Election Day sold out at HIFA

Christopher Mlalazi's Election Day, adapted from the short story of the same name in his award-winning collection Dancing with Life:Tales from the Township, played to a full house at each of its three performances at Reps Theatre during HIFA.

The play depicts the reactions of an African leader, his wife and his political advisor to the release of election results, which appear to be leading to a clear victory to the opposition.

The play was very well received by the audience at the performance we attended, and several copies of the book were sold afterwards. The director, Eunice Tava, told us that she hoped the play would move after HIFA to other venues around Zimbabwe.

Election Day was part of the HIFA Direct project, organised by British Council, Zimbabwe. Chris Mlalazi is a graduate of the British Council's Crossing Borders Project, a mentoring scheme for writers. Other Crossing Borders writers who have contributed to 'amaBooks publications include Bryony Rheam, Tinashe Mushakavanhu, Mzana Mthimkhulu, Chaltone Tshabangu, Raisedon Baya. Farai Mpofu and Fungai Machirori.

'amaBooks publications are available in Harare at the National Gallery, Book Cafe, the Art Mart at the Doon Estate, Delta Gallery, Pages Bookshop in Newlands, Avondale Bookshop, the Bookshelf at Arundel, and other Innov8 bookshops. In Bulawayo the books are in the Indaba Book Cafe, the National Gallery, Induna Arts, Z&N, Vignes, Afrodizziac, Book&Bean, Innov8 and Zero Suppliers. In South Africa they are in Clarkes of Cape Town, Xarra of Jo'burg, Protea of Pretoria and Adams of Durban. Elsewhere from www.africanbookscollective.com or www.booksofzimbabwe.com.