Marechera in Oxford, Gappah in South Africa: A Zim Lit Weekend

The weekend of May 15 was a busy one for Zimbabwean literature. Scholars from all over the world met at Oxford University to celebrate Dambudzo Marechera's work and life. Noted scholars like Flora Veit-Wild, Memory Chirere, and others presented papers about Marechera. I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't much international publicity about the actual symposium. Somehow I wanted to feel like I had been there too by watching something on BBC, YouTube, etc, but that's still okay. The fact that it happened helps publicize, in different scales, the work of this powerful Zimbabwean writer. Artsintiates has reported that House of Hunger was re-issued and relaunched at the event by Pearson Educational, which is reportedly planning to restore the African Writers Series. As most will recall, the AWS under Heineman was a strong force in the defining and canonization of what we call African Literature today.

While the Marechera Symposium was going on, Petina Gappah was in South Africa launching An Elegy for Easterly at different locations. The first one was in Capetown, at the Book Lounge, which Petina herself facebooked she was impressed by. Her books were sold out at the event. After her many activities in South Africa, which also include a Book Festival, and a dialogue with Alesandra Fuller, she will proceed to Zimbabwe next week to launch An Elegy...

Noviolet Bulawayo (a Zimbabwean writer based in the US) received honourable mention in the J.M. Coetzee-judged South African PEN / STUDZINSKI Literary Award. This is a big deal in African literary circles: a nod from J.M. Coetzee goes a long way. And it hints at a possible break through for the North America-based Zimbabwean writers. We definitley are in a tough market, but we need to catch up with our brothers and sisters in Europe. But wait, we have Sarah Ladipo Manyika in San Francisco and Zvisinei Sandi in Stanford, not far from San Francisco, and Lion Press has said that Ignatius Mabasa's book is going to be launched in San Francisco. There is Alexandra Fuller in Wyoming, and I know of one or two Zimbos in MFAs (Remember, Iowa nurtured our own Shimmer Chinodya). Iowa versus East Anglia--things could get competitive.

Comments

m said…
Zim lit is going places, and I'm excited and humbled to be in the donkey-cart, mukoma. More and more are picking up pens and I find that inspiring always. The revolution will be written!
May 19, 2009 at 6:50 PM
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