EDITORIAL
WIN-Zimbabwe Founder and Director, Beaven Tapureta
Dear
Friends, it is that time of the year again when we re-digest the year in
retrospection. How great it feels to have something you can call ‘last’ which
implies there was the ‘first’. This is our last newsletter for 2014 and if
truth be told, it really has been exciting. Thank you for reading. Although
certain realities tried to debilitate our vision, we stood strong, knowing that
writing and reading are essentials to you, us and posterity. We are grateful
for the amazing support we received from writers (published and unpublished),
publishers, organisations, friends and relatives. We would like to thank most
the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust who made it possible for WIN-Zimbabwe to be
accommodated in the CBD. With a room of our own in town, you can imagine the
magic that a writer can make happen. We are aware that we, at times, just as some
other creators in Zimbabwe, create under very difficult and pitiful
circumstances but we forge ahead because there are certain passions you cannot
let go. One day it will be well. We cannot forget Auntie Thelma Boettrich for
housing us before we moved into the city centre and the inspiration. We cannot
forget all of you who supported us with unconditional love. The WIN Advisory
Board, Founder & Director and our team of assistants would like to wish you
a Happy Christmas and Prosperous 2015. The blog carries so many memories of
2014 and all one needs to do is relax and sail through.
May God
bless you all, please enjoy!
BHABHU BOOKS CALLING FOR SHONA STORIES
Writer and Storyteller Ignatius Mabasa
Writers
in Shona language have an opportunity already knocking on their doors as a local
publishing house Bhabhu Books recently launched calls for Shona short stories
for possible publication in a forthcoming anthology titled ‘Makore Asina
Mvura’.
Bhabhu
Books, which is run by award-winning author Ignatius Tirivangani Mabasa, says
it has been moved by the growing number of Shona writers who are devoid of
means to publish their works.
“We hope that this anthology will offer talented Shona writers
the opportunity to be published, get known and grow the Shona language,” said
Bhabhu Books in a statement.
As this
anthology will be one of the great ways in which Bhabhu is promoting and
preserving Shona language, writers are encouraged not to expect any royalties.
However, the publisher has devised other means of rewarding contributors.
“No fees, honorarium or royalties will be paid on
publication. Each contributing author will receive 10 free copies of the anthology
and if they need more copies will be able to buy at the wholesale price from
Bhabhu Books. Thereafter if Bhabhu Books sells permissions on your story, you
will be entitled to 60 per cent of any fee charged, and Bhabhu 40 per cent, 20
per cent of which will go to admin costs,” the statement said.
Bhabhu Books specializes in publishing Shona books and promoting
a reading culture. It was formed about four years ago by Mabasa who authored
the novels ‘Mapenzi’, ‘Ndafa Here?’ and ‘Imbwa YeMunhu’. Bhabhu Books has so
far published writers such as Tinashe Muchuri, Memory Chirere, Jerry Zondo and
Chenjerai Mazambani.
The
stories Bhabhu Books is looking for under the title ‘Makore Asina Mvura’,
should ‘focus on the metaphorical and even real
aspects of this phrase’. Only 10-15 stories
will be selected. The length of the story
should be between 1500 and 5000 words and the deadline for submission is
Friday, February 20, 2015.
Send your stories to ignatiusmabasa@gmail.com marked ‘Makore Asina Mvura’ in the subject and
stating your name, age, gender and contact details. For
more information, visit: www.bhabhubooks.com
MARANGWANDA LAUNCHES 'SHARDS'
Cynthia Marangwanda's parents came to support their daughter at the launch
Spoken
word artist and writer Cynthia Marangwanda-Banda, also known as Flowchyld,
officially launched her novella ‘Shards’ last evening (December 23).
The
Book Café, at which the launch took place, teemed with Cynthia’s fellow poets
and most wonderful was the presence of the author’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. FJ
Marangwanda, and family members.
The
launch began with Cynthia reading from her novella. Then in a rare model of a
literary conversation between author and husband (poet Michael Banda), Cynthia
said she chose the title ‘Shards’ because the characters in the story have
fractured minds and souls.
If you
are used to literary conversations, you will never stop asking if the
conversation would have been different had a different writer/literary critic anchored
it? How much is exposed or hidden in kinds of public literary conversations
conducted between the author and his/her spouse?
Asked
if the novella which is based on African traditional spirituality was kind of
campaign material, she said as an author she only write ‘to tell a story’ and
how readers respond to it is a matter of their own knowledge and free
viewpoints.
Different
questions from the audience followed after the conversation and issues of
schizophrenia, DNA, and anarchy in relation to the context in ‘Shards’ were
scrutinized.
Cynthia
said it only took her one year to put together ‘Shards’ which initially emerged
in fragments. The book is available at the Book Café Bookshop for US$12.50 a
copy.
Guests
at the launch were also treated to cool jazz music from Vera, a new local
songster.
For a
review of ‘Shards’, you can go to this link: Writing Runs In This Family
THE YOUTH PERSPECTIVE
With
Mimi
Machakaire
Multi-talents
in this world
How
many things can you say you can do? Can you play the piano and allow your
fingers to move in melody as one? Or sing a solo in a choir and take the
audiences breath away with your vocal ability? Can you write poetry and deliver
the words as good on paper as you can speak? Or can you rap and tell a story
within those energetic rhythms? Or can you solve a mathematical equation
without missing a beat? Or better yet still can you do all of the above and
more at the same time? It’s interesting to watch one perform more than what we
have already seen on and off stage because it makes us realize that we truly
have been blessed by the Lord with these gifts of skills but the real question
is how can you use all of these options to your advantage?
As
youths we envy those who can call themselves by multiple names and have the
skills to back it up as well but the thing we need to remember is that everyone
is diverse. We cannot be jealous of the person next to us who can sing, dance
and act; and sadly enough, they are now seen as a threat. We should be
congratulating those who can do all these activities and at the same time see
how best we can learn from them. But then there are those who take these gifts
for granted and don’t know how to use them for something that will help others
in the future. They take the easy way out and do not realize that there are so
many others out there who wish they had as much talent as others have.
The
world has so many doors open to them because of the variety that they have from
within and if you look hard enough you can find those opportunities that will
help you build a nice life for yourself and your loved ones. The best way to
find these opportunities is to ask around and do your homework. Furthermore, do
your research with every kind of media that you can get your hands on because
these days many people from the older generation are looking for kids with
these talents to help them. Believe it or not, adults of today are being brave
enough about asking kids for help because they know there is something that
they do not know, that you might know. Listen to the conversations the adults
are having amongst themselves and you will find that most of them are aiming to
take advantage of us kids.
This
time round instead of them taking advantage of us let us take advantage of them
and see how best we can utilize our findings. Let us tip the scales and use the
information to develop the world of creativity and have extra child stars out
there shining more than the elders once did in the 70s and 80s. Let us develop
the world of academics and have a teenager as a CEO of a business knowing that
fresher and newer ideas will be pouring into the company name and having our
future looking brighter than ever. And finally let’s develop the world of
literature and make sure that our stories are continuously being told in a more
entertaining fashion because if we keep having adults tell their side, then how
do we fit ourselves into the scene?
It
would be amazing to see young faces being successful for a change instead of watching
the unstable fall and being a bad influence to future geniuses out there who
are being born every minute every day.
The multi-talents on earth need to share the gifts with the whole world
and realize that there is a reason why they were put in this position of inner
power. It is not good to withdraw and keep one’s gift to yourself. Let us wake
up every day and say, “I’ve made a difference in someone’s life; let’s hope and
pray that they have taken in what I’ve taught them and maybe there will be a
positive tomorrow.”
With that thought in mind I have this to leave
you with. If you know that you can perform unusual and exciting new endowments
do not forget that someone next to you also wish that they could do what you are
doing. Be proud of the person you are as a multi-talented individual and have
enough humility to teach those who do not know how to do it because as youths
we want to eventually take over and we cannot do that if there is no one like
us, who is for us, to lead us into the battle to rescue the gifts we have.
Thank
you very much for reading my column. Enjoy your Christmas and a Happy New Year!
TENDAI HUCHU'S LATEST OFFERING
Surely,
personal bookshelves will soon or later sag under overload of new Zimbabwean books
as local publishers (new and established) continue to produce books almost at
brief intervals. One of the publishers, Bulawayo-based Amabooks, this year
published well-known writer Tendai Huchu’s second novel titled ‘The Maestro,
The Magistrate and The Mathematician’. We indeed look forward to reading
Huchu’s second offering. His first novel is called ‘The Hairdresser of Harare’
and is also available from Weaver Press in Harare.
CREATIVITY AND OUR COMMUNITY
With
Tendai
Chinhoro
The other
way in which societal institutions stifle creative talents and intelligent
people is through the financial costs one has to endure to realise their
potential. For example in Zimbabwe, most young people who are musically
talented bemoan lack of financial capacity to have their music recorded due to
the high financial requirements that are needed for one to enter a recording
studio. Similarly intelligent people might see their intelligence going to
waste due to, for example, high tuition fees demanded by learning institutions
where one can go to study for higher education. However talent development
according to Thomas (2013) does not need much money. Societal institutions like
schools do not need huge funds to let the children sit and imagine and put it
to paper. For example, in painting the most basic resource needed is paper, a
set of pencils, maybe with colours. And in most cases, it is all brought to
school by the student. Thus, in the elementary stages of talent cultivation,
not much money is involved and it is this formative stage that is the most
important.
Adding to
the above line of argument Thomas (2013) goes on to say that art is a person's
inherent skill and it is the true expression of his or her inner being. He or
she is not taught art but was rather born with it, now since he or she was
gifted with this free of cost, s/he must put in some effort in life. Now the
effort s/he puts in is the risk s/he faces by going up against a hostile world
which looks down upon him or her. Sandra Ndebele is one
such person who pursued a career opposite to her belief systems and was met
with a lot of reprimand from family and community around. Being Pastor’s
daughter, her music and style of dancing was met with opposition as it went
against her belief systems. Nothing good comes free and the price one pays for
becoming an artist is by risking his or her life. Given this scenario artists
must not bother if no one ever patted them on the back and encouraged him.
However,
the argument that artists must not bother if no one encourages them tend to be
ignorant of the power and influence of culture. In India for example, people
who pursue art are stigmatised so much by the orthodox society that they tend
to conceal their talents and creativity in art as if it was something to be
ashamed of. The popular careers there are into science and technology
especially engineering. In Indian thinking, no art or language has changed the
way humans live, no art has ever revolutionised life as a whole, so artists are
not considered a prerequisite for a developed nation of the modern era. This
kind of thinking is also typical in Zimbabwean society. Now looking at Abraham Maslow’s esteem needs on the
hierarchy of needs theory, it follows that people
need to feel good about themselves, to feel that they have earned the respect
of others, in order to feel satisfied, self-confident and valuable. If these
needs are not met, the person feels inferior, weak, helpless and worthless
leading to the concept of fear of success or doubting their talent. Some
researchers believe that the "fear of success" syndrome first
introduced by Horner (1972) may be a key factor in understanding the problems
facing gifted women. Fear of success may cause some talented women to believe
that they will be rejected by their peers or that they will appear undesirable
to the opposite sex if they are too competent or successful. Horner (1972)
explained that many capable young women change their plans to accommodate a
less ambitious, more traditionally acceptable roles. Thus creative talents are
generally regarded as a waste in most Zimbabwean communities, the bearers of
such talents end up giving up on them to pursue the generally socially
accepted academic root.
Educational
policy and system in Zimbabwe is also a culprit in undermining creative talents
According to Reis (2000) the current education system in America is
"educating people out of their creativity". This also applies to the
Zimbabwean situation where academic learning is upheld at family, community,
school and policy level. Even though room has been made for creative pupils
with the introduction of some art, literature and practical subjects and
courses, still the employment environment seem to promote giftedness in the
smart students. Even on prize giving ceremonies most emphasis is on academic
subjects. Many characters that were so talented and gifted in acting in
Zimbabwe such as Mukadota, Paraffin, now Gringo, Kapfupi and Sabhuku Vhara
Zipi, there is not much being done to promote them in the art industry. Weis
(2000) adds that the classroom isn’t designed for impulsive and creative
expression. Instead, it’s all about obeying group dynamics and exerting focused
attention. Those are important life skills, of course, but decades of
psychological research suggest that such skills have little to do with
creativity. Expectation of conformity that governs the classroom learning runs
contrary to the spirit of creativity. Buescher and his associates (1987)
studied gifted adolescent boys and girls and found that while 15% of boys hide
their ability in school, 65% of girls consistently hide their talents. Reis
(1998) found that gifted girls do not want to be considered different from
their friends and same-age peers. For many gifted girls, however, the problem
becomes more difficult as they become women and their talents and gifts set
them apart from their peers and friends. In addition to hiding abilities, some
gifted and talented individuals begin to doubt that they have abilities. In a
study of female graduates who attended a school for gifted students for five
decades, Walker, Reis, & Leonard (1992) found that three out of four women
did not believe they had superior intelligence. If women do not recognize their
potential, they often do not fulfil it. In this study, it was found that these
gifted women selected mediocre and gender stereotypic jobs, usually due to
pressure from parents and teachers.
In
addition to the education system that is discriminatory against creative
talents the school environment also plays a role in stifling the growth of such
talents. One of the most consistent findings in educational studies of
creativity has been that teachers dislike personality traits associated with
creativity. Research has indicated that teachers prefer traits that seem to run
counter to creativity, such as conformity and unquestioning acceptance of
authority (Bachtold, 1974). The reason for teachers’ preferences is quite clear
creative people tend to have traits that some have referred to as obnoxious
(Torrance, 1963). Torrance (1963) describes creative people as not having the
time to be courteous, as refusing to take no for an answer, and as being negativistic
and critical of others. Research has suggested that traits associated with
creativity may not only be neglected, but actively punished. Stone (1980) found
that second graders who scored highest on tests of creativity were also those
identified by their peers as engaging in the most misbehaviour, like getting in
trouble the most. Given that research and theory suggest that a supportive
environment is important to the fostering of creative talent; it is quite
possible that teachers are, perhaps unwittingly, extinguishing creative
behaviours.
HIS DEBUT SHONA NOVEL COMING NEXT YEAR
Muchuri reading from forthcoming novel 'Chibarabada' at a ZWA literary function in Harare this year
Tinashe
Muchuri, a spoken word artist, poet, writer and actor, will be publishing his
novel titled ‘Chibarabada’ next year. How good it would be to finally hold the
book in our hands and enjoy it! He has been reading excerpts of novel at
different literary events. We are sure one day Muchuri will tell us the journey
of patience the manuscript has walked so far before publication.
The
picture below shows fellow writer, poet and actor Lexta Mafumhe Mutasa holds the
‘Chibarabada’ manuscript while enjoying at the 2011 WIN Writers’ End of Year
Get-Together at the Book Café. Next to Mutasa is Mashingaidze Gomo, author of a
thrilling book ‘A Fine Madness’ and to his left, is Clever Kavenga, a published
children’s literature writer.
POETRY
Festive
Season Poem
By
Mudikani Gondora
and
Donald Chiutsi
Mudikani: I felt
it around me
And I
have it secured in my heart.
Well I
could almost touch it and
Hold
it,
Instead
let me share it with you.
That
special feeling
Joy so
real
It’s
that spirit of the moment
Filling
up the young and old yet young at heart
A
spirit which revives
So
welcoming and hearty
Ooh
that festive spirit
Let it
in
Feel it
within
And
share it around
Take a
step into the scene and live
The
passion of the spirit
Donald: Festive
season is here
I can
feel it
My
heartbeat skips with happiness
Skyline
so lurid
Joy and
jubilation written on each and everyone’s face
Passion
and zeal burn like fire
Heart
leaps with joy, embracing
The
spirit of happiness
Zeal
burning like fire
A fire
that purifies love
Igniting
the spirit of giving and sharing
It is
very possible for us to survive
By
Pumulani Chipandamira
We wish
to be victims of a massacre
At this
home dying is not easier
We are
begging to die earlier
Dying
is harder
Life no
longer frightens us
Our
lives are an account of suffering
Everlasting
life they ushered to us
Is
meaningless
And
they brag it is only for dogs
They
taught us how to think and live
We are
persecuted and tortured
Whenever
we fight and strive for our death
It is
very
Possible
For
Us
Not to
die
We wish
you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
