Book Review: The Mad by Ignatius T. Mabasa - Translated by J. Tsitsi Mutiti

The Mad reviewed by Tafadzwa Madzika in Greedy South (https://www.greedysouth.co.zw/2026/01/book-review-mad-by-ignatius-t-mabasa.html)

In Zimbabwean society, and to a broader extent Southern African society, there are larger than life characters who are regulars at the local shopping centre, who have their sanity constantly in question. They always have alcohol on hand and offer up monologues and rants against the "authorities" without any motivation. The lack of care by social services or the absence of them as a whole, makes them easy to feel sympathetic for, while their characters are often abrasive and easy to hate. 

This is Hamundigone, a war veteran and teacher at the centre of Ignatius Mabasa's The Mad, a 25 year old novel originally published in Shona as Mapenzi but recently translated Into English by J. Tsitsi Mutiti. In monologues that showcase keen insight and channel allegory, Hamundigone paints late 90s Zimbabwe in vibrant brushstrokes, while making us question his mental well being. Within the first few chapters it's clear that The Mad is a presentation of Mapenzi with nothing lost in translation.

"When you find yourself being asked when you will return, don’t think it is a sign of popularity. Sometimes people look forward to their freedom in your absence. So, now that I am going, don’t bother to ask me any questions because I have no answers for you. Just know that I will be back." - extract from The Mad

From Hamundigone's introduction there is a dive into characters just as vibrant as him, if not in personality then in the complexity of their lives. The Mad spins a web that touches on themes of culture, identity, homophobia, gender based violence, the liberation struggle, substance abuse and the AIDS pandemic. It is gripping yet laced with humour even in the most heartbreaking of moments. 

Through the lives of several individuals we travel through love, heartbreak, hope, while living in a repressed society. The fortunes of the country are expressed through a dog that changes names from Salisbury to Harare, and somehow strikes up a friendship with Hamundigone. The argument of cultural erosion vs needed adaptation is regularly put forward, along with a display of government inadequacies.

A novel 25+ years old yet still effervescent in its social commentary and satire. The stigma and fear mongering that gripped society in the 90s as depicted by The Mad, is almost exact mirror what happened during the world's most recent pandemic. A fact that shows us how well Mabasa captures Zimbabwean culture and the well entrenched underlying beliefs that guide Zimbabweans. 

The novel showcases both the brilliance of Ignatius Mabasa as a writer and J. Tsitsi Mutiti as a translator. A must read novel in every context.

Title: The Mad
Authors: Ignatius T. Mabasa
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Carnelian Heart Publishing & amaBooks Publishers

The Mad is available across all major book selling platforms and locally in Zimbabwe from Book Fantastics.

Celebrating the Launch of Ignatius Mabasa' s ‘The Mad’

Reproduced from https://munyori.org/2025/10/mad-about-mabasa-a-celebration-of-the-mad/

by Beaven Tapureta

In the cool evening of October 10 a gathering of ‘the mad’ writers, publishers, artists, arts journalists, academics, friends and family enjoyed the memorable official launch of The Mad, a newly co-published English translation of Ignatius T Mabasa’s 1999 Shona novel Mapenzi, a classic.

A charming mood prevailed at the National Art Gallery of Zimbabwe as mbira songbird Hope Masike livened up the event with her spiritually powered music.

Although the waiting for the new baby is now over, the story behind it is of a devoted team of ‘doctors’ that withstood the hiccups yet cherished some positive experiences in its process of birth.

Guest speaker Aaron Chiundura Moyo, who is a renowned writer, playwright and actor, left everyone in stitches as he congratulated The Mad author Mabasa for drawing a crowd of ‘the mad’ in the room.

Speaking after Mabasa’s wife, Conelia, had told of how the Mapenzi draft manuscript became Ignatius’  ‘bait’ to win her love, Chiundura Moyo said artists in their budding years generally do that. One can imagine the young Mabasa walking up to the girl with that special ‘I am-a-writer-babe’ pride, flashing the manuscript in front of her like a sweetener, giving his all for love.

But Mrs. Mabasa’s story reminded Chiundura Moyo of a time he also once lured and excitedly shared one of his manuscripts with a girl who never returned it. Nobody knows if she read it and worse still, she never mentioned she loved him too! 

Chiundura Moyo went on to touch on very serious issues pertinent to the business of translation, warning that in the absence of a clear cultural understanding of the original language, translators may kill our literature instead of promoting it globally.

Though the needs of non-Shona speakers must be considered, the translated version must have oneness of the original aura, the intrinsic value of the original language, he said.

He applauded Mabasa for his commitment to the preservation of African culture through language and Joyce Tsitsi Mutiti, The Mad translator for demonstrating that translation is not completely an academic exercise but also an activity done out of passion.

The major challenge generally faced by translators is how best a translated book, targeting a new audience, can balance with the inspiration that produced the original. Writers or artists are known to have personal habits in their work of creating. These habits are inseparable to their creations, they are a part of the unwritten context.

Indeed, a translator is not a re-writer, yet, without certain knowledge, some contextual meanings are lost when word-by-word translation is unnecessarily stuck to.

For instance, said Chiundura Moyo, an owl (zizi in Shona) could have considerable symbolical meaning when viewed from an African viewpoint whereas for a foreign audience, it’s simply a bird.

Culture, however, he said, should not be a limitation for translators, only that a certain alertness of the original purpose is demanded of those involved in the translation.  

For writer and publisher Samantha Vazhure (Carnelian Heart Publishing Ltd), it was a great honour to be asked by the long-established amaBooks to co-publish The Mad with them.  

Ignatius Mabasa could not help introducing himself to the gathering through a gripping story from his next novel which he said is titled Death of a Storyteller.

He re-traced the path Mapenzi has walked since the days he authored it when he was a student growing among ‘the radicals’ at the University of Zimbabwe.

His reflection of Mapenzi’s ups and downs, before and after it was published, was enough to justify the decision to avail it internationally.

At one time writer, Tendai Huchu was engaged to do the translation while publisher Irene Staunton and celebrated literary critic and researcher Flora Veit-Wild helped with ideas and suggestions. Although Huchu completed the translation, it was Tsitsi Mutiti’s translation completed a few years before Huchu’s that spoke to Mabasa’s heart.

Speaking at the launch, the translator Mutiti said she was intrigued by Mabasa’s style of characterization which very well captures the social milieu.

“I fell in love with Hamundigone’s personality who (Memory) Chirere describes as uncensored and sometimes utterly warm and likeable. I loved Bunny’s and Magi’s introspection. I loved all the characters because they are so relatable. These are not people to be pitied but strong people living their lives the best they can. They are people making the most of whatever resources are available to them to live their lives,” said Mutiti.

As reiterated by Chiundura Moyo in his presentation, that language is the backbone of a culture, likewise Mutiti discovered the inherent power of mother languages. 

“The other thing I learned is how much we take our mother language for granted. Its words are so deeply imbedded in our minds that we usually don’t really think about the concepts these words represent. When translating, this analysis becomes necessary so that a fitting word or phrase can be found. Sometimes this is a simple process, other times it’s a wrestling match. Language is a patchwork made with words, culture and other beliefs peculiar to the speakers of language,” she said.

Mutiti’s engagement with The Mad was enlightening especially in matters to do with ‘cultural differences between original audience and target audience’.

“Language and culture are so closely intertwined that any work in a particular language is also a reflection of that culture.  A culture likely to be foreign to the targeted reader. This presents a problem of how to handle these cultural differences. I think writers of sci-fi and fantasy who create worlds that have their peculiar cultures and rules also experience the same problems of how to convey these worlds to their readers in a way that the readers will understand,” said Mutiti. 

Later, an open discussion led by writer Memory Chirere was held to give those present a chance to ask Mabasa and Mutiti some questions. Wisrod, a registered microfinance company, sponsored the book launch.

Ignatius Mabasa's The Mad is Here

We're excited that The Mad, the translation from ChiShona into English by J. Tsitsi Mutiti of Ignatius Mabasa's novel Mapenzi, can be preordered now on Amazon  https://amzn.eu/d/8hP1FFI

The Mad, published by amaBooks and Carnelian Heart Publishers, will be released on July 29.  The cover is from an art work by Lovemore Kambudzi.  

The novel was chosen in the Times Literary Supplement as 'one of the most significant books to have come out of Africa.' 

'The Mad', the translation into English of Ignatius T. Mabasa's Shona novel 'Mapenzi', soon to be published

 

amaBooks are soon to copublish Ignatius T. Mabasa's The Mad with Carnelian Heart Publishing in Zimbabwe and in the United Kingdom. The award-winning Shona novel Mapenzi has been translated into English by J. Tsitsi Mutiti, edited by Jane Morris and proofread by Samantha Vazhure. To quote Memory Chirere, 'When this novel first appeared, it brought to Shona literature the seduction and tyranny of storytelling. With this translation, the English speaking world will have the opportunity to experience the elegance of Ignatius Mabasa's writing.'

We are also delighted that this translation of Mapenzi has also been chosen as the first translated novel, in 2026, in the University of Georgia Press's African Language Literatures in Translation series, to be published in North America. As the series editor Christopher Ernest Ouma argues, 'The time is right for an initiative that publishes and promotes essential works of world literature written in African languages. As Ignatius Mabasa has said about the inclusion of The Mad in the series, 'I actually see the translation into English as a gain against Western hegemony ... Instead of an African story being forced by the capitalist world system and globalisation into English, the translation is a sign of respect to Shona people in wanting to understand their world view and the issues that trouble them.'

More information about the UGA series can be found here. 

Dr. Ignatius Mabasa, Storyteller, Writer and Academic, in Conversation with Trevor Ncube

Ignatius T. Mabasa in conversation with Trevor Ncube 

In this video (link in blue above), Trevor Ncube sits down with Dr. Ignatius Mabasa—a storyteller, writer, and academic. They discuss Mabasa's journey as the first Zimbabwean to write a PhD in Shona, the influences behind his books, and the beauty and power of storytelling. He also shares his experience translating literary works including Nervous Conditions from English to Shona. Mabasa's novel, Mapenzi, chosen in the Times Literary Supplement as one of the most significant novels to have come out of Africa, has been translated into English as The Mad by J. Tsitsi Mutiti and is to be published soon in Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom by amaBooks and Carnelian Heart Publishing, and, in 2026, in North America by the University of Georgia Press.

Ignatius Mabasa in conversation with Philani Nyoni about the translation of Mapenzi and its publication in English as The Mad

 Reproduced from South Africa's Litnet  (https://www.litnet.co.za/from-mapenzi-to-madmen-a-conversation-with-ignatius-mabasa/)

From Mapenzi to The Mad: 

A conversation with Ignatius Mabasa

Philani A Nyoni, Ignatius Tirivangani Mabasa

Ignatius Mabasa (Photo: supplied)

In 1999, a 28-year-old, Ignatius Mabasa, wrote a novel that would not only stake its claim in the Zimbabwean literary canon, but go on to receive international recognition in the form of the Times Literary Supplement calling it “one of the most significant books to have come out of Africa”. It was rumoured that Tanaka Chidora would translate it into English, but sadly that did not come to pass. It is not all gloom, however. In 2025, amaBooks Publishers will publish Tsitsi Mutiti’s translation of Mapenzi into English under the title The Mad, while the University of Georgia Press is set to release the translation in North America. Philani A Nyoni talks to Ignatius Mabasa about this new lease of life on his iconic multi-award-winning book, and what it means to him and the zeitgeist after a quarter century in circulation.

You recently translated Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions into Shona, and have been a strong advocate for the preservation of native tongues, especially your indigenous language, Shona. You must admit there’s a certain irony to your book being translated into English. What gives, milord?

Irony, because Mapenzi has been translated from its original language into English, and not vice versa – I actually see the translation into English as a gain against Western hegemony, because the mountain has come to Muhammad to acknowledge his existence. Instead of an African story being forced by the capitalist world system and globalisation into English, the translation is a sign of respect to Shona people in wanting to understand their worldview and the issues that trouble them. The Mapenzi story is important for my people’s pedagogy and emancipation, because it encapsulates the historical, cultural and social identity of a nation. It is a kind of extension of Dambudzo Marechera’s House of Hunger and a version of Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions. Getting Mapenzi translated into English is a coup, because our efforts and works in our own languages are a way of refusing to let the world dominate and silence us ideologically. The Mapenzi translation is giving a bird a branch to perch on, but the bird truly belongs and finds meaning, rest and peace in the nest of its mother tongue.

In 2001, the Times Literary Supplement named Mapenzi “one of the most significant books to have come out of Africa”. In your opinion, why has it taken so long to have it brought to a wider audience in the form of translation?

Personally, I think it has taken this long to have Mapenzi brought to a wider audience in the form of translation because it is not a light read. It reeks with the experiences of marginalised people dealing with issues of poverty, violence, disintegration, fear, coloniality and dejection. It paints huge murals of the brutal nature of African life in the postcolonial era. Such socially realistic issues are like Third Cinema – they don’t sell and are uncomfortable for Western readers, because they are indicators of the long-term impact of colonisation.

Are you worried something might be lost in the process of translation? Something particular and nuanced that may be part of the book’s immortal soul? I mean this in the context of your having said that the lines always come to you in your mother tongue, and that you have found difficulty in translating the words when they come.

Certainly I am. There is something deeply ingrained in the language of the people who are telling their story in Mapenzi. There are issues which don’t need translation, because they are at home in the nest of the language that is telling the story. However, there were cases where the beauty and richness of the Shona idiom, metaphor and way of expressing issues presented a real struggle. It was like trying to get a stubborn donkey to move – you can pull and pull, but it simply will not move, digging its hooves into the ground. Under such circumstances I felt for the translator, because the message that was coming across was, as somebody clever once said, that “each language has its own language”. Mapenzi is a story of ordinary folk in the ghetto who may understand English, but English doesn’t quite define, explain or get tickled by the witty and clever use as the original language.

How involved were you in the process of translation? Did Tsitsi Mutiti and Jane Morris engage you during the process, or did you leave the process to their professional discretion?

I got heavily involved only in the end when I had to work with the editor, who did a fantastic job in pointing out ambiguities and things she felt had the potential to confuse foreign audiences. I also had the task of reading the translated story three times, as we kept discovering things and had to make difficult decisions.

It has been about a quarter of a century since Mapenzi was published. With the time that has passed in your personal and professional life, what does this text mean to you today, now that you are a different man in a different epoch?

I tell you that this was the biggest challenge for me. Literature is shaped by the conditions of the time in which it is created, but it is also influenced by the level of development that the author is at. Mapenzi is my first novel, written when I was aged 28, and I feel that, if I had proper guidance, I would have paid more attention to developing my characters and story. Actually, if I were to be given the opportunity, I would love to rewrite the story, paying more attention to what I now consider amateur ways of handling the story. This is something Tendai Huchu observed and struggled with when he at one time helped me. However, major improvements would have had implications for the original story. I consulted widely, and the sentiment was that if I were to rewrite or embellish the story as the mature writer that I am now, I would be destroying the popular Mapenzi, which was well received and loved with the “flaws” that I was now noticing. Although the TLS called it one of the most significant books to have come out of Africa, Mapenzi also shows how much indigenous literature has potential but requires support. As a budding writer at the time, I benefited immensely from studying the Shona novel as a course for my BA general degree. It was through that course that I understood that for most indigenous books, a sincerely told story matters more than the style. There is a lot of work that still has to go into the aestheticisation of Shona writing. Anyway, I am glad that while Mapenzi may be from a different epoch, it still remains relevant in terms of the themes and issues it deals with.