WEALTH OF IDEAS

"We are on our way to Budapest: Bastard and Chipo and Godknows and Sbho and Stina and me. We are going even though we are not allowed to cross Mzilikazi Road, even though Bastard is supposed to be watching his little sister Fraction, even though mother would kill me dead if she found out; we are going. There are guavas to steal in Budapest, and right now I’d die for guavas, or anything for that matter. My stomach feels like somebody just took a shovel and dug everything out. Getting out of Paradise is not so hard since the mothers are busy with hair and talk. They just glance at us when we file past and then look away. We don’t have to worry about the men under the jacaranda either since their eyes never lift from the draughts. Only the little kids see us and want to follow, but Bastard just wallops the naked one at the front with a fist on his big head and they all turn back." This is the beginning of NoViolet Bulawayo's short story featured in the current issue of Bosto...

Mirirai Moyo, a promising emerging writer from Zimbabwe, is one of the winners of the 2010 Golden Baobab Award, which features African stories for children anywhere. Moyo is not new to awards. In 1996, she was the Harare Region Winner for the Randalls National Essay Competition. Her short stories have featured in The Sunday Mail, Fascinating Tales and Parade as well as Drum Magazine’s fiction segment. Her radio play, Belonging, was awarded Honourable Mention in the BBC African Performance 2008 and published in Rory Kilalea's collection In the Continuum and Other Plays (Weaver Press). What I find fascinating so far is how Mirirai Moyo features animal characters in her stories to deal with the realistic issues that concern humans. As the interview below shows, Moyo appreciates the power of the traditional story-telling tradition, but she puts a new twist to her story-telling to address contemporary issues affecting humans everywhere. I got in touch with her and she agreed to do th...

Here are the selections for African Roar 2011 : Chanting Shadows by Mbonisi P. Ncube The Times by Dango Mkandawire Out of Memory by Emmanuel Iduma Masvingo neCarpet Thamsanqa Ncube Diner Ten by Ivor W. Hartmann Missing a Thing of Beauty by Abigail George Water Wahala by Isaac Neequaye Longing for Home by Hajira Amla Snakes Will Follow You by Emmanuel Sigauke The Echo of Silence Delta Law Milayo Ndou Snake of the Niger Delta by Chimdindu Mazi-Njoku The Saxophonist by Anengiyefa Alagoa Letter to my Son by Joy Isi Bewaji Waiting for April by Damilola Ajayi A Writer's Lot by Zukiswa Wanner Witch's Brew by Stanely Ruzvidzo Mupfudza To the Woods with a Girl by Masimba Musodza Silent Night, Bloody Night by Ayodele Morocco-Clarke Lose Myself by Uche Peter Umez Uncle Jeffrey by Murenga Joseph Chikowero Because of my Wife by Kenechukwu Obi The Orange Barn by Sarudzai Mubvakure Congratulations to all the authors selected. Ivor W. Hartmann have begun to the initial editing work of the stor...

Sacramento-based Stories on Stage will feature stories by African writers on June 24, 2011 at the Sacramento Poetry Center. Valerie Fioravanti, founder and coordinator of the reading series, has asked me to recommend African writers who are interested in submitting their stories for this special feature. I think it is a great opportunity to create more awareness of African fiction and for Northern California readers to discover the diversity of African writing. The stories are read or performed by professional actors. Here is what Valerie is looking for: "Two stories will be featured at each event, one from a writer with a short story collection or equivalent publication history, and one from an emerging writer. An emerging writer need not have previous publications in order to be selected. To submit a story for possible inclusion in the series, email your story as an attachment (.doc or .rtf only), and include a brief bio and publication history, if applicable. Please submit only...