EDITORIAL
Dr Suzanne Ondrus, an American poet, who facilitated first WIN online poetry session with WIN poets this month
We welcome you all to an inspiring world of writers and writing!
Only four months into 2026 and Zimbabwean writers continue to inspire at home and abroad. Awesome, isn’t it?
Meanwhile, WIN has begun small to run some activities for its members this year. The aim is to empower members in various ways, and publishing and promoting their works.
Planned events include monthly online workshops/sessions with a selected facilitator on the Whatsapp platform. Out of these, we hope something tangible will come. On April 25, the first hour-long session focusing on poetry in English had the honour of being facilitated by Dr Suzanne Ondrus, an American poet and scholar.
While much will happen online, WIN hopes to hold some physical get-togethers during the year. Wishing to become a member? You can now subscribe and benefit knowledge, wisdom, skills and new opportunities. We do not promise much, but we will be a helpful friend along your writing journey. The annual subscription is only $5.00. To subscribe, contact +263 776 518 653, WIN executive board member and interim treasurer.
DR SUZANNE AMAZES POETS WITH THE ‘CONTAINER’ IDEA
A group of 26 poets who took part in the inaugural WIN online writing session with Dr Suzanne Ondrus learnt of a new exciting idea of putting their poems in different containers. The workshop, running under the theme ‘Putting Your Poems in Containers’, happened late afternoon on April 25, 2026, on the Whatsapp platform.
Although some poets couldn’t make it due to different circumstances, this indeed was stepping on new ground for the poets as they had re-tune the mind to think seriously about ‘containers’ they may have been taking for granted, such as a tool box, an empty cigarette container, for-sale ads, doctor’s orders, speed limit signs, clothing labels, etc.
“Containers are like the frames on pictures. When you change the frame of a picture, you change how the picture looks. Maybe you change the frame’s color, size, shape, type of wood, age…” said Dr Suzanne.
The exercises she gave participants included choosing a subject or topic to write on and then make a list of containers to put the poems in. There were beautiful poems shared.
The ‘container’ concept worked wonders in her 2022 poetry book Death of an Unvirtuous Woman.
“For my work the containers brought forth ways for different people to speak- from the sheriff to children. Also, since some containers are easily recognized by readers, these forms make your poems more accessible, as well as bring a dimension of reality,” she said.
Dr Suzanne’s second book is called Passion Seeds (2014) and it won the 3rd Vernice Quebodeaux ‘Pathways’ Poetry Prize. She has opened doors for the poets who want to share their works with er for critical feedback. She can be contacted on suzanne.ondrus@gmail.com or visit her website www.suzanneondrus.com
The second WIN online workshop is expected in May and will tackle Shona poetry writing.
75TH ANNIVERSARY OF “DIANETICS: THE MODERN SCIENCE OF MENTAL HEALTH”
In commemoration of the 75th Anniversary year of Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, the all-time bestselling book on the human mind written by L. Ron Hubbard, WIN commemorated the anniversary of the book with a special Letter of Appreciation to the author, Mr. L. Ron Hubbard. Dianetics explains exactly how the mind works and identifies the source of these unwanted reactions and emotions. It outlines a clear, step-by-step method for reducing the emotional charge behind past stress, helping you feel happier, more certain and naturally confident. The hidden, negative influences will no longer control your responses or your life.
“That mind which understands itself is the mind of a free man.”
—L. Ron Hubbard, Author
When we speak of what L. Ron Hubbard has brought to the field of education, we are speaking of a very special commitment. For quite in addition to the founding of Dianetics and Scientology, he is also among the most widely read authors of all time.
https://www.dianetics.org/
https://www.lronhubbard.org/
NYONI SHORTLISTED FOR AN AUSTRALIAN WRITING PRIZE
Philani Nyoni speaking at a LitFest event some time ago
“Hello!
It is our great pleasure and honour to share ‘Sunday’, a piece by Philani A. Nyoni that was shortlisted for the Varnish Short Story Prize (Australia).
Enjoy and share!”
https://www.varnishlit.com/online/sunday
AFRICAN STORYTELLER IN LOVE WITH CULTURE AND FREEDOM
Zimbabwean writer Tsitsi Nomsa Ngwenya
Zimbabwean writer Tsitsi Nomsa Ngwenya’s mastery of the short story form has now consolidated alongside her novel writing.
Ngwenya has naturally handled the short story and novel with an illuminating syncing of lively characters in different places, cultures and different times, and the reader is enamoured by the mystery of the ‘unsaid’ that runs through the stories.
For the full article, CLICK HERE
SOUTH AFRICAN AUTHOR WINS WRITERS OF THE FUTURE PRIZE
FEAR OF FALSE COPYRIGHT PROPHETS GRIPS ZIM WRITERS
ZWA Chairperson, Monica Cheru
On March 17 the Zimbabwe Writers Association (ZWA) met at Aftercare Trust College in Harare to discuss ‘the role of writers in protecting and managing their rights’.
The meeting had particular focus on the collective management system in the country, and was attended by writers from ZWA and other organizations.
Long published writers in attendance said they were now done with the palaver about someone collecting their royalties on their behalf. While they acknowledged the importance of a collective management system, their past experience with similar CMOs which could not solve piracy was something still haunting them.
No wonder the presence of the new RROZ at the ZWA meeting stimulated an emotional debate about the newly introduced Reprographic Rights Organization of Zimbabwe.
Opinions are still divided in the writers’ community about the new RROZ. While, according to the organization’s CEO, Mr A Rimau, there already are some local writers who have registered with the RROZ, ZWA has recently issued out its statement on ‘Reprographic Rights Governance Concerns’ in which, among other things, it is calling for RROZ “to publicly clarify the basis of its representation, including publication of writers whose rights it claims to manage, the terms of that representation, and the governance framework under which those rights are administered”.
It is clear there’s a lot of ‘convincing’ and unity of purpose that needs to be done in the book sector if the collective management system is to completely work in Zimbabwe.
The accelerating rate of illegal photocopying of books in Zimbabwe has become a nightmare that has dimmed prospects of better economic returns for writers.
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THANK YOU FOR READING
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