WIN Newsletter, Vol 2, Issue 1

EDITORIAL

Memories: Writers Ethel Kabwato, Tinashe Mushakavanhu (WIN Board Member) and Beaven Tapureta (WIN Founder & Director) share a joke in 2014 in Harare a moment after attending a meeting with Flora Veit-Wild to discuss the Dambudzo Marechera Trust

Welcome, welcome to our first issue for this year! We hope we find you all well. We admit we have been very quiet for the past three months (January, February and March) but in the background WIN-Zimbabwe is very patient. We believe in patience and would like to thank you for patiently waiting for this first issue to come. Naturally, the three months were a period of self-scrutiny, reviewing everything that WIN-Zimbabwe has done and finding ways of how best we can improve our programs. The WIN Newsletter, Vol 2, Issue No 1 comes with information that we hope will be valuable to every concerned writer. Our regular columns ‘Voice of the Girl Child’ and ‘The Youth Perspective’ will resume in the second issue. We welcome your feedback. Please do enjoy.    

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: THE 2018 GOLDEN BAOBAB PRIZE

Dear Friend,

Golden Baobab is pleased to announce the call for submissions for the 8th edition of the Golden Baobab Prize, Africa’s leading children’s literary award. The 2018 Golden Baobab Prize invites submissions of unpublished manuscripts and illustrations for children's stories. Entry is open to citizens of any African country.

The award categories for the 2018 Golden Baobab Prize are:

•           The Golden Baobab Prize for Picture Books, for the best story targeting a reader audience of ages 4-8.

•           The Golden Baobab Prize for Early Chapter Books, for the best story targeting a reader audience of ages 9-11.

•           The Golden Baobab Prize for Illustrators, for the best artwork that matches illustration briefs provided, intended for children ages 4-11.

All winners will receive a cash prize of 5,000 USD and press publicity. Winners of the literature prizes are guaranteed a publishing deal. Longlisted and Shortlisted writers are connected with publishers across Africa. Finalist illustrators participate in exhibitions and have their work shared with a network of African and international publishers. The Prize submission deadline is 1st December 2017.

This 8th edition of the Prize presents a heavier focus on publishing to prioritize the production of more African children’s books. The Golden Baobab Prize now facilitates relationships between finalist writers and illustrators and a growing network of African publishers with the goal to get more African books into the hands of children all over the world.

Do share this email with writers and illustrators, as well as interested organizations in your networks. For information, visit: www.goldenbaobab.org. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook. We look forward to engaging with you!

COMING SOON

‘7 in 1’ Destiny Sagacity 

“UNDERSTANDING destiny is an appreciation of the role you were created to play in the movie called Life. Maybe you have had a magnetic pull that was directing you to a certain place or even a person. Could that place or person be connected to your destiny?” – says Ralph Kadurira in his introduction to the book.

BORN OF BLOOD

By

Amanda Ranganawa

Chapter 1 (European Kingdom)

Screams of pain filled the palace walls. With each push and sweat the woman became weaker and weaker. Her eyes had now turned dark blue, her fangs exposed with every scream. Slowly she began to lose colour. Green lines of struggle could be traced on her arms and legs. She felt a pang of vicious pain and tried to rise from the bed. The three women tending to her gently pushed her back. The agonized woman was sweating ferociously. One of the woman started damping her forehead and chest with a cold towel. She was burning. The three women were frightened. One of them ushered the other two to a corner where they started speaking in whispers.

“Her condition plays drums of fear in my heart. It is unbearable. She is too ill,” said Madeline, the grey-haired elder.

“We know that Aunt Lynn. Oh how I wish it was midnight. Then she would turn into a werewolf. It will be easier for her to give birth then,” replied an anxious Anna Mary.

The third one, Veronica, cut in, “Let’s not just stand here. Let’s inform the King. Her Majesty has been in labour for far too long. She might die.’’

They all agreed. Veronica and Anna Mary stayed with the Queen as Auntie Lynn went to inform his Highness about the condition of his wife. The King sat in his chamber while his mind was in a deep brown study. Tired of pacing up and down his room, he had decided to sit on a chair. He prayed that his wife and child come out alive. Such prolonged labour had never been heard of in the whole Kingdom. Twelve hours of labour! It must be an omen, he thought, or in a bright light, a good meaning. He wondered what the birth of this child could mean.

He got up from the chair and strolled over to the window. He stared blankly at the trees that bowed loyally beneath the Castle’s windows. As he stared at the trees he wondered what it would be like if his wife died. The thought thrashed his soul like flesh being whipped by hot iron. Shaking his head, he murmured sadly,

“Who plants a rose only to pluck it before it blossoms?

Who grants joy only to grant back sorrow?

Such is the foolish betrayal of life

That sneezes at no cold, and cries at no pain

Leaving longing and despair

At anything that was once pure and delightful…”

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. A mixture of worry and excitement filled his voice as he spoke, “Who is it?’’

A royal guard answered, ‘’Your Royal Majesty, one of the midwives begs for your presence.’’

The King’s heart pounded fast as he was thoroughly filled with apprehension. Could it be his wife has delivered? If she has, how is the child? His head danced with questions. He quickly rose and opened the door.

Beaming with a fake smile he said, “I am here.’’

Madeline stood at the entrance door, head bowed. The King looked at her and waited for her to open her mouth. The woman twitched her thumbs and bowed as she spoke, ‘’My Lord, there is no change. Her Majesty is in a lot of pain.  The baby is refusing to be birthed no matter how she pushes.’’

At the uttering of these words the King cursed his gods and hit his fist on the door. The guard and maid stepped back from him. They feared being the receivers of his outrage.

“Take me to my wife!’’ his Majesty ordered Madeline who hurriedly led the way.

The King walked down the multiple stairs led by an anxious Madeline who feared that her madam could die in child labour. They reached the door where the Queen had been admitted for her child birth. Her husband slowly opened the door and entered. His wife lay on the bed unrecognizable as she had turned green and purple. Her eyes were huge and black.  Her fangs had mercilessly bruised her lips till she began to bleed. The King felt intense pain and sadness in his heart and he went over to hold his wife’s hand to comfort her. As he lifted her right hand, he saw that her nails were a shiny deep yellow. The King froze and suddenly shook with rage.

‘’This is Theresa’s markings. That devil!’’ he screamed “Guards! Guards!’’…

(To be continued)

Amanda Ranganawa (above), author of ‘Born of Blood’

     

WRITER-TO-WRITER CONVERSATION

Writers/Poets Clever Simbarashe Kavenga (L) and Shingirai Manyengavana (R) seen here at the University of Zimbabwe book launch last year

Shingirai Manyengavana (SM) is a WIN-Zimbabwe voluntary freelance writer as well as a poet. He recently had the privilege to talk with Clever Simbarashe Kavenga (CK), a Mutare-based published author. Kavenga is a 2008 NAMA award nominee, a Pungwe Newspaper columnist whose first poem No peace No hope was published by Parade magazine when he was still doing his ‘O' Level. His published works include Mashiripiti Edehwe raRungano, a children's book which won him First Prize for the Zimbabwe Book Publishers Association’s Best Children's Book at the 2007 ZIBF. Kavenga is also a member of WIN-Zimbabwe and has appeared in several anthologies which include Mudengu Munei? , Visions from the Motherland, Defiled Sacredness, Gwatakwata Renhetembo, and Hodzeko Yenduri. When he was a budding writer, Kavenga was also published in magazines such as Moto, Tsotso, Writers Scroll (a BWAZ publication), New Voice Magazine, Sunday Mail Leisure, Knowtown News, and the Kwayedza newspaper. Nine f poems appeared in the anthology Ngoma Yokwedu published by BWAZ.  Kavenga’s latest children's book is titled Kare Kare Zvako published by Mambo Press (Gweru). Below are excerpts from the talk.

SM:    May you give us your brief background.

CK:     Grew up partly in Nyanga my rural area and Madziva in Shamva, Bindura. After completing my Ordinary Level I got a job in Harare. I later left Harare for Mutare where I have been based for the past sixteen years. I'm married blessed with three children two girls and a boy.

SM:    For how long have you been writing and what are some of the challenges you’ve faced as a writer?

CK:     I have been in the writing path for the past 23 years. On the writing journey I have wept more tears of pain than tears of joy. Such is life there is nothing good you can get on a silver plate. Always you have to fight for the best. Best works come from the one who always practices. Most of my works are in Shona and publishers were not really supportive when it comes to indigenous languages and yet I always found myself in the trenches fighting for my mother language. Thanks to the Kwayedza newspaper, Tsotso Magazine, the Writers Scroll, New Voices magazine and Pungwe News for promoting local languages; through them I found my footing.

SM:    So what inspired you to venture into writing?

CK:     My late mother was a story teller though not published. I think I inherited it from her. I was and still I am an avid reader and it inspired me to be a creative writer also.

SM:    What do you think are some of the urgent issues that need to be addressed in our writing industry as a whole?

CK:     Some of the challenges in the writing field are that publishers are now only interested in publishing books that have been chosen as school set books. This is killing the book industry as fewer books are being published. I think ZIMSEC should go out there on the market and get their books to consider for set books rather than waiting for publishers to hand them books. Publishers are there to put books on the market for the public. But ZIMSEC is now taking the short cuts as the norm. With the new curriculum coming up I hope something good for us is also promising. Publishers should also honour their contracts with writers. A lot of them are failing to pay royalties to writers yet this must be a business partnership. I think we also need an organization that monitors publishers to see if they are paying royalties to the writers because most of the publishers are getting away scot free.

 SM:   But have you any regrets for being a writer?

CK:     Regrets ha-a (laughs). Even a successful man has regrets. My regrets are that I think our government is not doing enough for the creative writer. Elsewhere in the world there is life in writing industry but here you can't live on writing even as a columnist you struggle. It is really dark on the writing field. Our government should buy creative books for the public libraries and schools.

SM:    What is the important lesson that you have learnt in your life and would like to share with the young writers?

CK:     In life never give up on your talent and always have your eyes on the horizon. Your day of recognition shall come.

POETRY/NHETEMBO

Men on a poetic mission: (from left)  Memory Chirere, Tinashe Muchuri and Chirikure Chirikure seen here minutes after an exciting event dubbed “poetic license” held at the University of Zimbabwe early last year

Bhutsu

Bhutsu dzinoshevedzera mukoridho dzichiti:

Tisuwo tavhara gonhi ramanzwa.

Tisuwo tave kufambawo zvedu

Tichienda kumba kwatinoroja.

Tisuka, chinouya chinowana munhu.

A poem by Memory Chirere taken from his anthology ‘Bhuku Risina Basa Nokuti Rakanyorwa Masikati’ (Bhabhu Books, 2014)

NEW BOOKS ON THE MARKET

Title: Paida – The Struggle

Author: Tatenda Charles Munyuki

Publisher: Darling Kind Publishing (Zimbabwe)

Year Published: 2016

ISBN: 978 0 7974

Title: Paida – The Village Girl

Author: Tatenda Charles Munyuki

Publisher: Darling Kind Publishing (Zimbabwe)

Year Published: 2016

ISBN: 978 0 7974

(The Paida books above are available under the weekly series ‘Girls Have Voices’. For more information contact: darlingkindp@live.com or call +263 737 283 187/ +263 773 086 545)

Title: Young Lights Arise-Let it Shine

Author: Liberty Moses Chigwenjere

Publisher: Days of my Youth Movement (Zimbabwe)

Year Published: 2017

ISBN: 978 079747582 3

Title: The Battle for Altars

Author: Apostle John Shava

Publisher: Clarion Call Books & Days of my Youth Press

Year Published: 2017

ISBN: 978 0 7974 7699 8

(Days of my Youth Press or Movement can be contacted via email domyempire@gmail.com or call +263 773 018 478)

LATEST FROM THE ‘BOOKSHELF COLUMN’ 

Harare City Library Scores A First

Aasia Qamar Sial, a Zimbabwe-born budding writer browsing a book at the Harare City Library

Officials at Harare City Library are in happy mood after discovering exceptional writing talent in eight-year old Aasia Qamar Sial, a frequent user of the library’s Petina Gappah Children’s Library. ClickHere To Read More…

ZIBF INDABA 2017 CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

Mr. Blazio Tafireyi (above), Executive Board Chairperson of the Zimbabwe International Book Fair Association

On behalf of the Executive Board of The Zimbabwe International Book Fair Association, I wish to advise that the approved Theme for 2017 is “Making the Book Pay!”. We are, therefore, pleased to announce that the dates for The Zimbabwe International Book Fair have been set for 31 July – 5 August 2017 while The Indaba Conference is slated for 31 July and 1 August. 

This Theme was selected from several possibilities that were recommended by participants through the 2016 Indaba Evaluation Forms. The ZIBFA Executive leadership concurred with the suggested theme, “Making the Book Pay” as it is topical and adequately speaks to today’s national, regional and international development agendas listed below:

 Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim Asset):

Towards an Empowered Society and a Growing Economy;

 Africa Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want; and

 The UN 2030 SDGs: Transforming Our World.

The ‘PAY’ in wealth creation connotes eradication of poverty through reading. It also enables the following:

 Inculcating the reading habit and sustaining reading skill in young people, hence it PAYS to Read so that we maintain high literacy levels;

 Reading enables people to realize their aspirations and successes through education and to advance themselves;

 Increasing food security and nutrition;

 Eradicating diseases i.e. HIV and Aids and other communicable diseases;

 Improving child immortality;

 Increasing revenue inflows for the Book Industry players thereby creating or generating wealth from, author/publisher/bookseller perspective;

 Alleviating poverty;

 Contributing towards employment creation;

 Providing equitable access to information for all; and

 Reading and access to information addresses the development agendas.

Making the Book Pay! was therefore deliberately made broad and/or not confined to any particular sector so that it allows varying viewpoints from many presenters on the above-listed possibilities.

Contributors to the 2017 Indaba are therefore urged to come up with ideas that will benefit all participants in the book value chain. The creative economy includes, among other players, the book industry that has in its book value chain: authors who are the creators of the works; publishers whose activities are to exploit intellectual property; the illustrators and designers; photographers; advertisers; booksellers or distributors; librarians who gather, process and provide wide access to reading and information materials; and the users who include school children, academics, adults, researchers, educational and training institutions, religious institutions, private and public business enterprises, universities, colleges, research institutions, and government and non-government institutions. The book industry provides income to all participants in the book value chain and earns revenue to the government in the form of taxes.

Submission Of Abstracts

Abstracts of not more than 500 words word-processed in Times New Roman script with 1.15 line spacing should be submitted by 10 April 2017 by email to events@zibfa.org.zw with a copy to zibfa@yahoo.com. The abstracts will be reviewed by experts and authors of selected abstracts will be notified by 30 April 2017. Presenters should submit the full papers and power-point presentations of the full paper by 31 May 2017. Power-point presentations must summarise the full paper in bullet form and should enable presenters to speak to the paper within the allotted time. Please note that the topics provided below are meant to be guidelines for research areas although they may be used as research topics. Presenters are encouraged to submit their own innovative topics that address the suggested areas and which speak to the given Theme and sub-themes.

ZIBF 2017 Theme: Making The Book Pay!

(1) Creating the Africa we want through reading (Africa Agenda 2063)

a) Teaching children to read at an early age – catch them young

b) The role of the parents in reading

c) Stimulating and inculcating the reading habit

d) Narrowing the gap: new perspective in reading

e) Pros and cons of remedial reading

(2) Information Literacy Skills for the Digital Age

a) Reading, Writing and Publishing for Survival – a Global Perspective

b) Balancing e-reading and physical reading for sustainable development

c) Assimilating social media technologies

d) Technology enhancing pillars of sustainable development

e) Challenges and Opportunities for Libraries in the Digital Era

(3) Economics of the Book

a) Making academic research, writing and publishing pay

b) Innovation in book development, marketing and distribution

c) Inclusivity in research, writing, publishing and reading for vulnerable and marginalised groups

d) The author, publisher and reader dynamics

e) Making the book affordable

f) Writing for Communicable diseases and life threatening conditions

(4) The Book and Cultural Preservation, Conservation and Transmission

a) STEMitising reading for socio-economic development

b) Making the Book relevant to urban and rural children

c) Promoting Culture in the digital age

d) Challenges and opportunities of writing and publishing books in indigenous languages

e) Cultural dynamism and change

f) Culture as a foundation for building peace and social cohesion

g) Unpacking Zimbabwe’s New Education Reform

(5) Intellectual Property and Copyright

a) Exploiting Copyright as an economic resource

b) Public lending rights

c) Copyright exceptions and limitations

d) Licensing of photocopying works in Zimbabwe

e) Intellectual Property rights and relationship of publishers and libraries

f) Anti-Book piracy – other country experiences and how that can be adopted by Zimbabwe

Inserted by Mr. Blazio Tafireyi

Chair, Executive Board, Zimbabwe International Book Fair Association

Some guests at the 2015 ZIBF Indaba held at the Crown Plaza Monomotapa in Harare

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR READING OUR NEWSLETTER. DON’T MISS OUR NEXT ISSUE!

ONE LOVE.