublished African-inspired stories written for an audience of ages 8-11 years or 12-15 years.  The mission of the Golden Baobab Prize is to identify the African literary giants of the next generation and produce classic stories that will be appreciated for years to come.

This year the prize will award $1,000 to the best story in the junior category as well as the senior category and $800 to the most promising young writer (18 years and below). Beyond that, the Golden Baobab Prize offers to connect outstanding stories with African and international publishers. The Prize is open to African citizens of all ages. Deadline for submission is June 20, 2011.

The Golden Baobab is here to change the face of African literature, as we know it! We are counting on your support in achieving this vision.

Our website:  www.goldenbaobab.org

Warmly, 

Deborah Ahenkorah
Co-Founder & Executive Director 
  

THE REGULAR WRITER

With

Tinashe ‘Mutumwapavi’ Muchuri

BOOK LAUNCH: Author Reminisces Past Harsh Life Conditions

The month of May is normally associated with International Mothers Day. The world over people pay tribute to the great work that mothers do in preserving and nurturing the life of their families. Motherhood is appreciated and celebrated.

As for Dr. Patson Dzamara, founder and president of Off the Hook Group, nothing could suffice more than launching his new motivational book The Winning Team: Symbiotic Effect in honour of his mother.

Dr Dzamara decided to appreciate the efforts made by his mother in bringing him up in the middle of difficulties. It was an emotional book launch that brought tears to the author’s father and mother (Mrs Benhilda Dzamara) as their son narrated all that he remembered about the hardships he faced as he grew up.

“My mother is a farmer. She grows cotton, tomatoes and mangoes.  We have 47 trees of mangoes at our home. When I was 16 I experienced something I will never forget. As usual, mother was getting ready to sell her produce at the market in the city. She asked me to accompany her. Together with other farmers in the area we loaded our stuff in a big truck. I was waiting, hoping that another smaller truck would come to take us to the market. That was not to be the case. We were going to ride on top of the overloaded produce. I cried. I made up my mind and promised myself that I would go further than my parents,” said Dzamara as tears flowed down his cheeks.

Speaker after speaker praised The Winning Team: Symbiotic Effect as an original, inspirational book that will change many people’s visions in life.

Mr Shepherd Mavuso Dhlamini, World Vision Northern Regional Manager, said, “The first time Dzamara came and talked to my staff I said, mupfana, dai Mwari vasina kukuwana waipenga (Young man, if God had not shown mercy on you, you would have been lost). Misdirected intelligent persons end up being notorious robbers or rebels, but you, Dzamara, have chosen to direct your energy towards the right things. This is commendable.”

Arthur Marara believes that The Winning Team: Symbiotic Effect ‘is a seed that will give birth to more books’. “Books are not about money but about reaching out,” said Marara, urging new writers not to give up.

Dr. Patson Dzamara’s mentor, Dr. Mugaviri, said, “Many people live and die without expressing their voices. They imitate others. But in The Winning Team,   Dzamara says, ‘I have a voice.’  Choose career path that God created for you. This book will dispel the superstition that says success is criminal, that we should not share with other people because we may share with a witch and be killed. Say no to that. You cannot succeed alone. Remember that God is a team. We were created by a team.”

The launch took place on May 8 2011 at the Crown Plaza Monomotapa in the Great Indaba Room which is known for its spirited discussions on books during Zimbabwe International Book Fair. 

Dr. Dzamara is an educationist, a life coach, a motivational speaker, an author, a counsellor, a management and leadership consultant and firm believer in Christ. The Winning Team: Symbiotic Effect was published by Off the Hook Publishers, a non-profit organisation which is comprised of five organisations involved in various emancipation initiatives.

POETRY

A Sack of Maize

By Hosea Tokwe

A sack of maize

There it leans

A testimony of that year of toil

When we laboured but in vain

To the fields we went

Sweating, our hopes high

The rains drenching us everyday

Then in our hearts we cursed

Silent bitterness

Our uncultured tongues

Spat venom

As we frowned at every droplet

That brought life

Now heaven’s doors

Have closed for good

With awe we watch

The dry, fading life in our fields

And only a sack of maize we harvested this year

The bowels groan in protest

Once again hunger returns

And we have none but ourselves to blame

Coming next:

Echoes from the official launch of our 2011 seven-month Program/Culture Week Celebration held on May 14 2011

at the popular Book Cafe, Harare.

Best of best echoes from the hills of art!

WINZ Newsletter, Issue No 20

It  was in May last year when Win-Zimbabwe held its inaugural writers' meeting at the Theatre in the Park, Harare. This year, this same month of May, we will be launching our 2011 Events Calendar but at a different venue, that is, the Book Cafe. This is a time for us to reflect on what we have done and what we want to do. We believe in the actual writing and actual publishing and not just 'dreams' that are only nine-day wonders. So much have happened that we, as Win-Zimbabwe, are proud of. But we also would like to make  up for  what we missed. Our events last year, few as they may be, were un-sponsored, and still this year, we haven't secured funding but the partnership with Global Arts Trust has brought new hope in our hearts. Partnerships are the way to accomplish our objectives, especially at this time when Win-Zimbabwe is but a small kid (with big brains). All in all, we owe it all to the support and deep love we get from established  and new writers in Zimbabwe. Meanwhile, it is motivating to note that local journalists are making use of our exclusive articles from this blog. While we  so much appreciate this, we clamor for acknowledgment. Arts journalists are welcome to all our public events. Together, we can make a difference and change the writing landscape.

WRITERS INTERNATIONAL NETWORK ZIMBABWE
in partnership with 
GLOBAL ARTS TRUST

kindly invites you

to the combined launch of its 2011 Events Programme

and celebration of Culture Week.

Date: Saturday, 14 May 2011

Time: 10 am – 1 pm

Venue: Book Café (Fife Avenue Shopping Mall)

Literature is our culture, be there!

CULTURE MATTERS

By

Beaven Tapureta

 
Mr. Nicholas Moyo, National Arts Council of Zimbabwe Deputy Director
(Photo: Zimbojam)

The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe announced this year’s Culture Week will be running from May 14 – 21 under the theme ‘Towards Professionalising the Arts’.

The commemorations will be spread across the country, with various arts associations, including Writers International Network Zimbabwe, expected to conduct exciting cultural events at different venues.

In a statement sent to various arts associations, NACZ Harare province program officer, Sylvia Muwoni, said Shona Arts Centre is hosting the Harare launch of Culture Week this year.

‘These celebrations enable us as Zimbabweans to reflect on our culture and remind ourselves of the need to preserve our rich cultural heritage. The week is an opportune time to promote the uniqueness of our different cultures. Arts and Culture practitioners and consumers alike should come together to celebrate and harness our cultural diversities for economic development. Therefore we encourage hotels, restaurants, retailers, schools to come up with activities as a way of celebrating our culture,” she said.

Muwoni also urged arts organisations to work together to make the 2011 Culture Week a memorable one.

Culture Week is a localised version of UNESCO’s World Day of Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development which is observed on May 21 annually.

However, some time ago, artists and other cultural workers in Zimbabwe felt that a single day alone is not adequate to celebrate culture and therefore asked the NACZ to make it a weeklong event so that all aspects of culture are celebrated. NACZ is the main coordinator of this weeklong event.

THE REGULAR WRITER

With

Tinashe “Mutumwapavi” Muchuri

                                                                   BOOK REVIEW

Title:                Go Higher

Author:            James T Nyamajiwa

Year:                2011

Publisher:         Veriest Solutions International

ISBN:               079744372-X

Category:         Motivational/Self-Development

On reading this 20-page motivational book, my memories were thrown back to my school days when my teachers would write on my end-of-term report (to my parents), “He needs to pull up his socks”.

There was a time I understood why the teachers sounded ‘rough’ then. They were encouraging me to take my studies to a higher level. I began working hard and the comments shifted from ‘poor’ to ‘good’, ‘better’, ‘best’, ‘excellent’, and ‘well done’. 

Go Higher kind of reminds the reader of the old days when our ancestors used to solve disputes through storytelling.  In the book, the author managed to use the story of the snakes effectively in telling this motivational story of going higher despite challenges. He took the Prophet Nathan’s style of conveying a message. Those who read the bible are aware of the story of David after taking Bathsheba the wife of Uriah. It was effective to Prophet Nathan.

This is good use of allegory by Nyamajiwa (pictured).

The other appealing thing about this book is the clear message that it conveys to every one of us, regardless of who we are or what we do. We all need to have a listening ear. We need to consult

others when the going gets tough. A plane in Going Higher takes off but among the passengers there are also other poisonous passengers, snakes. The loaders at the airport forgot to lock the box of snakes and as the plane gained altitude, the snakes began to pop out one by one and slid onto the aisle. Panic struck all except one pilot who called the boss back at the airport. “Go Higher,” advised the boss. And the plane flew upwards, much to the fear of the pilot who again asked his boss for advice.

“I said go higher captain,” advised the boss.

The captain listened, only to learn later that the snakes would be rendered weak and harmless at an altitude of 1200! At this altitude, the boss advised the captain that they can just pick the snakes up since they are now harmless and they can put them back in their box.

Had the captain not listened, he would have caused disaster. The pilot had the courage to go higher, at whatever cost, because, for him, that meant saving lives.

When faced with challenges, you should go on in order to accomplish your vision. Even if, ‘a few have been bitten and have instantly died’ (page 7), the Pilot went higher and higher and saved many lives.

Nyamajiwa also makes use of quotes of famous thinkers to augment his ideas.

I find the book a must read but I don’t know why many typos were overlooked. Also, I feel that one of the quotes (“A man without ambitions is like a woman without beauty.”) is questionable in this day and age of gender sensitivity.

I feel the simile used ‘woman without beauty’ is a bit discriminating. Being the first attempt by the author to inspire his readers to go higher in whatever they are doing, I respect the pen that spilt the ink in giving such exceptional advice to many of us.

Keep writing!