EDITORIAL
Greetings once again! We hope that those who are attending the currently running festivals such as the Shoko Spoken Word & Hip-Hop Festival, the Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo and the University of Zimbabwe International Arts Festival which runs until 23 September are catching the fun. A lot is happening. Zimbabwe Writers Association (ZWA) is now registered with the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe and is ready to move. This is our organization and it moves with you. Let us show commitment to it by paying subscriptions; as individuals, associations and partners. WINZ needs interested writers for the Shona and Ndebele columns to promote the indigenous languages. However, any contributions in the other languages spoken in Zimbabwe are welcome. Let us keep writing and project the Zimbabwean character and experience! HIGH PRINTING COSTS FORCE LOCAL PUBLISHERS & WRITERS TO LOOK ABROAD
By WINZ Staff Writer
Due to the rising costs of printing in the country, Zimbabwean writers and publishers are now mulling collaborating with publishers and printers abroad to minimize costs and in turn reduce the price of the final book to make it affordable to local readers.
On September 16 2011, a small group of writers and publishers in Harare had the opportunity to meet India-based Pinnacle India Educational Publishers Chairman, Rakesh Gupta at the Embassy of India, courtesy of Mukesh Kumar, First Secretary (HOC-Embassy of India).
Kumar, who stimulated writers during the 2011 edition of the ZIBF Indaba Conference where he also made a presentation, said the meeting between Gupta and local writers/publishers was mainly aimed to explore areas in which they can work together.
Rakesh Gupta explained how his company functions and said his company works with highly automatic systems, making them one of the major export houses in the Indian Global scenario.
He said although Pinnacle India does not publish general books, it is open for all sorts of business such as partnerships/joint venture with the Zimbabwean book industry stakeholders.
The meeting, coordinated by renowned writer Virginia Phiri on behalf of the Zimbabwe International Book Fair, was attended by a small group that included officials from Prestige Books, WIN-Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Women Writers, Eresina Hwede, Beatrice Sithole, Greenfield Chilongo, Irene Chikaka, and Charles Makari.
The Embassy had initially wished Gupta to meet two groups, one in morning and the other in the afternoon. However, due to traveling delays from India, Gupta arrived in the afternoon and missed the morning group.
Pinnacle India, established in 1960, is a leading company in India and has an impressive production units that include conceptualization and Copy Writing, Graphics, Designing and Execution, Pre-press, printing, exercise books manufacturing, binding, packaging and forwarding.
THE REGULAR WRITER
With
Tinashe Mutumwapavi Muchuri
The Poet and the Audience
If there is anything that performance poets want, it is to be accepted by the audience and mutually entertain the audience and take away their worries. Performance time is time to engage the mind of the viewers and listeners.
However, there are young aspiring performers who are afraid of getting aboard because of stage fright. I have a few words for them .
One can develop his/her stage skills by listening to seasoned poets, attending their live shows and participating in workshops. Above all, practice sharpens your skills. The poet must have the desire to learn more, read, listen and experiment until the stage becomes a place to enjoy oneself.
A good performance poet is never disorganized or noisy when on stage, but he/she is clearly composed and audible that every word said sinks deeper into the heart and mind of the audience. Performance poetry communicates with the heart. It is a heart-to-heart communication. If one becomes noisy, the audience is distracted from listening and would ignore the poet’s performance as they engage in own noisy discussions. The noisy performer attracts noisy audience. A good performer does not rush words, but speaks slowly and clearly using varying tones. Do not send the audience to bed.
A good performance poet communicates with the audience. The audience wants to feel that they are a part of your performance. If you leave them out of your performance, then you will be a bore, if not an ‘eyesore’. It is very important not to shy away from the audience. If the poet communicates well with the audience, every member of the audience would pay attention to the performance and thereby respect and appreciate the poetry.
A good performance poet does not use big words where small ones work wonders, does not show off to the audience how much learned he/she is.
If you bring in instruments to accompany your performance poetry, you should make sure that the instruments are really enhancing your performance. It is wrong to bring instrumentalists who compete for space with you, thereby disturb your movement.
A good performer should know the right moment to end a presentation. You should not out-perform your given slot unless the audience has clamored for more and it is in agreement with the Ceremony Director.
If you think of having collaborations, make sure you rehearse before you stage your show. Don’t take your audience for granted. Make sure your team-mates are not under the influence of alcohol. Drunkenness takes away the respect your audience have for you. Next time the audience won’t be interested in attending your show.
These are just some of my thoughts which I have always wanted to share with upcoming performance poets. Until we meet again, regards.
POETRY
Swing On
Zeal lives
where talent and skill
Unravels
Abundant
Fortune
Sweat
Spews out and trickles
Down
Like summer
Streams
Down
To the ocean
Of
Our conscience
Which
Immortally cheers us to
Swing on
And build our country in
Love and Harmony
And with talent and
Skill make our
Nation shine
By Clifford Zinyoni, Mashonaland Central
(Born in Mazowe district in Chief Makope area in the mid-seventies, Clifford Zinyoni went to St Alberts Mission for his primary and secondary education. He has taught at several schools in Centenary and currently works as an agriculturist in the Department of Agritex (Ministry of Agriculture) in Mazowe, Mashonaland Central. Zinyoni is a literature enthusiast, short story writer and poet. His favorite poet is John Keats.)
Muroora Wenyu Amai
Anondibikira mutakunanzva
Anondibata samambo
Anondida nemoyo muchena
Wenyu muroora Amai
Chidadiso
Ndi Dadirai
Chishamiso
Donhodzo remoyo wangu
Chenai moyo Amai
Dada, mweya wangu, dada
Dada, Bee, ndati fara
Dadanura moyo wako
Kumwanasikana
Fara, moyo wangu, farisisa
Wakapiwa chipo
Wakawana shamwari
Yepamoyo
Dadai Amai dadai
Ndiye wandaireva
Dadiso
Dadai
By Beaven Tapureta
(Poem first appeared in the Writers’ Scroll, Issue No 1, 2004)
CULTURE MATTERS!!! LETS WRITE!!!
Do you want to be a writer for our Shona column “Ngatinyorei”? Unodada here nerurimi rwako? Uyaluthakazelela na ulimi lwako? Uyafuna yini ukubonisana labanye endabeni zokubhala ku blog yethu? Ungathanda yini ukuba ngumlobi we non-fiction column entsha ethiwa “Kasibhaleni”? Nxa uyijabulela indaba leyi, khululeka ukhulume lathi.BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE….
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