Zimbawean Literature in Turbulent Times

So much has happened in Zimbabwe in the past ten years. Nowhere is this more evident than in the new writing coming out of the country, thanks to the hard work of the few publishers that have shown an unwavering commitment to continue publishing works by new and established writers. I have often wondered how they(amaBooks in Bulawayo, Weaver Press in Harare) do it--how they continue to publish new story collections in an inhibitive economic environment,but they are helping define the direction of the country's literature. And the writers too, their talent and hardwork contribute to the creation of some of the richest literature Africa is producing.

Each time I buy a new book from Zimbabwe I talk about it with a great sense of pride, as if the success of the book is in the fact that it is out, a book from Zimbabwe (See, new from Zimbabwe, see?). A few of the books have been published in South Africa, and in some cases in Europe and the United States, but the Zimbabwe-based publishers have had the lion's share of the majority of titles that consitute much of contemporary Zimbabwean literature.

Even though the economic situation has reduced the readership, these publishers have continued to target schools and a portion of the foreign market, which, through outlets like the Africa Book Collective, Univeristy of Michigan, and just recently, the UK-based Lion Press Ltd, have made some of the publications available outside of Zimbabwe. The publications have not always translated to success for the writers, and I suspect,for the publishers themselves, but the books' production has helped the literature to continue growing in a very difficult environment.

In the past ten years, beleagured Zimbabwe has given birth to some of its strongest writers, adding a new dimension to African literature, especially in the genre of the short story. The setting of the Zimbabwean story has also widened, following the portion of the population that has left the country. Even in a story like "Somewhere" by Memory Chirere, which barely mentions the United States, there is a powerful moment when the reader realizes that information about what happened to the old man in America is withheld, and the reader sees only the effects: the old man gets in fits madness that no one in the country has ever seen, leaving the reader wondering what heppened to this man when he was in America. In the terrain of stories like "Somewhere", home meets Diaspora in unlikely moments, attesting to the availability of endless thematic possibilities.

Some of the stories, for instance the those by Ladipe Manyika, Katedza, Petina Gappah, have covered both home and the Diaspora in very clear and deliberate terms, exposing the reader to the interesting life of the Zimbabwean persona, wherever he or she is. The new authors or the old authors in their new work, have reached a level of creative honesty Dambudzo Marechera presaged, only now the writers are riding on a furious wave of uncertainty, a nerve-opening sense of urgency.

The Zimbabwean situation is so rich, if not overwhelming, with creative possibilities. This is the era that Zimbabwean Literature can actually make a mark in the world, a time for the writers to be productive. And I am not talking about the usual few names whom publishers have felt safe with; I am talking about diverse voices, I am talking about a creative explosion, a rennaisance even. And it would be poor business strategy for publishers not to notice that Zimbabwe is a rich literary oasis. Of course, I say this with the knowledge that one of the hottest book deals of the century so far has been given to Zimbabwean author Petina Gappah. And that's just the beginning of things to come. What with what we (those who listen) hear is happening in the UK, South Africa and other places where writers of the Zimbabwean diaspora can be found in large numbers.

But with this creative explosion, should come responsibility on the part of both publisher and writer, the responsibility to allow the writing to take its own course, the ability to avoid the temptation of over-politicizing or ideologizing (I can say this) the literature. Musaemura Zimunya and Kizito Muchemwa recently warned, in an article published by Poetry International Magazine, that just as the Literature Bureau stunted the growth of Shona and Ndebele literature, new interest-based artistic promotions may negatively affect contemporary Zimbabwean writing. Of course, such influences were only possible in an environment when the definition of a nation's literature were in the hands of the few. Not anymore. A new Zimbabwean novel can sprout from just about anywhere in the world, and the widespread use of the internet seems to be helping shape the direction the literature seems to be taking.

In a recent post on a her blog ,Petina Gappah, reviewing the new Weaver Press publication, pointed out that she does not find issue collections that amusing; they become too predictable, literature forced to carry an agenda. And given the changing socio-political and economic environment in Zimbabwe, given this era of the Messy Deal,the temptation for issue collections is high. That is why there is the memoir, a genre that is not utilized by many Zimbabwean writers, but which would make very interesting reading. Those who have seen how many memoirs have been written about Rwanda and the child soldiers of Siera Leone will know what I am talking about. They come out, the memoirs, and everyone reads them, and with some proper marketing, they may attract the attention of Hollywood. Real money can be made by someone, and people get to talk, et cetra.

But this memoirising cannot be the function of literature, if we remember what literature is. Literature takes its time; it is not the cousin of the newspaper,nor is it the friend of television news channels. Yes, it will feed on what CNN or BBC has to offer, but it will not do the work of CNN or BBC. It takes its time (even when a novel may be written in two days) to reflect, to create a life that's rich and more complete.

So as we enter this interesting era of change in Zimbabwe, let us produce literature that will stand the test of time. Let the real story of Zimbabwe be told, free of anyone's biases, completely divorced from conficting or consenting agendas.