Ignatius Mabasa at the Western Addition Libray in downtown San Francisco. This has got to be one of the best poetry events in the United States, its magnitude and the display of international talent. Listening to the poets read in their languages, you could tell that they had to be some of the best in … Continue reading Ignatius Mabasa US Tour: San Francisco
Category: African literature
Hard Times Have Freed Zimbabwean Literature
Zimbabwean literature in English has a short history, only having started in the 70’s with the writings of Charles Mungoshi and a few other writers. The literature started in war time, when the country was still under white minority rule, which meant that the writers had to exercise a degree of self-censorship in order not … Continue reading Hard Times Have Freed Zimbabwean Literature
Ignatius Mabasa to Read Shona Poetry in San Francisco
photo by Fungai J.T. Listen, I am too excited about this news to know where to begin, but let's start with this announcement from the organizers of the Second San Francisco International Poetry Festival: Second San Francisco International Poetry Festival will Ring through the City in July 23-27, 2009 Friends of the San Francisco Public … Continue reading Ignatius Mabasa to Read Shona Poetry in San Francisco
ZIBF CANCELLATION REAL BLOW ON ZIMBABWEAN BOOK INDUSTRY
It is a tradition that began in 1983, when the new star African country, Zimbabwe, was embracing the fruits of high literacy. Amidst the euphoria of independence, the widespread introduction of educational programs meant to reach the remotest corner of the country, the ZIBF was formed to serve as Africa's example of the appreciation of … Continue reading ZIBF CANCELLATION REAL BLOW ON ZIMBABWEAN BOOK INDUSTRY
Genre Expansion Necessary for African Writing
The continent of Africa continues to rely on foreign writers as suppliers of books in the genres of romance, mystery, science fiction, fantasy, and horror. This needs to stop immediately. We want the world to start reading romances written in Africa, by African writers. We want African readers to read romances (in the Harlequin & … Continue reading Genre Expansion Necessary for African Writing
Dambudzo Marechera and the American Reader
A literary scholar interested in reading the works of the Zimbabwean writer Dambudzo Marechera in the United States will be unsettled by the absence of these works in bookstores and most libraries. While Dambudzo Marechera was well-received in places like the United Kingdom, and while his influence is spreading rapidly in Africa and other places, he is not as famous in the … Continue reading Dambudzo Marechera and the American Reader
Kamurai Mudzingwa’s Dissatisfaction with African Movies
"Back home, our very own Zimbabwean sister Tsitsi Dangarembga displayed the same mentality in her movie Kare Kare Zvako. She shows Africans as savage cannibals who literally eat each other. She won a Western-sponsored award for her efforts. That is also another catch used to lure the misguided African filmmakers — the proliferation of Western-sponsored … Continue reading Kamurai Mudzingwa’s Dissatisfaction with African Movies
Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Words of Wisdom
I have said it elsewhere, and I will say it again: I prefer getting my knowledge about nations and their cultures from creative writers. Art is able to capture aspects of life that the popular media has not learned to capture. I often trust that writers delve deeper (they better if they want to have … Continue reading Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Words of Wisdom
Valerie Tagwira Wins the NAMA Award
Valerie Tagwira's first novel, Uncertainty of Hope, has won the NAMA award for best fiction. The awards ceremony, held on February 13 at the 7 Arts Theatre in Harare, Zimbabwe brought together seasoned and new artists. The nominees of Outstanding Fiction Book were: White Man Crawling - John EppelThe Uncertainty of Hope - Valerie Tagwira … Continue reading Valerie Tagwira Wins the NAMA Award
Winona Rasheed Apologizes for Calling Africa Country
"My name is Winona Rasheed, and I am asking that you please except my sincere apology in referring to Africa as a country instead of the continent that it is. This anthology of African writers will be revised so that it refers to Africa as a continent." These words from Winona Rasheed came a few … Continue reading Winona Rasheed Apologizes for Calling Africa Country
Publisher to Correct Africa-is-Country Error
The owner and publisher of Author-Me-com, Bruce Cook, has claimed primary responsibility for his company's reference to Africa as a country. In a letter to Wordsbody, the blogger who first exposed this error, Cook said, "I agree that this is quite serious, although I imagine that similar errors occur with many who have not had … Continue reading Publisher to Correct Africa-is-Country Error
Toni Morrison Endorses Obama
ABC Blogs reports that Toni Morrision has endorsed Baraka Obama for president. Staying true to her declaration that writers are political beings, the Nobel Laureate writes, "Our future is ripe, outrageously rich in its possibilities. Yet unleashing the glory of that future will require a difficult labor, and some may be so frightened of ts birth … Continue reading Toni Morrison Endorses Obama
Africa a Continent not a Country, Wordsbody Tells Author-Me.com
"It is a constant source of frustration, despair almost, for the average African - this Western mindset that insists on seeing the African continent as one unfathomable mass of misery," writes Wordsbody in response to Winona Rasheed's reference to Africa as "a courageous country". The occasion: Publication of a new collection of short stories by … Continue reading Africa a Continent not a Country, Wordsbody Tells Author-Me.com
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