Writers International Network Zimbabwe: WIN Newsletter, Vol 2, Issue No 7

EDITORIAL

Batsirai Chigama performing at the City Of Asylum, Pittsburgh Jazz Poetry Festival

Rise and shine, these are the only words we can say to Zimbabwean poet Batsirai Easther Chigama who is in Iowa for her writing residency program. You deserve it our sister!
We welcome you all to this bubbling 7^th issue of our WIN Newsletter, Volume 2, which, as you will see, carries exciting items. How uplifting it is to have Tinashe Muchuri working closely with the WIN board as an intern! We are glad our members are embracing the art of book reviewing, an indication that they are reading fellow writers’ works. Reading as a writer is an exciting experience. Enjoy!

WIN WELCOMES INTERN AS BOARD MOOTS REVIVAL

Tinashe Muchuri

IN Advisory Board, led by US-based Prof Emmanuel Sigauke, has welcomed one of Zimbabwe’s emerging writers Tinashe Muchuri who has joined the administration on a few months’ internship.

Last month, WIN hatched a strategic plan that seeks to revive the writers’ organization so that it continues to benefit new and established Zimbabwean writers. Hence, Muchuri’s choice of WIN is indeed well-timed.

Commenting on Muchuri’s internship, Professor Sigauke expressed great hope that it will bolster the organization.

“This shows how important WIN is as an artistic organization and agent of change, to attract the attention of such an important literary figure. Muchuri will benefit as much from WIN as WIN will be the richer from his participation in it,” he said.

The internship, part of Muchuri’s media degree requirements at Zimbabwe Open University, comes at a time when WIN needs such support.

Since last year, due to a number of challenges, the WIN Board put a stop on some of WIN activities such as workshops, outreaches, and others, and even online presence faded a little and only until early this year did the NAMA-award organization resumed blogging and initiated WhatsApp lecture series. In spite of all this, the membership kept growing and fed on the little WIN could provide for them, like taking part in other organizations’ events to which WIN was invited.

Muchuri is not a stranger to WIN. He was there in 2010 when the organization was officially launched in Harare and ever since, he has been part of the growing family.

He has run a column in our online WIN Newsletter, facilitated one of the WhatsApp lectures, and his performances at WIN events have always left aspiring writers convinced that writing and storytelling or poetry can positively transform society.

Not only is Muchuri a novelist, with his debut Shona novel titled Chibarabada (2015, Bhabhu Books), but also a talented actor, award-winning journalist, performer, editor, and translator.

In an interview with this writer few years ago, Muchuri said Chibarabada is a final product that came up after taking advice from senior author Memory Chirere who had identified it in BWAZ-run short story contest.

The novel has attracted various criticisms, with some describing it as ‘anti-novel’ while others call it a ‘psychological thriller’. However, in it the reader is met with issues of inheritance with the girl child in mind, culture, orphanhood, and others.

WIN Advisory Board believes, with Muchuri coming in, its vision for next year has already found some weight.

CHIGAMA ANOSARUDZWA KUENDA KU IOWA WRITERS’ RESIDENCY

NaTinashe Muchuri

Batsi (wechitatu kubva kuruboshwe) ari mudare padare raidzeya zveovaranomwe paIowa City Library

Vanyori vemuZimbabwe vanoita mukurumbira zvikuru inosvika nekune dzimwe nyika uko zvinyorwa zvavo zvinoremekedzwa chose uyewo basa ravo rinenge richishandiswa nevadzidzi veko mukuvandudza hudavadi hwekunyorwa kweuvaranomwe. Batsirai Ester Chigama mumwe wevanyori vari kusimudza mureza wenyika yeZimbabwe. Chigama mumwe wevanyori vakagona kuwana ruremekedzo rweNational Arts Merit Award (NAMA) mushure mekunge atsikisa bhuku rake renduri rekutanga rinonzi Gather the Children. Bhuku iri rinova rakatsikiswa mugore rapfuura nekambani inotsikisa mabhuku yeNtombikhaya rakaita mukurumbira zvikuru richinyorwa naro.

Nyaya yeruremekedzo rwake rwekunyora bhuku renduri harusiri irwo rwatiri kunangana narwo nhasi. Ino nyaya ndeyekukurumura naye maererano nechimwe chiitiko chinofadza chaakasangana nemunyori uyu. Chigama akasarudzwa kuti ave pakati pevamwe vanyori vanobva kunyika dzakasiyana dzepasi rino dzinondogara pachikoro chedzidzo yepamusoro cheIOWA University kuUSA vachiita zvehudavadi hwekunyora.

Achiudza WinZim, Chigama anoti iye akafonerwa nemumwe mushandi wekuUnited States Public Affairs section (USPAS). Asvikako akanzi agare pasi kuti agoudzwa kuti chii chaainge adaidzirwa.

“Ndakaita kufonerwa naGladys wekuUSPAS. Ndakaita kakutya kuti zvimwe ngainge ndisina kukwana muchirongwa cheIWP asi akanditaurira kuti moyo wangu ufare musi uyu,” akadaro Chigama.

Apo WinZim yaibvunza Batsie kuti chingava chii chaakaita zvakanaka chingava chakaita kuti awane kudomwa kuva pakati pavamwe vanyori muchirongwa ichi akati iye aisaziva kuti chingava chii asi kuti kunongonzi hakuendeki njee!

“VaMuchuri ini handizivi. Chandakaudzwa kuno ndechekuti hakungouyiki. Kune matare maviri anogara pasi achiongora mabasa ose, zvinyorwa zvinenge zvabva kune nyikja dzakasiyanasiyana.

As zvakadaro hazvo zvisinei nekuti haazivi kuti chii chaichoicho chakaita kuti adomwe, akatisemurirawo zvishoma zvaakati iye anogona uye anogara achiita nemazvo. Izvo zviya kana vadavadi vachidavadika, panenge pane vanenge vachiona. Vanoona vamwe vacho ndivo vanozopa mukombe, vamwe vachipa ruremekedzo rwakasiyanasiyana, vamwe vachipembedza asi vamwewo ndivo vanozoita kuti mudavadi akokwe munzendo dzakasiyanasiyana seiyi yakakokwa Chigama. Kubudikidza nekushanda nesimba Chigama akadomwa kuti apinde muchirongwa ichi.

“Vaiwona vaiwona mukubata kwandaiita. Zita rangu rakatoendeswawo kuUSPAS nevamwe vaiwonawo mashandiro angu.”

Chigama anoti kushanda nesimba handihwo hwaro bedzi hwekuti uwonekere kuruzhinji uye kuti uve unoremekedzwa navamwe. Chigama akawedzera achiti kushanda nevamwe zvakanaka uye kutsiurika kunoita kuti ukudzwe uye kuti uwanewo zvizhinji semudavadi.

“Kushanda nevamwe zvakanaka. Kushanda uchiramba uchidzidza zvitsva. Kutsiurika uye kuitira vamwe zvakanaka,” Batsie anodaro.

VaShona vane tsumo inoti ‘Chitsva chiri murutsoka, garo harina chitsva’ naizvozvo seWinZim takabvunzawo Batsie kana paine zvitsva zvaakasangana nazvo zvaangada kutakura kuuya nazvo kumusha achizogovera vamwe akati iye anofara kuti kunyika yaakaenda kakatyamadzwa neruremekedzo runopiwa vanyori urwo rwusingawanikwi munyika yebarirwa.

“Kuno kunoremekedzwa vanyori. Vanopihwa nzvimbo yavo sevanhu vakakosha muzviitiko zvekuvandudza dzidzo nenyika. Takawanda chose saka zvatinodzidza kubva kune mumwe nemumwe zvakawanda,” akadaro Batsie.

Semunyori akatanga nekubuda nebhuku rakanaka kudero rakaita mukurumbira, WinZim yakada kuziva kana Batsie aive ane zvimwe zvitsva zvaakarongera vvaverengi iye akati aive nezvitsva zvichiri mubikiro.

“Chinyorwa chiri munzira. Semunhu ava kuziva kuti kutsikisa bhuku hakusi nyore, ndava kuziva nzira yandinofanirwa kufamba nayo, yakareba. Chinyorwa chavapo, ndiri kutochipepeta chisati chaenda kuna mupepeti mukuru,” akadaro Batsie.

Kunze kwekunyora nduri nenyaya pfupi Batsie anondura nduri mudariro zvinyonwisa mvura uye ane izwi rinotapira nekunzwisisa mutauro weChiRungu uyo waanonyanya kunyora nawo kunyange zvake achinyorawo zvekare kana kukurudzira kunyorwa kwemutauro weChiShona zvinova izvo zvaita tikurukure naye nerurimi rwaamai.

Batsirai Chigama haasiye zvake wekutanga kuenda kuchirongwa chehudavadi hwevanyori ichi chekuIOWA. Kune vamwe vanyori vakambopindawo muchirongwa ichi.

For more information on the programme and Zim participants who have been on the programme please visit the UI website: https://iwp.uiowa.edu/residency

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

ONGORORO YEBHUKU 'MAUNGIRA MUDENHERE'

Yakaitwa naSimbarashe Jongwe

Rudo, kugunun’una, kuromba, uroyi, rufu, ngozi, yambiro, chitendero, zvose izvi zvinhu zvinobata upenyu hwedu vanhu vatema zuva nezuva.

Mukuverenga Maungira Mudenhere (Diaspora Publishers, 2014) rakanyorwa na Peter Muzira, unosara wakangwa mate mukanwa, gotsi rati papata kuoma sowadya nyama yekondo. Bhuku iri muunganidzwa wenhetembo. Ukariverenga unobva waona kuti zvokwadi nhetembo inyaya inobata upenyu hwevanhu nguva dzose asi ichitaurwa nemutauro usina kujairwa, mutauro wakapfuma.

Bhuku iri rine nhetembo dzinokutora nokufamba newe mumafuro manyoro epfungwa dzanyaduri uyo anoratidza kuva munhu akaverenga zvinyorwa zvemitauro yakawanda ndokuona parikusarira shure mumutauro wedu. Muchenjeri haangafudzi mombe dzevamwe iye dzake dziri mudanga Sezvinonzi dzinofura ndove!

Chaunotanga kuona munhetembo dzaMuzira mitsara mishoma-shoma inoumba nhetembo idzi. Detembo rakava murabaraba kashoma kuti vechidiki vemazuva ano variverenge vachiripedza. Naizvozvo nhetembo dzaMuzira ipfupi asi dzichisvitsa shoko rakapakatwa nanyanduri iro raanoda kusvitsa kumuverengi. Apa ndipo paunoona kuti chokwadi svosve rakauraya nzou. Mutauro wake wakapfuma neChiShona chamandorokwati.

Semuenzaniso, detembo rinonzi ‘Chenjera’ rakavakwa nemistara mishoma-shoma inoti:

Mwanangu sekera muchitende

Panokudumuka Mhandu

Unofuma wonangwa uroyi.

Hurudza painotadza goho,

Sekera muhapwa

Unofuma wonzi ndiwe wakakanda divisi mumunda mayo.

Nhetembo pfupi-pfupi dzerudzi urwu dzinowanzo wanikwa kururimi rweChingezi. Apa vaMuzira varatidza kuti chro kumutauro wedu zvinogoneka.

Hatingati vaMuzira munhu anotenderana nechivanhu kana kuti chi Kristu asi kuti ndinyanduri ari kwese kunzungu nekunyimo. Kugona Kubata nyaya dzezvitendero zviviri (chivanhu/kupira midzimu nedze chiKristu) mubhuku rimwe pasina wawakanganisa mweya wake, unyanzvi hwakaratidzwa namyanduri.

Mudetembo ‘Ko Ini’ rinova rimwe renhetembo shoma dzakati rebeyi, nyanduri anoti:

Razaro makamubura mubwiro

Ini ndini ndoworeramo

Bofu pazambara reJereko makarionesa

Ini ndini ndofa ndichitsvanzvadzira

Vose vanoenda kukereke vanobva vatoziva pakabva nyaya dzacho mumagwaro matsvene.

Mukuverenga Maungira Mudenhere unosangana nemazwi matsva. Mamwe emazwi mazwi agara ariko asi kuti haachashandiswi mazuva ose. Mashandisirwo emazwi aya anovandudza mutauro nokuvhura pfungwa kuupenyu hwenguva yekare. Iri bhuku harifanirwi kushaika padura remunyori kunyanya avo vachiri kusimukira vane shuviro yekuzotsikisa dzavo nhetembo.

BOOK REVIEW OF ‘NOT IN ZIMBABWE’

Done by

Tendai Chinhoro

This is my first reading of a local literary work dealing with the sensitive subject of homosexuality. I haven't read Tendai Huchu's Hairdresser of Harare but through a certain book review, I learnt that Huchu also touched on the same issue. In Zimbabwe, homosexual relationships are outlawed.

Authored by Milton J Chitsime, Not In Zimbabwe (2015, Forteworx Press) is a simple but fast-paced story of a young man named Tongai Bindu who becomes a homosexual following his stay in a foreign country. Upon returning to Zimbabwe, he falls into a homosexual relationship with Keith who is his sister’s boyfriend.

I was quick to question how Chitsime could write so well about a world they have not lived. Perhaps this is why it is called ‘creative writing’. However, creative writing is not devoid of factual and traceable assertions. Writers themselves take time to research on any theme which they want to highlight in literature. And Chitsime’s book shows that some research was done.

Although homosexuality is outlawed in Zimbabwe, this does not mean the country has no homosexuals. Our society is generally heterosexual and therefore parents would want their children to develop a heterosexual orientation. However, due to the infiltration of homosexuality in the country, children and adults now have a high chance of getting assimilated into these ‘deviant’ sexual behaviors and thus, books like Not In Zimbabwe can be one of the few available resources for people to learn about its undesirability. Parents and guardians have a tendency to discuss with their children only subjects that they are comfortable with, leaving out those ones understood to be sensitive or culturally improper.

Nevertheless, fear could still grip some authoritarian parents who would think that because the book offers a negative viewpoint on homosexuality, it might also reinforce or awaken the innate inclination to homosexual tendencies - what psychologists might loosely call ‘maladaptive learning’ whereby an attempt to prevent or uproot a deviant trait through some teaching by whatever method or stimulus in someone actually deepens the rooting.

Chitsime does not however tell us the stage at which one feels they are homosexual. At birth or later in life through socialization? Is one born homosexual or the behavior develops through some initiation?

In the story, Tongai was not homosexual until he went abroad. He actually had a female partner which meant that he was heterosexual. How does a two year experience or a single day attendance to a party of homosexuals in a foreign country completely overturn one's sexual orientation? One can put it to the writer that some narration about Tongai's experiences in the Netherlands would have given the reader some idea about how one is possibly initiated to become a homosexual.

Chitsime further pokes into gender issues and women's sexual idiosyncrasies when, through the character Paida, he lets us know how mothers may push their daughters into the hands of wealthy men for a potential courtship to take place. Through its characters, the story also highlights the art of seduction women employ to bring men into their sexual scheming. If women can approach men through body language, one still wonders why it is still men who should first propose orally. In other words, what we call ‘proposing’ as done by men might actually be called ‘responding’ to or ‘accepting’ a woman's proposal articulated through seduction. In this case, Tongai actually turned down Paida's proposal since he was gay.

The book let us know how those in the corridors of power protect each other in crime. The mother minister, Mavis, attempts by all means to bar the police from apprehending her gay son. Real crime happens in the royal palaces but prosecution is usually hesitant to uncover such crimes by the royal brood; the law is for the non-royal, it seems. However, Mavis is discharged of her duties as Minister on the basis of the sins of her son.

For tackling such themes like homosexuality, Chitsime displayed the boldness expected of a writer. Writers must observe the good and the ills of society and ventilate them in their writings.

Notwithstanding some few technical faults found in the book, Chitsime has shown us that as long as there are people living there will always be themes and issues to tackle through writing. Writers simply need to be aware of their global surroundings.

CHILDREN LITERATURE IN ZIMBABWE

With

Aleck Kaposa

Hello young readers, I hope I find you well. This time I bring you some poetry and I want you to do the exercises that follow each poem. You can write poems too. The poems below are extracted from my children’s book After The Rain, a collection of poems.

After The Rain

After the rain

The Noisy rivulets rush to the big river

The frogs croak happily in the valley

We play in the puddles

With kites and paper ships

Some play with toy cars

Others play pada

After the rain

The boom, boom of thunder is gone

Gone too is all the fear

The sky is clear

The sun is out

All is calm

We are happy again.

Work To Do

a) What is the poem about?

b) Draw a picture of children playing after the rain

c) Write a poem of 10 lines on ‘The Weather Today’ using two or three senses

One More Time

I am trying again

One more time

Pushing harder

Than before

I am lighting

Another fire

Knocking on another door

Weaving another prayer

Singing another song

Planting another seed of hope

After the earthquake

I am building

Again

After all the failures of yesterday

I am trying again

Work to Do

What is the poem about?

NGATINYOREI

NaTinashe Muchuri

Akuti Rima Ati Ugozodya

Tiri kusangana zvakare muchikamu chino cheNgatinyorei. Kare zvaiti kana jaya richinotanga kuvaka musha kana kuva nemhuri yaro vanhurume vemumusha vairipa midziyo yekushandisa pakubata mabasa akasiyana-siyana aitarisirwa kuti ringe richiita sababa vemusha. Zvimwe chetezvo zvaiitirwa mhandara paya zviya payaiperekwa kumurume, vanhukadzi vekwainobva vaiigashidza midziyo yese iyo yaiita kuti igone kuita mabasa ese aitarisirwa kuitwa namai vemusha. Zvadai vaviri vaibatanidza midziyo yavo vovaka musha wavo. Mazuva ano zvasarira kumadzimai zviya pavanoti vari kuenda kumutambo weKitchen Party (weimba yekubikira).

Ndakafungiswa nyaya iyi mushure mekunge ndasangana nevanyori vaviri vagara mubasa rekunyora nyaya nenduri. Taive tave pedyo nekusvika pamusiwo weNational Gallery ndakaona makotsi evanhu vandinoziva. Ndakaudza vapwere vangu kuti ngatikandei nhanho kuti ndiwane vanhu vandaive ndaona vasati vatama pamusiwo weGallery uyu sekuti ivo vairatidza kuti vainge vagungwa kuona zvionwa zvepanzvimbo iyi. Vapwere vakandivhunza kuti ko ivo vanhu vainge vakatipira makotsi ndainge ndavaziva sei chaizvo? Ndakangovati vakamboonana havashayane mumhindo. Vakaseka zvavo isu nhanho tichikanda kundoona vanyori vandainge ndaona ava.

Yainge yave nguva yakareba ndisina kuona vanyori vaviri ava. Kunyange paguwerere reZimbabwe International Book Fair (ZIBF) yegore rino handina kunge ndavaonawo. Vainge vakabatikana nedzimwe ndima. Shimmer Chinodya ndiye umwe wacho. Tinoseka chose tese kana taonana iye achitaura ChiKaranga chakadzama. Anofarira kundidaidza zita remutambi werimwe remabhuku ake anonzi Chorosi. Ndiyeka Charles. Umwe waaive naye ndiEthel Kabwato.

Chinodya akabva atanga zvake kutaura nyaya yedu yekuroverana iyi achiti ava kungondionera muchikamu chino cheNgatinyorei. Takaseka apo taitorwa mifananidzo yakasiyana-siyana. Ipapo ndaive nanevanji wangu natete MaDube. Ndiwo musi wasvika shoko rekuti aimbove mutungamiri wenyika yeZimbabwe, Robert Gabriel Mugabe, ainge ashaya mangwanani emusi iwoyo. Ini ndaienda hangu nepwere dzangu kuNational Gallery of Zimbabwe kuti vambondoona hudavadi hwevadavadi vanonyora nemifananidzo nezvivezwa. Mugabe mumwe wevanhu vemuZimbabwe aifarirawo ZIBF chose zvekuti aitombouyawo achiona zviratidzwa zvemabhuku izvi.

Takabva taona kukosha kwemaGallery. Takatoona nekutenderana kuti Gallery rimwe rebasa rayo nderekuva nzvimbo inosanganira vadavadi nemhando dzavo dzese. Pakabva panyuka imwe inova iri pamwoyo yevanyori vaviri ava. Nyaya hombe iri yekuti tinofanira kupota tichisangana savanyori tichiverengerana nyaya dzedu. Chinodya akabva ataura zvavaimboita kare vachisangana panzvimbo yekereke yeMethodist vachigoverana zvinyorwa nemazano. Taivepo zvedu pamusiwo weGallery muHarare tichikurukura zvedu. Kwemakore akati kuti ipo paGallery ndipo panosanganira vanyori vemuZimbabwe vachikurukura pamutambo wevanyori wekupanana pfungwa namazano weZimbabwe International Book Fair Writers’ Workshop uyo unoitwa muzuva rekupedzesera reguwerere iri. Zvisizvo zvega, ZWA yaitomboitira misangano yayowo zvekare panzvimbo iyi.

Ethel akabva apinzawo nyaya yekuti tivandudze nzvimbo yeZIBF. Kungowanawo hako avo vanofarira nzvimbo iyi kwakuiisawo zvigaro zvekuti vanyori vakafunga havo kuda kundonyora, kusangana vachikurukura kana kutandara zvavo vosvika vogarapo havo, kana havo kuwaniswa kanzvimbo kavanenge vachinwira havo zvinwiwa vachikurukura nyaya dzemabhuku uye pachiitwa mitambo yekuturwa kwemabhuku matsva nekurangarira vanyori vakatisiya kuitira kuti ZIBF isave nzvimbo yekuonana munguva yeguwerere rezviratidzwa zvemabhuku nekupangana mazano asi kuti nzvimbo inoshangana vanyori nevaravi vavo, vanyori nevatsikisi vemabhuku, vanyori nevatapi venhau, vanyori pachavo uye nevamwewo vadavadi vachipakurirana mazano nezvehudavadi hwakasiyana-siyana.

Pataitaura nevaviri ava Ethel akabva atipa mumwe neumwe wedu pauviri hwedu bhiro yekunyoresa. Ukapiwa badza wanzi ugutezve! Vakuru vachitsinhira vachiti, ‘Anokuti rima akuti ugute.’ Ethel akatipa mapadza ekuti tirime tiwane kuguta. Chii chimwe chinotarisirwa kuti vanyori vasangana vaite kunze kwezvekunyora?

Tichikurukura kudero, ndakabva ndafunga vanyori vechiri kusimukira. Ini nevamwe venguva yangu takaita rombo rakanaka ndokuwana masangano evanyori akaita seBudding Writers Association of Zimbabwe (BWAZ) neZimbabwe Women Writers (ZWW) achiri kushanda zvakanaka apo ainge achiwaniswa mari nemasangano akazvimirira oga ekunze kwenyika. Mari iyi yaishandiswa kutesva unyanzvi hwevanyori uye kuzotsikisa zvinyorwa zvavo zvemadzidzwadzidzwa mumabhuku aizotengesa nemasangano aya. Chinodya mumwe weavo vaiuya vari vatesveri achitiveza mundima yekunyora nyaya pfupi pamwe nekunyora nganonyorwa. Hurudziro yake yaive pakuti munyori ave muravi anokoshesa kurava zvinyorwa zvevamwe vanyori zvakafanana nezvake nevamwe vanyori vakasukuta ndima iyi senzira yekuti tisazosakura mundima makabvwuwiwa nekuzunza kare uye aitifundisa kuti munyori anofanira kutsvagurudza pamusoro pedingindira raari kunyora nezvaro. Zvakativeza nanhasi mazano iwayo tinoashandisa pakunyora apa.

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