Writers International Network Zimbabwe: WIN Newsletter, Issue No 49

EDITORIAL

Josephine Sithole-Muganiwa

WIN Board Chair

HIFA has come and gone! Hope most of you had the chance to attend. We would like to extend our gratitude to Ms. Ngwenya for her service in the Epworth office and wish her the best in her endeavours. May I also take the opportunity to encourage everyone to attend book launches to support fellow writers and promote a reading culture in the nation. Let us keep writing!

WRITERS, TIME TO GET GOLDEN!

WIN VOLUNTARY EPWORTH COORDINATOR BIDS FAREWELL

(WIN)

On The Move: The outgoing Epworth voluntary coordinator, Sindiso R. Ngwenya

Blessed are those who gladly give their voluntary service but their departure normally leaves an irreplaceable gap as we are all differently gifted.

Sindiso R. Ngwenya, who was the voluntary coordinator for Epworth Chapter, halted her service to WIN this May to start on her new lecturing job at a private academy in Epworth.

Her three months working at the WIN Community Outreach office in Epworth created an unbreakable bond between the Epworth young writers and poets and herself, a bond that now makes her believe that WIN is destined for greater things in the community and beyond.

“To say that I am parting with WIN Epworth Chapter is to create a deep wound in my heart. I am not parting but will continue to support the poets and writers whom I interacted with for the past three months,” said Ngwenya.

During her time, Ngwenya recruited a pioneering group of aspiring writers, poets, and readers, some of whom already submitted to WIN their smaller works for assessment.

Asked which memorable moments she had at Epworth Chapter office, Ngwenya said she was thrilled when a young poet would come in the office and do a poem to convince her with talent and this, she said, made her realize that Epworth is saturated with talented artists.

In terms of gender, Ngwenya said women are lagging behind in terms of their response to the community outreach programme.

“I wish women in the Epworth community could embrace reading as a tool for development,” said Ngwenya, adding that she would be there to help.

WIN currently depends on volunteers to help its administration. Meanwhile, the Director will be working in Epworth on some days and the WIN/GAT partnership office in town on others.

MYAMBO SHORTLISTED FOR CAINE PRIZE

(Article adapted from the NEWSDAY)

Tinashe Sibanda

Zimbabwean writer Melissa Thandiwe Myambo has been shortlisted for the prestigious Caine Prize for African Writing for her piece titled La Salle de Dpart (The Waiting Room).

The awards ceremony will be held in Oxford in July and the winner will walk away with 10 000. Last year, Zimbabwean writer NoViolet Bulawayo won the grand prize. Another local author Brian Chikwava won the Caine Prize in 2004.

Other shortlisted authors are from Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi and South Africa. The chairperson of judging panel, Bernardine Evaristo, has described the shortlisted literary pieces as a collection of truly diverse fiction from a truly diverse continent.
Myambo's work was selected from 122 entries from 14 African countries that were said to show the range of African fiction beyond the more stereotypical narratives.
This year the shortlisted writers will be reading from their work at the Royal Over-seas League on June 28 and at the Southbank Centre and on July 1. On June 30 the shortlisted writers will also take part in the Africa Writers Festival at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, organised by the Royal African Society.
The Caine Prize, awarded annually for African creative writing, is named after the late Sir Michael Caine, former chairman of Booker plc and chairman of the Booker Prize management committee for nearly 25 years.
The prize is awarded for a short story by an African writer published in English (indicative length 3 000 to 10 000 words). An African writer is normally taken to mean someone who was born in Africa, or who is a national of an African country, or whose parents are African, read a statement from organizers of the award.
The African winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Wole Soyinka and Nadine Gordimer, are patrons of the Caine Prize alongside Chinua Achebe, winner of the Man Booker International Prize.

{Melissa Tandiwe Myambo is the author of Jacaranda Journals (Macmillan South Africa, 2004: www.jacarandajournals.com), a collection of short stories set in Zimbabwe. Her work has also been published in Prick of the Spindle, The Montréal Review, The Journal of African Travel Writing, 34th Parallel, Opening Spaces: an anthology of contemporary African women’s writing and Wasafiri (forthcoming). “La Salle de Départ” is part of her new collection tentatively entitled Airport Stories. (www.caineprize.com)}

REMINDER!

THE REGULAR WRITER

With

Tinashe 'Mutumwapavi' Muchuri

During the HIFA week, I enjoyed my performance at the HIFA Spoken Word HIVOS Poetry Café. I enjoyed watching other poets creating an electric atmosphere at the venue. It was awesome. I had never enjoyed the beat box artists as I did at HIFA this year. I also enjoyed the poetry with mbira sounds in the background and the guitar adding value and beauty to the poetry. I did enjoy seeing all crafts on show. There were wire crafts, batik, traditional medicine, wood crafts, footwear and clothing on display. I heard the African drum beating my heart evoking the Africa in me; I did hear the mbira sounds telling me, I am the past, the present and the future.

But although I enjoyed HIFA I realized that something was missing at this festival. This something is the book. The book was not present. Apart from the book by Kumusha Remedies and Albert Nyathi’s book, ‘My Daughter’ that was also being sold at the Kumusha Remedies stand, the book was not visible at HIFA.

Why was the book absent at HIFA? Is it that the festival organizers don’t believe in the book and its value at arts festivals? Or are publishers of books snubbing the arts festivals? I have only seen one arts festival in Zimbabwe that supports the book. Intwasa (arts festival) supports the book. During the run of Intwasa, Amabooks, a Bulawayo-based publisher grabs the opportunity to showcase books they published. Intwasa also runs an Ndebele and English short story writing competition in honour of one of Zimbabwe’s departed great writers, Yvonne Vera.

There is a good but un-explored market at these arts festivals. I don’t see any harm in having a stall that will be selling the book or just displaying the book for visitors to the festival. There is also an element of foreign market at the festivals as there will be visiting book lovers who will buy the books as souvenirs.

FLASHBACK TO ZWA WRITERS’ MEETING

(April 28, Horizon Inn, Harare)

Prolific author Barbara Nkala relaxes in front of her published books before she presented at a ZWA Writer’s Meeting on Saturday, April 28, 2012.

(Picture by Tinashe Muchuri)

Writers Virginia Phiri and Josephine Sithole-Muganiwa (also WIN Board Chairperson) enjoy proceedings at the ZWA Writers’ Meeting

(Picture by Tinashe Muchuri)

NGATINYOREYI

Clever S Kavenga

Dai Baba Vangu Varipano....

Ndikanyatsofunga semafungiro angu chaiwo, mhai vanenge vanotinyebera ava! Zviripo chete zvavanoziva zvavasingadi kuti tizivewo. Kana iwo vanhu vanobva kutaundi vachazotangawo riinhi kutaura chokwadi?

Uye musi ndakanzwa Fata weRoma auya kuchikoro kumisa hanzi ndiwo, "Munhu dzidza kutaura chokwadi kutika ungova nemakomborero uye humambo hwekudenga ugozoupindawo nokusingapere."

Handiti Fata vaifananidza manyepo nechivi chinoparadza nyika? Handichazivi manje! Hana yangu ndinoinzwa ichirova: Kuti mhai vangu vanondinyepera kuti baba variko kuHarare kwavanoshanda? Dai pakauya Fata vaive varipowo pada vaizonditarisa vachiti, "Tizvirinde mwana’ngu rega ndikuudze chokwadi chokwadi chaicho nokuti humambo hwekudenga ndinohudawo." Zvino vaive vasipo vaive vaenda kumarikicho kwavaTaswerera. Kuziva kuti isabata hunge mumba zvinhu zvakaringana.

Saka nanhasi uno zvose zvavanotaura nezvababa ndinoona sezvekunyepa chete ini. Pamwe mhai vaishusha baba vakatiza vonopotera Harare kwavari nanhasi uno. Kana nemiwo munoti kana baba vangu variko, ikoko kuHarare kwavanonzi variko, vangatadze here kunyora zvavo kari katsamba zvako? Kutadza here kana kutumira katsamba-runhare pafoni yamukoma Mafinhwangei watinogarisana nawo.

Handiti Mutsemhure anoti anogara achisangana nababa nguva nenguva. Asi kuti kubva mazuva ayo akabva kuno haasati asangana nawo? Sei zvichidaro nhai Mwari wangu? Mutsemhure akapuhwa nhamba dzefoni yamukoma Mafinhwangei asi gore rawakutokwana hapana chatati tanzwa kubva kuna baba. Pamwe mudhara wangu ari kushaya mari kuti afonewo zvinoita vamwe. Kushaya dhora chairo! Dhora rokuti vambotaurewo nomudzimai wavo akavachengetera musha nokutiendesa kuchikoro. Kushaya dhora rokuti vambotaurewo neni gotwe rawo ndatokurawo kudai vasingandizivi.

Asi kuti havadiwo kuziva kuti musha wavo wakamirawo sei? Kana kuzivawo kuti dangwe rawo mukoma Takaruza vava pachidanho chipi muupenyu hwawo. Kuti Havana hany’a nazvo?

Havadiwo kuziva kuti Takaruza akamboroora asi mhai ndivo vakati aroora dzenga vakamuramba muroora iyeye. Mhai kukanganwa kuti vakauraira muroora uyu huku nembudzi pedzezvo vozoti idzenga. Kupfumbura guruva kutamba kupfumburira mahara!?

Nguva yareba zvino asi mukoma Taka havasati vawana mumwe musikana wokuroora asiri dzenga. Aaa imi hezvi ukuwo vakaroora Taisekwa havasatiwo vauya kuzobvunzira. Handiti tete Tai wacho atova nevana vaviri. Kudherera uku, kudherera nokuti pamusha pedu pano hapana munhu mukuru wechirume wavangatye. Mati dai baba vari pano vangazviite izvi- kugara nemwana wemuridzi iwe usina kana kumbobvisa kana kobiri zvaro!?

Kudherera chete uku nokuti havasati vambonzwa izwi remurume mukuru richikosora pano. Kana kumbonzwawo zizwi rechirume richiimba zvaro nziyo dzekundari mukati mekukoriwa nedoro. Zvinorovesa hana, unobva watoziva kuti pano pane muridzi wepo anoti ndepangu kudhakwa zvake. Kana uriwe ungazotora mwana wepo mahara? Kutamba pada pamusha wevaridzi? Hazviitwe!

Navowo mhai mazuva ano havachatauri nezvamudhara sezvo vaisimboita kareko. Handiti vaisiti kana watadza wonzwa vachiti, "Haa ndiwe waita izvi? Manje warara pakadoka, baba vachati vauya zvawo muchapedzerana chete. Kweteka kuzochema neni."

Nazvino tichakamirira kuuya kwababa. Mukoma Takaruza unovanzwa vachitiwo, "Kunyeba uku kudzoka kwaani!? Handiti akatanga achiri mazuva. Kubvapo akava masvondo pakapaka yove mwedzi zvino atova makore baba vachingonzi vachadzoka! Kunyeba uku kudzoka kwaani? Kwakaenda tsuro ndokwakaenda ’mbwa zvaunoona zvako Tizvirinde iwe."

Vanogaro daro mukoma Takaruza.

Gore riye reMurambatsvina takafara patakatanga kuona zvichoni zvose zvemumadhorobha zvoita rumwe rumwe zvichidzoka kuno kumusha. Ndiwo mazuva ayo takatsvetera mhai vakabvuma kuzouraya jongwe ravo rechihwamutondo ravaidisa zvikuru kana baba vadzoka kubva kudhorobha. Taida kutambira baba wedu norufaro kunyangwe zvazvo vaive vadzingwa kwavaibva! Pamwezve vanenge vasina zvavanazvo! Kutovaona mupfungwa dzedu vachisvika netwumitsoto twuri muchihomwe !

Aaa imika imi ko handiti taizviona nemeso edu aya kuti vazhinji vaingouya nemabhege uye zvihomwe zvizere mangwenjere nemitsoto zvayo. Kuuya vaine marengenya nemapatapata sevanhu vaibva kunopemha.

Varipowo vaiuya vachirwara kuti vazoonawo pokurara panodziya. Vamwe zvichoniwo sababa vangu vakasvika misha ava matongo, zvivanze zvangova zvuru zvamajuru. Vamwe vakadzi vavaiwe vasiya kumusha kuno dzangova ngano dzizere misodzi nendangariro.

Hongu pakumirira baba wedu zvose taizviona- misodzi yekusuwa, misodzi yeudai ndakaziva uyewo misodzi yemafaro ekusanganiswa kwehama neshamwari. Hongu zvose taizviona zvedu, nyemwerero dzetariro uye tsamwa dzekugumbuka! Chokwadi zvose takazvinzwa zvevakauya vasina pokutangira nevakadzi vakatiza varume vodzoka kudhorobha nekuti vaive vasina kuzvijaira zvokunochera mvura kutsime nekuenda kugomo kunowoza huni.

Zuva raibuda richidoka asi baba wedu hatina kuvaona kudzoka kwavo. Varipo vaiti nayewo baba vaiwe munzira kuuyawo kumusha kuno. Vaiti angasarire pai iro zitangwena raairoja ku ‘DZ’ raiwe rapwanyiwawo.

Noudakadaka takamirira zuva tichiti baba tichavaona hedu wouya vakabopa sutu netayi uye bhutsu dzemberi nyangwe zvazvo vainzi vaigara muchItangwena. Kutovanzwa kani baba vachitura befu vachiti, "Vana’ngu ndadzoka!" Kupembera ndokwataizoita.

Nzira takangoiringa ichipfumbidzwa navamwe vaidzoka. Baba hatina kuvaona! Pamwe vaidzoka ava ndiwo vaiziva zvaisazivikanwa nababa vangu kuti vanewo musha nemhuri, uye mombe, mbudzi nehuku pamwe nembwa. Kuziva kuti vanewo kamunda kavaikwanisa kurima kuti vararame nemhuri dzavo.

Zvino chishuwo noudakadaka zvakazosvika pakupwa pakazopera Murambatsvina. Jongwe rechihwamutondo takaridyira muhope mufunge zvenyu vanhuwe.

Kana kuti baba vakatsakatika variko kuHarare hazvina achaziva izvi. Zvino kana vakatsakatika variko kuchirungu vangatadzewo here kurotsa ini gotwe rawo kuti tizivewo pavari. Kutadza here kuuya muhope vachitaura kuti tariro yavakaronda kudhorobha haina kuzovasvitsa paida moyo asi muguva.

DON'T LET OPPORTUNITIES SLIP AWAY!

Rudo Nyangulu

“Please write me a short script and I will pay you 100 pounds. I need it on Sunday. What happens when you check your email days after Sunday?” – Rudo J Nyangulu, speaking last week at a ZIBF writers’ workshop on ICT.