Writers International Network Zimbabwe: WIN Newsletter, Issue No 74

EDITORIAL

A pupil from Makomo Primary School, Epworth, performing his poem at the official launch of the Epworth Community Outreach Programme last year. The launch took place at Domboramwari High, Epworth

WELCOME to our first newsletter of 2014, being the 74th issue. Hopefully you are all well and writing. 2013 was a year in its own class indeed, with various literary activities happening around the country. Book launches, writers' meetings, book fairs, outreaches, etc. And your support was overwhelming. We would like to thank our sponsors of the Epworth Community Outreach Programme, the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust (in partnership with Sweden), for making it happen in Epworth. We are proud to say we now have a Branch in Epworth with a very supportive Committee. The Outreach continues.... WIN wishes to make up for the postponed writing skills training workshop with a two-day workshop that will, as we announced last year, include novel writing. Winners of the 2013 WIN Short Story Writing Competition will also be awarded with prizes at a ceremony to be announced in due course. Manuscript assessment has been prioritized this year as the basis for WIN's vision of a Publishing Unit that will transform aspiring writers' dreams into reality. We cannot, as a country, afford to lose literary talent as writers are 'surgeons' of society. We also haven't forgotten our '4 in 1' Poerty Anthology. We now only accept poems in Ndebele and Tonga as there were few submissions in these mother languages. In this issue we have introduced a new column The Youth Perspective to give a voice to young people who wish to share observations they make in life through writing. The trailblazer for this column is Mimi Machakaire, a very enthusiatic young writer. Please do enjoy!

GLEN VIEW 2 HIGH STUDENT SHINES AGAIN

Evelyn Chiradza presenting a poem at a WIN meeting last year at the the National Art Gallery

Sixteen year old aspiring writer Evelyn Chiradza from Glen View 2 High Writers Club has so far graced the two editions of the WIN Short Story Writing Competition as a winner.

In the inaugural 2012 Competition Evelyn won 3^rd Prize in the Shona Category for her short story titled Zuva Randisingakanganwe.

Last year, she won 2^nd Prize in the Junior Category for her story Nguruve Yakazvikanga Nemafuta Ayo which is published below.

Together with fellow club members Evelyn has poems and short stories published in booklets produced from a writing skills training workshop conducted by Centre for Development of Women and Children in collaboration with WIN-Zimbabwe.

Nguruve yakazvikanga nemafuta ayo

Na Evelyn Chiradza, Glen View 2 High, Harare

Waiva musi wa27 Kubvumbi 2013.

VaZimunya vakamuka runyanhiriri kugadzirira kunokohwa twubage twavo twavainge vasiya nezuro wezuva iri.

“Rega ndibve ndangomubikira svutugadzike ndingoisira imomo, wavakuda kurebesa muswe mhani!” VaZimunya vakadaro apo vainge votogumha chikuni chaiva muchoto kuti vabatidze moto wekubikisa svutu yavaitaura iyi.

Vakabika svutugadzike yavo nechimbichimbi. Apa mvura painge yopisa vaitotswanya-tswanya midzi yavainge vatotsvaga kare. Pachokwadi hama dzangu shirikadzi yainge yoda kuuraya muroora, mukadzi wemwanakomana wayo. Vakaita izvi pasina avaona nekuti zuva rainge risati rakwazisana nenyika. Muroora wavo Manyoni ainge atomukawo kare ari kwake kudhanduru achinetsana nezvirukwa zvake zvaairuka.

VaZimunya vaipfuura nepamberi pemba yaiva inaManyoni. Sezvo Manyoni aive akati zarurei musuwo, aitoona kuuya kwavamwene vake.

“Mangwanani Amai,” Manyoni akadaro achipfugama kuratidza kuti aive abva kuvanhu.

Semunhu ainyepera rudo netsika VaZimunya vakapfugamawo.

“Tamuka mamukawo muroora, ko chando hamuchinzwe here zvamusina juzi kana kufuga chari zvayo?”

“Regai ndipfeke juzi chokwadi amai, chando chatondipinda. Dai Memory amuka atombondidziisira svutugadzike,” akadaro Manyoni. Apokaapo hama dzangu ndizvo chaizvo zvaikwenyerwa mhuno nekasiyanwa naVaZimunya.

“Zvoga here muroora? Ndabvira kare zvangu kunzwa kuti wamuka nemushina wako uyu wange uchitinhira ndatenge ndabika kare tea mugonwa.”

Manyoni akabva atanga kutenda achiombera,”Iii maita zvenyu amai, regai ndipedzise chirukwa chino nditononwa.”

VaZimunya vakabva vasimuka voenda vachisekerera vachiti zvavo zvainge zvaita. Zino irema chokwadi.

Dai VaZimunya vaive vasina godo, daka rese iri pangadai pasina. Pasina chinguva Manyoni akabva aswededza svutugadzike yake pedyo nemoto. Paakazopedza chirukwa chake akaona kuti zuva rainge ramhanya achibva angotora svutugadzike ndiye hutu akananga kumunda kwaive navamwene vake.

VaZimunya semunhu ainge ave nenzara vakainwira zvekuenda. Vapedza vakabva vazembera badza negokora ndokuti, “Manwa here nhai Manyoni?”

“Hongu Amai maita zvenyu. Ndange ndafa nechando,”Manyoni akareva nhema.

VaZimunya vakabva vaenda kwavainge vasiira ndima yavo uyuwo Manyoni akabva adzokera kunosuka ndiro achiti aizodzoka kana apedza.

Nenguva isipi kusunga kwemudumbu pamwe nekumira moyo kwakanzwikwa naVaZimunya. Vakatadza nokudaidzira rubatsiro chairwo nekuda kwemarwadzo. Zvino vainge voti kurutsa, kuzvimba dumbu nekutanga kuumburuka mumhukuti imomo. Nenguva diki shirikadzi yakarisiya rakacheka nyika.

Manyoni apedza twubasa twake pamba akabva ati kuna Memory, “Rega ndichienda kumunda kunobatsira vamwene. Iwe Memory mwanangu chisara uchibika sadza tinodzoka zvino zvino tave nenzara zimhandara.”

Manyoni akapedza kutaura mashoko aya atove munzira.

Asati arova nhanho iwe, akaona tsvukukuviri asi hazvina kumbomutyisa. Ava mudundura pedyo nemunda waive navamwene vake, hana yake yakatanga kurova. Paakasimudza meso ake achipinda mumunda akaona haanoi mashura amai vainge vatogunduruka. Zvakamunetsa chaizvo kuti chii chainge chaiitika. Akashaya pekubata apo akaona changove chando muviri wavamwene vake. Akambofunga kuti airota asi akaona chiri chokwadi chaiva mumeso achibva atanga kuzhambatata.

“Amai kani, chiiko chakudyai?”

Pasina chinguva ruzhinji rwakange rwatekeshera kare kubvunzurudzwa kwaManyoni kukavepo asi Manyoni akavaudza kuti ainge asina chigumbu navamwene vake.

ZIBF HEEDS WRITERS' CONCERNS

By Beaven Tapureta

(Article first appeared in the online Panorama Magazine on January 28, 2014)

Musaemura Zimunya, ZIBF Executive Board Chairperson

Following recommendations made last year by writers to have a whole conference devoted to indigenous languages and knowledge systems in Africa, the Zimbabwe International Book Fair (ZIBF) has responded.

The 2014 theme is: “Indigenous Languages, Literature, Art and Knowledge Systems of Africa”.

Writers who attended last year’s ZIBF Writers Workshop raised a heated and prolonged debate on indigenous languages and recommended that ZIBF considers providing a whole conference devoted to the topic.

Musaemura Zimunya, the ZIBF Executive Board Chairperson, said the theme had been built around factors among which included “the compelling indications” from the ZIBF 2013 Writers Workshop regarding the urgency to recognize African languages, literatures and art forms as creative media and repositories of knowledge systems deserving as much attention as languages and literatures conveyed in English and other Western languages.

Author Ignatius Tirivangani Mabasa triggered an engaging discussion on mother languages when he presented his paper titled “Behind my Children’s stories” during the Writers’ Workshop which focused on writing for children.

He uses modernised folklore to create stories which children can easily identify with without losing the essence that develops them into responsible adults.

Other writers questioned the suitability of modernised folklore which, they said, may not appeal to rural children.

Mabasa’s argument is that he attempts to respond to social changes and accused educationists of conspiring to destroy mother languages by making it difficult at school.

Students have shunned local languages at high school citing them as complex subjects. Mabasa used his award-winning book Mapenzi which was also a prescribed school text at Advanced Level.

At the same workshop which was attended by published and unpublished writers, renowned writer and actor Aaron Chiundura-Moyo questioned why the Curriculum Development Unit penalises students who respond to examination questions in their own dialects. Dialects, he said, should be recognized at final school examinations.

According to Zimunya, factors that contributed to this year’s theme include, among others, limited time the 2013 Indaba Conference allocated to important deliberations on African languages, literatures, heritage and knowledge systems, and patterns and benefits of the use of African medicines and the dangers of losing valuable health practices due to prejudice and official neglect and the timely movement to beneficiate African heritages through the tourism economy.

Following the announcement of this year’s theme, Zimunya said the main Book Fair will run from July 28 to August 2 while the Bulawayo, Masvingo, Mutare and Gweru book fairs will take place from March 28 to 29, May 30 to 31, September 26 to 27, and October 24 to 25 respectively.

WIN WHATSAPP PLATFORM HELPFUL

USA-based Zimbabwean writer Emmanuel Sigauke

WIN-Zimbabwe’s bid to constantly create links and platforms that enable its members to express their aspirations is paying off with the association’s Whatsapp group proving to be an indispensable meeting place.

The group, created on November 13, 2013, has given aspiring writers an opportunity to get instant answers from the office regarding any literary matter and also to exchange information with fellow writers.

USA-based Zimbabwean writer, Emmanuel Sigauke, who also sits on WIN Advisory Board, is in the group and has become the anchorman for the group, motivating the aspiring writers with valuable information and ideas.

Members such as Witness Mujubi, Alois Sagota, Gweru-based Tendai Chinhoro and others have shared with others their short poems and extracts from their unpublished manuscripts. The feedback has been helpful.

Among other burning issues, the group, which also includes Christian writers, has discussed Christian literature, copyright, the local publishing industry and the plight of unpublished writers in the face of economic hardship.

The Whatsapp Group is a free platform which allows members to join via Admin and leave anytime maybe due to other pressures in their daily lives. Below is a poem by Witness Mujubi, who is currently in South Africa, shared on the platform:

Witness Mujubi

Pasi godi dzangu nhendeshure dzorova

Kareyo nzanga isati yarohwa neyeunhubu nyundo

Pasichigare vatana vachiri vapenenguro

Mazuvayo nzanga ichigere kuodzwa

Bodo zvanhasi unhu wasvodzwa

Rusvava kupisa musoro serechirimo

Makaringa dzimba atova matongo

Sei sorojena asi makasungwa muromo

Kutopa gotsi hamuoni tawira mumangondo

Dzorai vanhasi

Isu toshuwira mano

Witness Mujubi was born in June 1988 in Chipinge. He did his primary and secondary education at Devuli Primary and Secondary Schools in Buhera. He proceeded to Goko High for his Advanced Level studies. He left Zimbabwe in 2010 for South Africa where he is currently staying.

THE YOUTH PERSPECTIVE

Imagination

Mimi Machakaire

Imagination is a gift many of us receive. It is within us for years and all we have to do is believe. Imagination breathes life into what is seen to be dead. Imagination is strong enough to take something old and make it new. As youths we possess this power and use it to entertain ourselves but somehow as we grow our imagination is left behind and yet still forever it stays by our side. We later learn how to use our imagination to our advantage and take it all in stride. We look at other sources that help us see what is in our minds. We hope that others will understand our views and decide to stay by our side. We wander and explore a different world and then somehow bring it to life.

Some forget the beauty that imagination can hold. Every single mind has its own story to be told. We allow books, music and movies to describe the stories that we choose to think. Though there is a chance that it may not always appear as accurate as possible, we still decide to either swim or sink. We entrust those skillful hands to recreate that which we see in our imagination. We let complicated matters take place in the hope that they set our minds free. If what we have imagined is as accurate as we hoped, we continue to look deeper and further as though searching through a telescope. We attempt to materialize all which we see in our minds. We do not give up until the puzzle is complete.

Imagination has a way of revealing the intelligence of one particular human being. As we always try to uncover the stories that we read, we wonder how the individual has managed to think of such a plot. When we finally get the answer we either accept it or think it not. Even though we do not know or have not met the person who has created that said set, we judge them using the story that they have told despite how our actions may seem cold.

I love how our imagination can take us into another world. How ideas can just spin, circle and swirl! There are no rules or regulations; it’s filled with nothing but our hopes, dreams and anticipations. Imagination can take a simple object and turn into a huge project. It can take whatever you see and allow it to fly as you set it free. You can become whoever you want to be. No one can change what you see in your mind. It is yours and yours alone, which makes it harder for others to look for what they think they can find in you.

(Mimi Machakaire was born nineteen years ago and currently lives in Harare. When she was two years old, her parents moved to England where they stayed for a year before moving back to Zimbabwe. Her family then moved to Namibia where she attended Orangemund Private School. She did most of her secondary education in Botswana at Westwood International School and Rainbow High School before coming back to Zimbabwe in 2012. Mimi is inspired by JK Rawlings and Steven King. “I want to share my stories to the world while still being versatile at the same time and not just stick to one genre but attempt to challenge myself in many different ways,” she says.)

POETRY FROM EPWORTH

A Brand New Year

Brighten Muvindi

Of it we have no fear

Our plans we will carry

Obstacles God will make us parry

We have started so there’s no fun

Good health is what we pray for

As we destroy laziness uncalled for

The writing spirit is on

We will press it on with a huff

All the writing glory is to be on

As in the skies is Orion

(Brighten Muvindi is a teacher and also the Writers’ Club Patron at Muguta Secondary School in Epworth. He is also the Publicity Secretary for the Epworth Chapter of Writers International Network Zimbabwe. The chapter came into being under the Epworth Community Outreach, a WIN-Zimbabwe programme supported by the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust.)

Teerera Unzwe

Na Thomas Tembo, Domboramwari High Writers Club

Teerera unzwewo

Chimed chenyevero yakagochwa

Inonakira vanyerere

Teerera kuti mangwana usazochema navaTete

Chokwadi vechidiki ndati teererai

Kunzi pakata handi kunzi ridza

Uye kumhanya hakusi kusvika

Rega kuchemera zviri mugapu rerudo

Sewanyimwa, hazvisizvoba!

Nguva ndoisati yadonha