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
By Win-Zimbabwe
Georgia Ann Banks-Martin
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!
No comments:
Post a Comment