Short End Of Year Message From WIN

Dear Friends,

Season’s Greetings! It is the time of the year when most industries close for the holidays. It is also that time of the year when literary activity could have been alive in different places had the COVID-19 pandemic not derailed plans for events such as book launches, book festivals, writers’ gatherings of all sorts. Some of these events that must have seen us mingling and laughing suddenly went online, and truth be told, writers still missed the real touch of activity which they usually know. However, we are very grateful we are surviving, and thriving no matter the challenges.  Our sympathies are with families who have lost their beloved ones to the COVID-19 virus.

We were together on the journey. Grief at the loss of fellow writers/ artists, yet God would enlighten some of our days with news of Zimbabwean writers getting recognition in certain literary contests/ established Prizes internationally.

The year 2020, for WIN, again made us into a story of a ‘notorious’ seed that grows in the garden of rocks. We published a few issues of the WIN Newsletter on our main blog and we hope you enjoyed, got your insights deepened and imaginations expanded.

Two other blogs, WIN Poetry & Fiction and WIN Book Market, were established. The two blogs will receive a superb touch of upgrade soon. The main blog has been a natural space of literary wonder for us and we believe it is the same for you.

Our apologies, for we could not produce the November and December newsletters but we won’t lose the writerly substance of these two months in the January issue.

The writers, young and old, male and female, were unstoppable. Although the new titles could not immediately appear on the WIN Book Market blog, we were grateful to receive news of the new productions. You will be browsing for your favorite ones on the market blog! And the book reviews in the WIN Newsletters!

Our Whatsapp Group, dubbed the Winzim Superclassic, provides an opportunity of getting that sense of belongingness if you are a writer. It is moving on and we are thankful to membership for their commitment.

In the background, we didn’t stop dreaming higher. Quite a lot of changes happened structurally and the network kept growing. 2021 will be a revival year because we have learnt the lessons of 2020 the hard way. There is so much to talk about, really, some little achievements and disappointments, but we don’t want to make endless lists here, for the story of WIN is real. We thank you for your support. Without the togetherness, we would not have travelled this far. Please do take care this festive season and beyond. Read a book, write a poem, short story and see how it changes both the writer and reader next year!

Thank you very much and wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

 

THE WIN BOARD