Fantastic Literary Events
Perhaps there is something happening in Zimbabwean literature that can be called an event. This sentence echoes Jacques Derrida's first sentence of "Structure, Sign and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences", which I have read quite a few times and enjoyed. Since Derrida raised the application of the word "event" to be understood as a rupture, a "redoubling", I use it here to apply to the unstoppable expansion, explosion, if you will, of Zimbabwean literature. Notice that it is easy not to realize that this is happening, because the world's eyes are focusing on the more urgent matters, the cholera, the rotting politics, but the literary EVENT (made up of many developments we can call events) is happening. I use the word to show how much I enjoy talking about this growth, this rich promise of a literature finally breaking free and freeing, recentering and decentering (a positive thing) itself.
But on a more serious note, there are many good things happening in Zimbabwean writing, both at home and abroad. Today I will just highlight what's going on in the Diaspora.
Munyori Poetry Journal: We have to start with this one because I am the founding editor of this journal which was initially intended to attract the participation of Zimbabwean writers. It has been discovered by writers from all corners of the world, although about seventy percent of submissions come from the United States. India holds the second spot, followed by Zimbabwe, and then the rest. I am happy to be running this online journal, which is now becoming a multi-genre magazine, publishing fiction, author profiles, interviews, etc. Eventually, when I have put together a few pennies, or when I get a grant award, I plan to turn it into a small press that publishes literary works.
Story Time: A World of Fiction: Founded by my friend Ivor Hartmann, StoryTime is all "about new fiction reading and writing, we endeavour to encourage fiction writing as a multi-purpose means not only to improve professional writing ability, but also for the very healthy personal catharsis of the writing process itself. So we welcome all fiction writers to submit, and receive vital feedback. And if published at StoryTime, public exposure from our ST Main Site, their own ST Author Page, and our Facebook ST Page, and Group.
Submission Guidelines
All fiction genres will be accepted for review but the story must be an Original work, nothing that infringes the copyright of, or is derived from, another work of fiction, is overly lewd, hate speech, etc. You get the idea. That being said all stories posted are for read and review only, the authors will retain all rights and copyrights to posted stories. Stories submitted may be:
1) Short stories: 1000 - 8000 words.
2) Serial or episodic stories: 1000 - 5000 words.
3) Novels, novella's or novelettes: divided into 1000 - 5000 word sections.
4) Poems or Collections of Poetry: 1000 - 5000 words or divided into 1000 - 5000 word sections.
Petina Gappah: I can't talk about these fantastic events without mentioning Petina Gappah, but because she is featured on this blog frequently, I will let you look at previous entries.
Lion Press Ltd: Based in the UK, this new Zimbabwean publisher is proving to be a serious event in the literature. To date (its started a few months ago) it has published two books on folktales, which I plan to talk about once I get a chance to read them, but the founder of the press has told me that there is much more to come. We haven't seen anything yet.
Arts initiates: This is a website edited by Wonder Guchu which is updated daily and features news about the arts, short stories, poetry, and so on. Arts Initiates was born of the resolutions made after the watershed Arterial Conference on vitalizing African Cultural Assets held at Goree Island in Senegal in March 2007.Sixty-one delegates from Africa and donor organisations attended the conference that gave birth to Imagine Africa, a massive drive to revive art and culture through networking and exchange as well as training.
The donors and artists came from different disciplines including; film, music, theatre, visual arts, literature and dance, arts administrators, consultants, journalists, embassy personnel, publishers and policy makers.It was realised that the media plays a vital role in promoting the arts and that there was need for training some media personnel on various aspects of the arts so that they can contribute more meaningfully to the development of the arts.
The then Herald entertainment editor Wonder Guchu was one of the five culture journalists who attended the conference together with two Zambians, one from Ghana and two from Senegal. Guchu’s attendance was a follow-up to the Durban International Film Festival media training programme carried out by NSJ, a southern African media training organisation and funded by DCCD in 2006.
I check this website every morning to see what Memory Chirere, Richmore Tera, Abby Magosvongwe and others are up to, to witness the EVENT... It is where ,for instance, you would read the essay "Zimbabwe is a Short Story Country" or the interview which I did with Chirere about my poetry collection. So I love it!
Dambudzo Marechera Conference at Oxford University
This is one of the biggest events planned for May 2009. Marechera scholars and friends will converge on Oxford to talk about themselves. In the context of Dambudzo Marechera, of course.
Not only will this event honor Marechera, it will also put Zimbabwean literature on the map (again) only a month after the launch of Petina's Elegey for Easterly, and the publication (most likely) of a book celebrating Marechera's life & works, edited by Nhamo Mhiripiri.
African Writing Online: This one is run out of the UK but features writings Africans anywhere. It has repeadedly featured Zimbabwean Writers. I had a few of my poems featured in its second edition, and I have seen works by Petina Gappah, Ambrose Musiiyiwa and others. High quality magazine of African writing.
Kubatana.Net: This one is sponsored by NGOs in Zimbabwe and it has kept me updated on what is happening in the literary scene back home and in the Diaspora. They cover their on features, but sometimes they display what has appeared on other websites, linking the reader to the source. Rich resource. If you want to read the latest short story by John Eppel, start here.
These events, fantastic indeed.
Anything else going on out there?
But on a more serious note, there are many good things happening in Zimbabwean writing, both at home and abroad. Today I will just highlight what's going on in the Diaspora.
Munyori Poetry Journal: We have to start with this one because I am the founding editor of this journal which was initially intended to attract the participation of Zimbabwean writers. It has been discovered by writers from all corners of the world, although about seventy percent of submissions come from the United States. India holds the second spot, followed by Zimbabwe, and then the rest. I am happy to be running this online journal, which is now becoming a multi-genre magazine, publishing fiction, author profiles, interviews, etc. Eventually, when I have put together a few pennies, or when I get a grant award, I plan to turn it into a small press that publishes literary works.
Story Time: A World of Fiction: Founded by my friend Ivor Hartmann, StoryTime is all "about new fiction reading and writing, we endeavour to encourage fiction writing as a multi-purpose means not only to improve professional writing ability, but also for the very healthy personal catharsis of the writing process itself. So we welcome all fiction writers to submit, and receive vital feedback. And if published at StoryTime, public exposure from our ST Main Site, their own ST Author Page, and our Facebook ST Page, and Group.
Submission Guidelines
All fiction genres will be accepted for review but the story must be an Original work, nothing that infringes the copyright of, or is derived from, another work of fiction, is overly lewd, hate speech, etc. You get the idea. That being said all stories posted are for read and review only, the authors will retain all rights and copyrights to posted stories. Stories submitted may be:
1) Short stories: 1000 - 8000 words.
2) Serial or episodic stories: 1000 - 5000 words.
3) Novels, novella's or novelettes: divided into 1000 - 5000 word sections.
4) Poems or Collections of Poetry: 1000 - 5000 words or divided into 1000 - 5000 word sections.
Petina Gappah: I can't talk about these fantastic events without mentioning Petina Gappah, but because she is featured on this blog frequently, I will let you look at previous entries.
Lion Press Ltd: Based in the UK, this new Zimbabwean publisher is proving to be a serious event in the literature. To date (its started a few months ago) it has published two books on folktales, which I plan to talk about once I get a chance to read them, but the founder of the press has told me that there is much more to come. We haven't seen anything yet.
Arts initiates: This is a website edited by Wonder Guchu which is updated daily and features news about the arts, short stories, poetry, and so on. Arts Initiates was born of the resolutions made after the watershed Arterial Conference on vitalizing African Cultural Assets held at Goree Island in Senegal in March 2007.Sixty-one delegates from Africa and donor organisations attended the conference that gave birth to Imagine Africa, a massive drive to revive art and culture through networking and exchange as well as training.
The donors and artists came from different disciplines including; film, music, theatre, visual arts, literature and dance, arts administrators, consultants, journalists, embassy personnel, publishers and policy makers.It was realised that the media plays a vital role in promoting the arts and that there was need for training some media personnel on various aspects of the arts so that they can contribute more meaningfully to the development of the arts.
The then Herald entertainment editor Wonder Guchu was one of the five culture journalists who attended the conference together with two Zambians, one from Ghana and two from Senegal. Guchu’s attendance was a follow-up to the Durban International Film Festival media training programme carried out by NSJ, a southern African media training organisation and funded by DCCD in 2006.
I check this website every morning to see what Memory Chirere, Richmore Tera, Abby Magosvongwe and others are up to, to witness the EVENT... It is where ,for instance, you would read the essay "Zimbabwe is a Short Story Country" or the interview which I did with Chirere about my poetry collection. So I love it!
Dambudzo Marechera Conference at Oxford University
This is one of the biggest events planned for May 2009. Marechera scholars and friends will converge on Oxford to talk about themselves. In the context of Dambudzo Marechera, of course.
Not only will this event honor Marechera, it will also put Zimbabwean literature on the map (again) only a month after the launch of Petina's Elegey for Easterly, and the publication (most likely) of a book celebrating Marechera's life & works, edited by Nhamo Mhiripiri.
African Writing Online: This one is run out of the UK but features writings Africans anywhere. It has repeadedly featured Zimbabwean Writers. I had a few of my poems featured in its second edition, and I have seen works by Petina Gappah, Ambrose Musiiyiwa and others. High quality magazine of African writing.
Kubatana.Net: This one is sponsored by NGOs in Zimbabwe and it has kept me updated on what is happening in the literary scene back home and in the Diaspora. They cover their on features, but sometimes they display what has appeared on other websites, linking the reader to the source. Rich resource. If you want to read the latest short story by John Eppel, start here.
These events, fantastic indeed.
Anything else going on out there?
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