Zimbabwean Writers Climbing the Charts in Book News
I knew it!
I knew that once things began to settle (the the extent that they have) in Zimbabwe, the literature would make a mark. It has begun, and according to Melissa de Villiers of The Times (South Africa), "while the politicians might have run out of ideas, the writers are just getting started." Read her brilliant overview of the works of the new writers in this Times article.
Petina Gappah and Brian Chikwava are dominating Book Review pages in UK newspapers. Some of the reviewers seem to miss the point in their reading and understanding of the concerns of the books, but I found this one by The Independent to be a promising sign that someone is getting the message. Besides, you know what they say about publicity, especially if it's coming from places like The Guardian, The Independent, The Observer.... And wait until the books knock the doors of North America.
As the books enter literature syllabi and discussion circles, I speculate, people with the time to read between the lines will unearth the complexities that these literary gems contain. For now, it is exciting to see that when the media mentions Zimbabwe, they are doing so for something positive. And as de Villiers hinted, this is just the beginning of a new wave of writing in Zimbabwe. As these writers emerge, or expand on their craft(in the case of established names like Hove, Mungoshi, Dangarembga, Chinodya and others), they come with a diversity of themes, premises, and styles. Some younger writers like Ivor Hartmann are experimenting with genre fiction. The detective story genre Alexander McCall Smith inspired (yes, he is Zimbabwean) is taking a hold on writers like Masimba Musodza.
Will this literature mention presidents and ministers once in a while? Absolutely, just as any fiction is about lies told to reach the truth about the human condition with certain geographical and time specifications.
Gappah, Chikwava, Mlalazi, Chirere,Mabasa,Tagwira, Ndhlovu, Mushakavanhu, Guchu,Masere--just a few of the numerous Zimbabwean writing names readers everywhere will soon learn to pronounce.
I knew that once things began to settle (the the extent that they have) in Zimbabwe, the literature would make a mark. It has begun, and according to Melissa de Villiers of The Times (South Africa), "while the politicians might have run out of ideas, the writers are just getting started." Read her brilliant overview of the works of the new writers in this Times article.
Petina Gappah and Brian Chikwava are dominating Book Review pages in UK newspapers. Some of the reviewers seem to miss the point in their reading and understanding of the concerns of the books, but I found this one by The Independent to be a promising sign that someone is getting the message. Besides, you know what they say about publicity, especially if it's coming from places like The Guardian, The Independent, The Observer.... And wait until the books knock the doors of North America.
As the books enter literature syllabi and discussion circles, I speculate, people with the time to read between the lines will unearth the complexities that these literary gems contain. For now, it is exciting to see that when the media mentions Zimbabwe, they are doing so for something positive. And as de Villiers hinted, this is just the beginning of a new wave of writing in Zimbabwe. As these writers emerge, or expand on their craft(in the case of established names like Hove, Mungoshi, Dangarembga, Chinodya and others), they come with a diversity of themes, premises, and styles. Some younger writers like Ivor Hartmann are experimenting with genre fiction. The detective story genre Alexander McCall Smith inspired (yes, he is Zimbabwean) is taking a hold on writers like Masimba Musodza.
Will this literature mention presidents and ministers once in a while? Absolutely, just as any fiction is about lies told to reach the truth about the human condition with certain geographical and time specifications.
Gappah, Chikwava, Mlalazi, Chirere,Mabasa,Tagwira, Ndhlovu, Mushakavanhu, Guchu,Masere--just a few of the numerous Zimbabwean writing names readers everywhere will soon learn to pronounce.
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