Charles Mungoshi notices Tudikidiki
It must feel good to be one of the premier authors of Zimbabwe, basking in the sunshine of fame and credibility; it must feel great to sit there and watch new talent cropping up and standing firm amidst hardhships; it must feel good to be Charles Mungoshi, who has just given his stamp of approval to Memory Chirere's Tudikidiki, a collection of Shona short stories. In his recent review of the collection in the Sunday Mail, Mungoshi writes:
"These stories don’t fail to tickle your rib, if not riddle your mind. These are serious adult stories (despite appearances to the contrary) written with a poet’s sensibilities."
Update: "It must feel good to be one of the premier authors of Zimbabwe, basking in the sunshine of fame and credibility." Perhaps, this is not an appropriate description of a writer's life in present-day Zimbabwe. In fact, I wish writers like Mungoshi, Hove, and others were in a situation where they continued to enjoy the proceeds from books they wrote a long time ago, while they continue to produce more material, drawing closer and closer to the Nobel, the Booker and such awards. But in present-day Zimbabwe, and in most places, writers cannot survive just on their writing.
I have noticed that most of the big names in Zimbabwe, Mungoshi, Hove, Chiundura Moyo, have not published much lately. A few of them have left the country and are lecturing about writing as fellows at universities in the USA, UK, Norway. Lately, Mungoshi is appearing in book reviews of works by younger writers, and I believe much of what he has to say matters. He reviewed Tagwira's Uncertainty of Hope and called it "a welcome addition to the cannon of Zimbabwean literature."
The reviews are serious, a big deal, which should make any writer of such works feel honored to have attracted the attention of one of the most influencial readers in Zimbabwe. And when Mungoshi reviews your book, he does an excellent job of it; he makes statements that carry prophetic weight. See this:
"All in all, Memory Chirere’s Tudikidiki is an enjoyable collection. I sense a new direction in the Shona short story, releasing it from the usual hidebound traditional oral rungano, to throw it in line with its written counterpart in the other, international languages, but the flavour is strictly here, now, home-grown and home-brewed."
"These stories don’t fail to tickle your rib, if not riddle your mind. These are serious adult stories (despite appearances to the contrary) written with a poet’s sensibilities."
Update: "It must feel good to be one of the premier authors of Zimbabwe, basking in the sunshine of fame and credibility." Perhaps, this is not an appropriate description of a writer's life in present-day Zimbabwe. In fact, I wish writers like Mungoshi, Hove, and others were in a situation where they continued to enjoy the proceeds from books they wrote a long time ago, while they continue to produce more material, drawing closer and closer to the Nobel, the Booker and such awards. But in present-day Zimbabwe, and in most places, writers cannot survive just on their writing.
I have noticed that most of the big names in Zimbabwe, Mungoshi, Hove, Chiundura Moyo, have not published much lately. A few of them have left the country and are lecturing about writing as fellows at universities in the USA, UK, Norway. Lately, Mungoshi is appearing in book reviews of works by younger writers, and I believe much of what he has to say matters. He reviewed Tagwira's Uncertainty of Hope and called it "a welcome addition to the cannon of Zimbabwean literature."
The reviews are serious, a big deal, which should make any writer of such works feel honored to have attracted the attention of one of the most influencial readers in Zimbabwe. And when Mungoshi reviews your book, he does an excellent job of it; he makes statements that carry prophetic weight. See this:
"All in all, Memory Chirere’s Tudikidiki is an enjoyable collection. I sense a new direction in the Shona short story, releasing it from the usual hidebound traditional oral rungano, to throw it in line with its written counterpart in the other, international languages, but the flavour is strictly here, now, home-grown and home-brewed."
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