Together - to be published in the USA, South Africa and Zimbabwe

Together, the collection of short stories and poems by John Eppel and the late Julius Chingono will be available through UNO Press in the USA very soon, and now the University of KwaZulu-Natal Press has confirmed that they will also publish the book in South Africa.

'amaBooks are delighted that the work of these two Zimbabwean writers will be easily accessible to readers in South Africa and the USA, as well as in Zimbabwe.

Election Day wins two NAMA Awards

Election Day, Christopher Mlalazi's play, adapted from the short story of the same name from Dancing with Life: Tales from the Township, has won two awards at the Zimbabwe National Arts Merit Awards. The play, directed by Eunice Ratidzo Tava, won Outstanding Theatrical Production and Teddy Mangava won the Outstanding Actor prize for his performance in the play.

Liilian Dube wins Writing with Light poetry competition

Lillian Dube's poem Jazz has won the Writing with Light competition, the results of which were announced at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on February 17.

The competition, which involved poets interpreting the photographs of Resta Nyamwanza, was praised by the judges, Brian Jones and Jane Morris of 'amaBooks. The work submitted was of a high standard, as were the photographs, and the impressive attendance demonstrated the interest in the arts in Bulawayo. Such competitions play an important role in encouraging creativity. There had been events in Bulawayo in the past that involved cooperation between literary and visual arts - the Poetic Brush and the launch of Short Writings from Bulawayo III, but these involved visual artists interpreting poetry or short stories.

In second place was Babusi Nyoni's poem Between A and B, and in third place Sammantha G Ndlovu's Women - Uhuru. All three were given money prizes as well as copies of 'amaBooks poetry collections Intwasa Poetry and Sonatas.

The event was supported by several organisations: Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo, Multi-Media Box, Sound Kalcha, HIVOS, Poetry Bulawayo, Coalition Against Censorship Zimbabwe, the National Gallery in Bulawayo, Lekker Juice and 'amaBooks.

Jazz by Lilian Dube

I met jazz in a dream

Down by the river

Leaning against an amarula tree

Playing the pennywhistle

To the sound of my heartbeat

& the smell of the last rains

She made love to my senses

Drowned my soul

I can’t breathe, can’t let go.

'Election Day' nominated for 3 NAMA Awards

Christopher Mlalazi's play Election Day has been nominated for three awards at the 2011 Zimbabwe National Arts Merit Awards. The play is an adaptation of the short story of the same name that was published in Chris' Dancing with Life: Tales from the Township, published by 'amaBooks in 2008. Dancing with Life won the NAMA for Best First Published Creative Work in 2009 and was given an Honourable Mention at the 2009 Noma Awards for African Publishing.

The three nominations are for Outstanding Actress (Privilege Mutendera), Outstanding Actor (Teddy Mangava) and Outstanding Theatre Production (Eunice Ratidzo Tava). The winners will be announced on February 17.

Election Day had its premier at the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) 2010 and subsequently ran at Theatre in the Park in Harare. There are plans under way to adapt the play into a short film with Byron Locker in South Africa.

WIN-Zimbabwe Newsletter discusses the Warwick Review's 'New Writing from Zimbabwe'

Beaven Tapureta discusses the Warwick Review's December 2009 edition, with its New Writing from Zimbabwe section.

The Zimbabwean writers featured in this edition include Julius Chingono, John Eppel, Shimmer Chinodya, Lawrence Hoba, Wadzanai Mhute, Jane Morris, Tinashe Muchuri, Tinashe Mushakavanhu, No Violet Mkha Bulawayo, Champuno, and M.C Chihota.

The edition also features reviews of Bryony Rheam's This September Sun, Tsitsi Dangarembga's The Book of Not and Brian Chikwava's Harare North.

(The review of This September Sun can be read at http://amabooksbyo.blogspot.com/2010/03/review-of-bryony-rheams-this-september.html )

Three Writers discuss Zimbabwean Literature Culture

Christopher Mlalazi, Emmanuel Sigauke and Tinashe Mushakavanhu discuss the state of Zimbabwean literature, writing from the Diaspora, what is African literature among other literary issues. In this candid roundtable discussion, they question the direct nature of literature and its suitability in chronicling moments of unique political and social significance. In a country like Zimbabwe, which exists to the West as a flurry of news reports and political upheavals, literature attains an importance that it rarely enjoys in Britain or America: it becomes a necessary thing, essential to the survival of the self.

The complete interview is featured in the Sentinel Literary Quarterly: http://sentinelquarterly.com

Novuyo Rosa Tshuma interviewed on Geosireads

Novuyo Rosa Tshuma is interviewed about her writing on http://geosireads.wordpress.com/2011/02/02/in-an-interview-with-zimbabwe-writer-novuyo-rosa-tshuma/.

Novuyo was first published in the 'amaBooks collections Echoes of Young Voices and Silent Cry, and has gone on to have short stories published in several other anthologies.