EDITORIAL
Aspiring writers mixing and mingling after a meeting on July 6, 2013, at the National Art Gallery
We hope we find you well. Writing is incomplete without publishing, hence while we offer manuscript reading services, we have come to believe that we can as well be a publisher of our members' works such as short story and poetry collections and novels. We urge our new writers to be patient. Meanwhile, the deadlines for our '4 in 1' Poetry Anthology and the annual WIN/GAT Short Story Writing Competition are fast approaching. Go ahead, submit yours! Last but not least, we would like to thank writer Aaron Chiundura Moyo for the wise words of advice on July 6 and the National Art Gallery for the support. Enjoy!
WIN
PONDERS VENTURING INTO PUBLISHING
Renowned writer Aaron Chiundura Moyo who was Guest of Honor at the WIN meeting to discuss the publishing idea
WIN ongoing manuscript
assessment programme has taken a new route as the writers association now
considers possibility of expanding its wings to cover publishing writings of its members.
The idea to work with existing
publishers to discover new writing talent was discussed at a meeting held
recently with some of WIN members who have so far handed in their works for
assessment.
The meeting, held on July 6,
2013, at the National Art Gallery in the afternoon, was graced by renowned
actor and author Aaron Chiundura Moyo.
In the past few years, the
publishing industry had given up on the risk to publish new authors due to a
number of factors such as difficult business circumstances and poor general
book buying culture leading publishers to fix eyes on profitable textbook
publishing.
Furthermore, the disappointing
death in the late 90’s of the Literature Bureau, a government-run institution
which discovered some of the writers being celebrated today, left a gap in the
book industry.
In his speech, AC Moyo, now
author of about fourteen books, recollected his early days as a writer when he,
despite just too many rejections, constantly submitted his manuscripts to the
Literature Bureau. He explained the Literature Bureau’s process of manuscript
assessment and how impatient sometimes he and fellow new writers grew while
waiting for feedback. He said as an upcoming writer, he cried many times when
his manuscripts were rejected.
Admitting that publishing may
be a long road, he praised the new writers for coming together to discuss what
they need; saying meetings like these hardly took place during his days as a
new writer.
“You are lucky because your
manuscripts are being read and returned to you with reports that show you new
ways of improving your work,” he said.
Patience, he said, is important for a writer. Regarding the new WIN publishing concept, AC Moyo strengthened the
association to keep the dream alive.
During open discussion, the
members pointed out areas that matter most in this new publishing initiative
such as doing a book market research and encouraging each other to do focused
writing. Although they so much want to reach out to their communities with
their works, the members said it would also be worthwhile for WIN to engage in
dynamic ways of reaching out to the international book market. They also called
for novel writing workshops to improve their skills.
So far, about twenty
manuscripts, mostly Shona and English novels and poetry collections, have been
submitted to WIN by its members for assessment.
Some have been returned to their authors with reader reports, others are
still being read.
With enough professional
attention, WIN believes the manuscripts it so far has witnessed have the
potential of making it into the limelight as valuable contributions to the
growing Zimbabwean literature.
Below
are Pictures from the Meeting
Upcoming writers: Freedom Gengezha, Tawanda Kandenga and Aloius Sagota
Hatina Dube (upcoming poet), Tendai Chinhoro (upcoming novelist) and Liberty Chaza (upcoming poet)
WIN Director presenting
Brainstorming
Catching them young, Annabella Kumbewu, listens attentively
Nosta Kumbewu, upcoming novelist
Shuvai Mashongwa, upcoming novelist
'We got style': Group photo of new writers who attended the meeting
KWANI? MANUSCRIPT PROJECT WINNERS
Here are the winners of the Kwani? Manuscript Project as announced by Kwani Trust
First Prize
Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi (Uganda)
Title of manuscript: The Kintu Saga
Second Prize
Saah Millimono (Liberia)
Title of Manuscript: One Day I will write About This War
Third Prize
Timothy Kiprop Kimutai (Kenya)
Title of Manuscript: The Water Spirits
THE REGULAR WRITER
Creative
Writing Tips
With
Christopher
Mlalazi
Perseverance
Many of us, from the time we
start writing, have a deep wish to be ‘big’ writers one day, and we have our
role models from the creative writing world who inspire that dream, those big
names, Dambudzo Marechera, Salman Rushdie, Joyce James, etc. With those names
in mind, and the aura of fame around them, we often make the mistake of
thinking that they got to peak of the proverbial Mount Everest overnight, or
instantly. With that we find ourselves writing in a rush, thinking that as soon
as we finish our manuscripts tomorrow we will be sitting with the Gods and
basking in the glory. But this is not
the case at all, all great writers toiled through years and years of manuscripts
that first did not work, of frustration, of even thinking of abandoning
writing, until, years and years later, and now through experience, and
countless manuscripts, they finally wrote something that worked. Invest in patience, your day is waiting ahead
for you in the future, you only have to work that much more harder for you to
make it come nearer.
NGATINYOREI
Bhachi Ramukoma Mutsemhure
Na Clever S Kavenga (Mutare)
Chikamu 2
Nguva nenguva ndainetsekana
nebhachi ramukoma Mutsemhure. Bhachi rainge rake pedzezvo
ronge harisi rake zvakare! Bhachi tsvuku iro vaisamboda
kuti rive zvaro nekanonzi katsvina zvako. Bhachi tsvuku raipfekwa
roitazve serisingapfekwi! Nguva zhinji waingoriona
rakabatirwa mumaoko.
Zvino ndichiri kudhonzana
nepfungwa dzavazhinji dzokuti bhachi iri rinenge risiri remunhu anoripfeka ndakasangana nevamwe vasikana vana. Vaikurukura zvavo vakatakura
masvinga avo ehuni. Vaikurukura vachitoseka chikuwe
sezvinonzi vakatakura zvinhu zvisingareme! Vaitaura nezvebhachi ramukoma
Mutsemhure hongu. Mazwi avo aive azere nekarufaro kaiunzwa nezvo vaikurukura
panguva iyi. Ndakanzwa sevaiti bhachi iri
rinenge raive bhachi rechikadzi! Ndoda kunyatsonzwa vabva
vangoti uyu kwake uyu kwake sezvo vaive wotopinda mumisha.
Ndazongosara nepfungwa yokuti zvinoreva here kuti mukoma Mutsemhure vaisaziva kuti bhachi ravo , bhachi
ravanodisa nokuti rakanaka, bhachi ravaibatisisa sezai,
raive bhachi rechikadzi?
Pandakazoona mukuru uyu ari
munzira inopfuura nekumagirosa ndakafara.
Vaimbumura fodya yavo vachiita
sevainyatsoteerera mafambiro aiita hutsi
nemunhuwi wefodya iyi mutsinga dzenyama dzavo. Takasweresana vakadavira
zvakanaka-naka.
Ndaigaya kuti ndoitanga sei
nyaya iye, nyaya yebhachi iye.
Takafambidzana kwekachinhambwe
ndipo pandakazovabvunza zvangu ndichiti, "Ko nhai mukoma hindava
kusapfeka bhachi renyu nhasi? Pose pamunenge makapfeka bhachi renyu munenge muri ‘ Huzu’
chaiye! Hapana anoti pwee mumana rino
rose hapana. Handinyebi ini , kana VaTaswerera chaivo vanotokuzezai
vachikuonai makaripfeka."
Apa
dzakanyemwerera zvadzo ndokukweva fodya yadzo zvinyoro nyoro ndokuti, “Hohoo bhachi?” nezwi rinenge raive
nezvaraifunga panguva iyi.
Dzatanga kufuridza hutsi huye
wadzaive dzambokweva muhwezva wacho huchitsakatikira mumhepo ndinoutarisa
zvangu.
Dzadzokorora zvakare nezwi
rakapfava; “Ho hoo unoreva bhachi rangu nhai?”
Apa ndamudavirawo ndichiti, "Hongu bhachi renyu tsvuku riye rakanaka sezvinonzi harina parakasonwa! Bhachi rakanaka rinoita
sezvinonzi harizombofi rakasakara richibvarukawo zvinoita zvimwe zvipfeko."
Mukoma Mutsemhure vanoseka. Vanoramba vachiseka
votozopedzisira vakatyidzwa! Ndaona twumisodzi mumaziso
mavo, twumisodzi twekufara
ndinodavira kudaro ini.
Mukoma Mutsemhure
vanditarisazve kwekanguva vachingonoseka zvavo zvinombovhiringidzwa nekakukosora.
Ndazonzwa vachiti; “ Heya
bhachi ndoraunoreva nhai?”
Vambonyararazve ndokubvisa
gararwa riri pahuro pavo vachirisvipira kwakadaro uko .
“Rungano unoda kuziva
nezvebhachi rangu une mari here iwe.?”
‘Mari!?’
Ndabvunza kudaro.
“Ehee mari handiti unoda
kuziva? Mazuva ano hapana chemahara mupfana ndikuudze!
Patumari twako twekumaricho
twuye chingobvisa dhora zvaro dhora chete chete ndobva ndangokurudunurira nyaya
yose.”
Apa ndinomboseka apa.
Pava paye ndazonzwa woti, “Kutamba zvangu mupfana, handisikuda mari yako handidi kuti pose paunozotarisa
mhoni dziri muzvanza zvako wondiridzira tsamwa wofunga dhora rako. Zvino chinzwa unzwe, bhachi
riye rine nhoroondo. Ibhachi randakatenga ndiri
mudenga rechinomwe ndakadhakwa nerwunonzi rudo. Hongu ibhachi randakatenga
ndizere netariro yerufaro rwaizotevera mangwana nemazuva mazuva nemazuva aizouya.
“Zvaunoona mupfana dzimwe ndangariro dzinodzimba kwazvo
dzinenge chironda hachidi kuramba chichingopenengurwa hachipore waona. Asi chirega zvako unzwe kani
mupfana wangu.”
Apa vambotarisa rutivi , pada
havadi kuti ndione misodzi iyo yoangarara mumaziso mavo.
Dzingadaro dzaive ndangariro
dzaive dzoita mudzuwerere mupfungwa dzavo.
Vatanga zvino kutaura nezwi
rakaderera zvinogombedzerwa netsamwa apo nepapo vachiti, “Sinodhiya wakaenda unozviziva
newewo Rungano, chaakasiya ndiroro bhachi rakasonerwa ndangariro dzerudo rwangu
kwaari. Bhachi raSinodhiya raasina
mumwewo zvawo musi waakaripfeka. Bhachi tsvuku randakatenga moyo
uzere nerufaro ndichibaiwa baiwa nerudo
rwaindipa manyemwe. Ndakaritenga pakati kati pemoyo
weguta reHarare. Raive muchitoro chakashongedzwa
nemaruva matsvuku akanaka sezvo zuva randakaritenga bhachi iri raive zuva
rinopembedzwa nekurangarirwa kwerudo. Ndakaritenga
ndichingonyenyeutsa nyemwerero ndichitizve Sinodhiya paachazoripfekawo
acharipfeka achinyemwererawo nekasingapere!...
POETRY
In
our previous issue, under this poetry column we published a poem by Gwendolyn
Brooks. In this issue, our focus still remains on African American women in
literature and we continue to celebrate Brooks.
Old Mary
By Gwendolyn Brooks
Mt last defense
Is the present tense.
It little hurts me now to know
I shall not go
Cathedral-hunting in Spain
Nor cherrying in Michigan or Maine
IN
OUR NEXT ISSUE:
UPDATE
ON OUR EPWORTH COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMME
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KEEP WRITING! KEEP WRITING!
