WEALTH OF IDEAS

African Writing (AW) issue number 8, a real holiday treat, is now out. It features my interview with Petina Gappah, my story "Cross Country", a great story by the talented Novuyo Rosa Tshuma, and a lot more interviews, reviews (with one by Memory Chirere)and more fiction, poetry! Here are a couple of excerpts: AW : While on the subject of labels, let’s talk about your identity as a writer. You have made it clear that you don’t consider yourself an African writer because “it comes with certain expectations of you”. First, do you think the question of your identification with Zimbabwe, Africa, Switzerland or the universe is relevant in what you do as a writer ? PG : I am a lawyer. When the government officials I work with come to the ACWL for assistance with their trade matters, they do not come to see an African lawyer. They come to see Petina Gappah, a lawyer with more than 10 years of experience in WTO law, just as they come to see my colleagues, also experienced lawyers, wh...

In Karanga we say 'tava pedo', which means that we are close. I am talking about Munyori Literary Journal ; if all goes well on my computer, I should be able to post an evolving issue. Evolving in this case means I will continue to tweak it aftet it has been posted, although many readers will not notice the changes. Given what we have in store for you, it's no use keeping you waiting. We have: An interview with Petina Gappah An interview with Tanure Ojaide An essay by Memory Chirere on Southern Africa and the short story. An essay on Yvonne Vera by Ivor W. Hartmann A short story by Valerie Tagwira A short story by Catherine Mark-Beasant A short story by Naomi Benaron Lots of poetry News News We are happy with the content, but we will continue working on the design until we are satisfied. Join us to celebrate the launch of the first multi-genre issue of Munyori on March 9, 2009.

I am honored to feature this partial interview with Petina Gappah here on Wealth of Ideas. PG is a rising star, and in this insighful interview, she talks about her writing career, her soon-to-be-released short story collection, Elegy for Easterly , and her views on Zimbabwean literature. 1. Congratulations on the publication of An Elegy for Easterly. What does this big step mean to you? Thank you very much. It is a huge step. It means the fulfilment of a life's dream. To be published by Faber, to be in the company of T.S. Eliot, Sylvia Plath, Siegfried Sassoon, William Golding, Orhan Pamuk, Owen Sheers , P.D. James, Kazuo Ishiguro and other writers I love is almost too good to be real. 2. How has your personal background contributed to your writing of Elegy for Easterly ; for instance, are there traces of yourself in any of the characters in the stories? I think of my writing as a compulsive form of theft. Every story I have written is based on at least one true thing. This could...