Siqondephi Manje?, the translation into Ndebele of Where to Now?, published

Siqondephi Manje? Indatshana zaseZimbabwe is the translation, by Dr Thabisani Ndlovu of Witwatersrand University, into Ndebele of Where to Now? Short Stories from Zimbabwe.

The collection features stories by sixteen writers: Raisedon Baya, NoViolet Bulawayo, Diana Charsley, Mapfumo Clement Chihota, Murenga Joseph Chikowero, John Eppel, Fungai Rufaro Machirori, Barbara Mhangami-Ruwende, Christopher Mlalazi, Mzana Mthimkhulu, Blessing Musariri, Nyevero Muza, Thabisani Ndlovu, Bryony Rheam, Novuyo Rosa Tshuma, Sandisile Tshuma.

The translation was supported by the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa, and the original publication by the Beit Trust.

Siqondephi Manje? is available in South Africa through Mega Books (http://megabooks.co.za/product/siqondephi-manje-indatshana-zasezimbabwe/) and outside of Africa through the African Books Collective (http://www.africanbookscollective.com/books/siqondephi-manje-indatshana-zasezimbabwe).

It will be launched in Zimbabwe at the end of March 2014, and will be available as an ebook in the near future.

Indatshana eziqoqwe lapha ziyasinda, zizwisa usizi lobuhlungu, kanti zibuye zihlekise. Zonke zithathela kusimo esibi esake saba khona eZimbabwe esaziwa ngokuthi “iminyaka elitshumi eyalahlekayo.” Kwakuyisikhathi sokuphela kwemali amandla lokuqonga kwentengo okungakaze kubonakale; isikhathi sodlame lobudlwangudlwangu; esokutshabalala kwenotho yelizwe kanye lokuphuma kwabantu ngobunengi besiya phephela kwamanye amazwe. Ngemva kwalokho bonke abantu beZimbabwe sebezibuza – Siqondephi Manje? Bonke abalendatshana lapha yizizalwane zeZimbabwe. Noma nje abanye babo beloba bephandle kwelizwe, ugqozi lwabo luphuma khona eZimbabwe, lendatshana zabo zikhuluma ngalo leli lizwe.

Emakhasini alolugwalo uzahlangana lolondindwa onyomuka emjibileni wabanewakhe okumendisa engafuni; umama owendileyo ophunyuka ecaleni lokulala lenye indoda; iqhawe eligqxumukela embizeni enkulu yamasese lifele lapho; imbongi engatholi sikhathi sokuhaya inkondlo yayo. Azipheleli lapho. Zikhona ezinye ezinengi.

Reviews of Where to Now? can be found elsewhere on amabooksbyo.blogspot.com.

More 'amaBooks titles available in South Africa through Mega Books

Bryony Rheam's novel 'This September Sun', John Eppel's collection of stories and poems 'White Man Crawling' and 'Intwasa Poetry', which features poets who have read at the Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo, are now available in South Africa through the website megabooks.co.za.

The books join other 'amaBooks titles already on the website - 'Long Time Coming: Short Writings from Zimbabwe', 'Where to Now?: Short Stories from Zimbabwe', Christopher Mlalazi's 'Dancing with Life: Tales from the Township' and Pathisa Nyathi's 'Zimbabwe's Cultural Heritage'.

A busy week for literary Bulawayo

NoViolet Bulawayo at the Indaba Book Cafe in Bulawayo

The big event of the week is the hometown launch of NoViolet Bulawayo’s debut novel ‘We Need New Names’, at 5.30pm on Tuesday 17 September in the courtyard of the National Gallery in Bulawayo. The book has been long-listed for the Guardian First Book Award and short-listed for the Man Booker Prize. NoViolet is the first Zimbabwean, and the first Black African woman, to be shortlisted for the Man Booker, which has been one of the most prestigious literary awards for 42 years. The event, open to all, will feature readings by NoViolet as well as a conversation between NoViolet and Dr Drew Shaw of the National University of Science and Technology. The event is supported by amaBooks, British Council Zimbabwe, Bulawayo Agenda and Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo.

Earlier that day, NoViolet will facilitate a workshop for promising Bulawayo writers. The participants have been selected from those who have entered the Intwasa Short Story competition for the Yvonne Vera Award.

The next day, on Wednesday 18 September, there will be another literary event, at 5.30pm in the John Knight Cinema at the National Gallery. This time it will be a slide show presentation by Dr Drew Shaw, titled 'Looking back / Looking forward: Zimbabwean literature of the GNU period, 2009-2013', to be followed by discussion about whether or not we can see discernible trends in the national literature and critical studies of it in the last four years. As the title suggests, some literature casts its gaze back to earlier times, while other writing considers the contemporary situation or 'Where to Now?' (which is the title of one short story collection under discussion, published by amaBooks). On 29th June, Dr Shaw gave this presentation at the Britain Zimbabwe Society's 'Culture Without Borders' Research Day in Oxford and got interesting responses from Zimbabweans in the Diaspora. Now the idea is to get Zimbabwe-based perspectives as we continue the discussion.

At the same time on Wednesday, Susan Hubert will be launching her novel ‘Sabi Star’ at Déjà vu.

On Friday 20 September, at 5.30pm in the National Gallery, Styx Mhlanga will launch ‘Acting Exercises & Games for Drama Plays in Schools & Colleges’.

NoViolet Bulawayo comes home

NoViolet Bulawayo comes home to Bulawayo to launch her debut novel We Need New Names.
The launch will take place on Tuesday 17 September at 5.30pm at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. The event has been organised and supported by 'amaBooks Publishers, British Council Zimbabwe, Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo and Bulawayo Agenda. All are welcome to attend the launch, there is no admission charge. The book has been longlisted for the Guardian First Book Award and has just been shortlisted for the prestigious Man Booker Prize. We Need New Names is published in Zimbabwe by Weaver Press and distributed in Bulawayo by 'amaBooks.
NoViolet was in Bulawayo a couple of weeks ago, meeting with Jane Morris and Brian Jones of 'amaBooks to discuss arrangements for her launch and other activities to promote an interest in literature in Bulawayo. Before the launch, NoViolet is to facilitate a workshop for promising writers from the city.
Her short story, Snapshots, was published in 2011 by 'amaBooks in the anthology Where to Now? Short Stories from Zimbabwe. The anthology was co-published with Parthian Books in the UK. The collection is being translated into isiNdebele and will be published by 'amaBooks later this year.
NoViolet is a past winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing and, for the last two years, 'amaBooks have published the Caine Prize anthology in Zimbabwe.

amaBooks titles from Mega Books in South Africa

Dancing with Life: Tales from the Township, Where to Now? Short Stories from Zimbabwe, Long Time Coming: Short Writings from Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe's Cultural Heritage are now available through print-on-demand from Mega Books. Other titles will follow soon.

amaBooks in Kenya for a Feast of Literature


In June, we, Jane Morris and Brian Jones, the two directors of ’amaBooks, a small independent publisher based in Bulawayo, visited the bustling city of Nairobi, to participate in a workshop for those involved in promoting literature, as well as a series of literary events.


Luckily when we arrived we didn’t have to battle through rush-hour traffic as this is a foolhardy pursuit if you want to reach your destination in a reasonable time, with matatus zigzagging crazily through the long traffic jams.


The programme in Kenya was devised to celebrate the British Council’s partnership with Granta, the UK’s leading literary magazine on their recent announcement of the “Best of Young British Novelists 4”.


For three consecutive decades Granta has selected 20 young writers who have shown exceptional promise on the British literary scene. As well as the British Council in Kenya, the other local partner in the programme was Kwani Trust, a Kenya-based literary network dedicated to developing quality creative writing.


Running in parallel with our workshop on “Promoting New Writers” was a fiction writing workshop. Novuyo Rosa Tshuma, the Zimbabwe representative, joined writers from Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda.


The young writers were able to interact with award-winning British writers Adam Foulds and Nadifa Mohamed (two of Granta’s ‘Best of Young British Novelists’), Granta’s Deputy Editor, Ella Allfrey and Kwani’s Managing Director Billy Kahora.
 Attending the workshop gave us the opportunity to interact with others involved on the literary scene from other African countries and we were particularly pleased to meet up with two of the co-publishers of our next book. Femrite from Uganda and Kwani in Kenya are also publishing the latest collection of short stories from the Caine Prize for African Writing 2013 – “A Memory This Size”. The book has just arrived from the printers and will be in Zimbabwe outlets shortly.


Another highlight was exchanging ideas with the representatives from the Port Harcourt Book Festival, a literary event that takes place every October in the city, referred to as the Garden City, in the Niger Delta. Port Harcourt has had the honour bestowed on it of being elected as the UNESCO World Book Capital for 2014, the first city in sub-Saharan African to be chosen. The organizers of the festival are actively involved in promoting a reading and writing culture.


The workshop gave each participant the opportunity to talk about their experience of events and one of the examples we shared was the launches we had organized for the most recent book in the short writings series “Where to Now? Short Stories from Zimbabwe”, which seemed to fit in well with the theme of the workshop of promoting new writers.


We have used each of the five books in the short writings series to introduce new writers to the Zimbabwean reading public, through including their work with those of more established writers. Because of the scattering of Zimbabwean writers, we, for the first time, launched the book in South Africa as well as in Zimbabwe.


The venue for the launch was the Writers’ Centre at Wits University, where three of the writers featured in the collection, Thabisani Ndlovu, Novuyo Rosa Tshuma and Sandisile Tshuma, read from their pieces and answered questions from the audience. The Zimbabwe launch of the anthology, during the Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo and held at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, featured readings, as well as a live drawing by the artist Owen Maseko, based on the short story “Snapshots” by NoViolet Bulawayo.


The growing emphasis on the use of social media in attracting and maintaining audiences for literary events was a key part of the workshop. Kwani gave the example of publicizing their events using Twitter and the innovative method of people buying a book prior to a launch by using Mpesa, an East African payment method via cell phones.


After the workshop, we were treated to a variety of literary events organized to celebrate Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists, featuring readings and discussions with Adam Foulds, Nadifa Mohamed and Kenyan writers. Adam Foulds read from several of his books, including his narrative poem, “The Broken Word”, set in Kenya about the Mau Mau uprising.

Nadifa’s readings were mainly from “Black Mamba Boy”, her fictionalized account of her father’s early life in the Horn of Africa. The literary week ended with Granta, Kwani and British Council combining to stage the ‘Best of Young British Novelists 4 Sunday Salon’; on a balmy Sunday afternoon it was a fitting end to what had truly been a literary feast. 
The picture shows Ellah Allfrey, Nadifa Mohamed, Zukiswa Wanner, Adam Foulds and others.

– By Jane Morris and Brian Jones © Panorama Magazine 2013.


from Panorama Magazine (http://www.panorama.co.zw/index.php/archives/115-pan-news/616-a-feast-of-literature)

Where are they now? - some winners of the Intwasa Short Story Competition

Reproduced, with permission, from the Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo Newsletter July 2013

https://docs.google.com/file/d/1-O6cSLtg9P_YfZfh0o_5dPJoSI_eSQ64Lcn0UGH-t5AfBFBesMjr93NxL2EE/edit

Novuyo Tshuma's Flirtations with Nairobi

from www.panorama.co.zw

It's a sepia tinted afternoon as we speed from Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta Airport, headed for the Fairview Hotel, situated near the city-centre. There seems to be a lot of activity here; construction everywhere, the skeletons of buildings in progress. Nairobi has the writhing vibrancy of Harare; the hum of traffic, the post-colonial ambitions of glossy architecture and inhabitants who throng the streets with urgent purpose.

The coming week is any writer's treat; five days of literary events organised by The British Council, Kwani, the innovative East African literary initiative, and GRANTA, UK's leading literary magazine.

I am grateful to British Council for sponsoring my trip, and my stay at the sparkling Fairview Hotel; I have flown in from South Africa and am to meet, among others, fellow Zimbabweans Jane Morris and Brian Jones of amaBooks. Jane and Brian are part of the Programmers' Workshop, which runs concurrently with our Writers' Workshop. This literary feast includes the launch of the latest GRANTA Issue 'Best of Young British Novelists 2013', a three-day fiction writing workshop, a lecture by visiting writers Nadifa Mohamed and Adam Foulds as well as a 2013 elections symposium put together by Kwani Trust.

There is a tingling feeling of having been here before, an intimate sense of having experienced this space and its people before; was it in Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina's evocative memoir 'One Day I Will Write About This Place'?

The fiction workshop begins on the morning of the 19th, with Ellah Allfrey, Deputy Editor of GRANTA, chairing the proceedings. With her is Billy Kahora, Managing Editor of Kwani, and the two guest writers, UK based Nadifa Mohamed and Adam Foulds, both of whom are on GRANTA's 2013 Best of Young British Novelists list.

There are 19 workshop participants; 15 Kenyan writers and four visiting writers from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria and Uganda, myself included. The interaction with high profile editors and experienced writers is like a chipping away from a young writer of the crusty parts, a refining that sharpens writing focus. The workshop hones the craft of building a story, much in the same way one builds a house, building upon the foundation of plot a slab of setting, sturdy walls of language, cemented by effective research and airy windows for that clear-eyed characterisation. The gabbled roof is decorated by a writer's distinct style.

The symposium on Kenya's 2013 elections reminds me of Zimbabwe's own upcoming Presidential elections. Kenya and Zimbabwe seem to follow intersecting trajectories in the history of their elections; in 2008, when Zimbabwe spent an inordinate time without a President, it was dubbed “another Kenya”, seeing as Kenya had had a similar experience.

What is a space for a writer without a taste of its culture? Lunch at Campia, an Ethiopian restaurant - the tongue introduced to new tastes; injera (bitter pan-cake dough, which is eaten like sadza), tibtib (spicy meat dish) and zilzil (roasted meat dish). An evening at a dinner hosted by Kwani spent as a Maasai Woman, in a Kanga and a beaded bracelet which I am told Maasai women never take off; it is a marriage gift, much like a wedding ring. And a bag plump with books; intersections with the cultures of the world, any writer's delight.

What does one take away from the experience? Invaluable teachings, fresh ways of telling stories, new friendships, animating interactions with space... All of these beaded in memory, to one day embroider a fictitious truth.
The musky air, farting traffic and yellow lights as we drive to the airport on the evening of the 24th, remind me of a place called home. Strange, this, as I'm no longer sure where that is. - By Novuyo Rosa Tshuma.

*Novuyo Rosa Tshuma (pictured) is the author of Shadows. Her stories have won the Yvonne Vera Award and been published in various collections, including Where to Now? Short Stories from Zimbabwe.  She has been a participant in both the Caine Prize and Farafina Trust Writing Workshops. 
She holds a BComm in Economics and Finance from the University of Witwatersrand, and is a Maytag Fellow for MFA Creative Writing at the University of Iowa.

NoViolet Bulawayo makes Booker long list

from www.parthianbooks.com

Congratulations to all of this year's Booker longlisted authors. We're excited to see NoViolet Bulawayo, a Zimbabwean author whose work previously appeared in Parthian's anthology of Zimbabwean short stories Where to Now? Short Stories from Zimbabwe, recognised for her first novel We Need New Names.

Her longlisted novel, We Need New Names (Chatto and Windus) follows Darling and her friends, living in a shanty called Paradise, which of course is no such thing. They dream of the paradises of America, Dubai, Europe, where Madonna and Barack Obama and David Beckham live. For Darling, that dream will come true. But, like the thousands of people all over the world trying to forge new lives far from home, Darling finds this new paradise brings its own set of challenges - for her and also for those she's left behind.

NoViolet was born in Tsholotsho, a year after Zimbabwe's independence from British colonial rule. When she was eighteen, she moved to Kalamazoo, Michi­gan. She earned her MFA at Cornell University, where she was also awarded a Truman Capote Fellowship, and she is currently a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University in California. In We Need New Names she writes 'To play the country-game, we have to choose a country. Everybody wants to be the USA and Britain and Canada and Australia and Switzerland and them. Nobody wants to be rags of countries like Congo, like Somalia, like Iraq, like Sudan, like Haiti and not even this one we live in - who wants to be a terrible place of hunger and things falling apart?'

A previous winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing (the 'African Booker') and also shortlisted for the South Africa PEN Studzinsi Award, judged by JM Coetzee, NioViolet's work has appeared in magazines and in anthologies in Zimbabwe, South Africa and the UK.

Seven different countries are represented on the Booker longlist, and while there is a strong hand of established authors selected (Tash Aw, Jim Crace, Jhumpa Lahiri, Colum McCann, Charlotte Mendelson and Colm Tóibín) there is also a good representation for first timers.

NoViolet's story 'Snapshots' appeared in Parthian's anthology of Zimbabwean writing Where to Now?, alongside work by Bryony Rheam and John Eppel. Complied by Zimbabwean publishing house 'amaBooks, Where to Now? was printed in the UK by Parthian in 2011.

amaBooks to translate book into isiNdebele

The Chronicle, 27 May 2013

AMABOOKS, the publishers of the story anthology, Where to Now?: Short Stories from Zimbabwe, are working on translating the book from the English language to isiNdebele to help promote the language.

The book would be titled Siqondephi Manje, Indatshana ZaseZimbabwe.

It is a collection of 16 short stories from Zimbabwean writers, the majority of them from Bulawavo.

In an interview, Brian Jones from Amabooks said they decided to translate the book into isiNdebele for the stories to reach a wider audience as well as promoting the language.

"The majority of the stories in the collection were written by Bulawayo writers in and out of the country and we realised that sometimes they think in isiNdebele and some of the words lose meaning in the process of translation into English.

"The stories often read much better in isiNdebele because it's the writers' mother tongue and some of the humour works better in isiNdebele," said Jones.

He said South African based writer Dr Thabisani Ndlovu was translating the book.

"So far, three stories have been translated by Dr Ndlovu, who is based at Wits University, and we are expecting that he would be done by the first of July.

"Zimbabwe has good writers and we want the stories they tell to be available locally as well as reach out to a much wider audience," he said.

The 150‑page anthology is made up of stories that deal with various social issues, among them life in modern day Zimbabwe, traditional values, modern life and the particularly changing role of women in today's society.

Where to Now is the fifth short story collection from Amabooks publishers.

The other books in the series are Short Writings from Bulawayo I, II and III, and Long Time Coming: Short Writings from Zimbabwe.

"The first books were mainly made up of pieces from Bulawayo writers because we were the only publishers in English here at that time, but we have since attracted Zimbabwean writers from all over the globe so we felt we should stop calling the books 'from Bulawayo’," said Jones.

Barbara Mhangami Ruwende's Christina the Colourful has been translated as Itshatshazi ElinguChristina and Mzana Mthimkhulu's I am an African am I? as NgingumAfrica Akunjalo?

Some of the popular short story writers are Raisedon Baya, Caine Prize winner NoViolet Bulawayo, Christopher Mlalazi, John Eppel and Mzana Mthimkhulu, among others.

Jones said they are expecting the book to be available on the market in September.

The project is funded by the Open Society Initiative of Southern Africa.

Auxilia Katongomara, Entertainment Correspondent

amaBooks Book Donation at ZIBF Bulawayo

Brian Jones of 'amaBooks donating 'Where to Now? Short Stories from Zimbabwe to Lewis Mukucha of the National Free Library

'amaBooks donated a total of 434 books to the National Free Library Rural Libraries Programme and to Bulawayo Municipal Libraries during the 2013 Zimbabwe International Book Fair in Bulawayo. The Rural Libraries Programme reaches out to 66 libraries, 60 of which lie within Matabeleland. Receiving the books were Lewis Mukucha, Director of the National Free Library, and Edward Sibindi, Municipal Libraries librarian.

The 'amaBooks stand at ZIBF, displaying mainly books from ourselves and Weaver Press

Where to Now? on Kindle

'Where to Now? Short Stories from Zimbabwe' is now available on Kindle from amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BL7VALY

The book should be available on amazon.co.uk in the near future

Where to Now? published in the UK

Where to Now? Short Stories from Zimbabwe is published this month in the United Kingdom by Parthian Books. Parthian's information about the collection states:

"Meet the prostitute who gets the better of her brothers when they try to marry her off, the wife who is absolved of adultery, the hero who drowns in a bowser of cheap beer, the poetry slammer who doesn’t get to perform his final poem, and many more.

The writing in this collection of short stories from Zimbabwe, edited by Jane Morris, is at times dark, at times laced with comedy. Set against the backdrop of Zimbabwe’s ‘lost decade’ of rampant inflation, violence, economic collapse and the flight of many of its citizens, its people are left to wonder – Where to now?

Penned by a range of award-winning Zimbabwean authors. Editor Jane Morris runs Zimbabwean publishing house ‘amaBooks with Brian Jones. She is originally from Ebbw Vale, Wales, and comes back to visit whenever she can. 

Comes with a glossary of Zimbabwean terms."

The book can be purchased directly from Parthian on http://www.parthianbooks.com/content/where-now-zimbabwean-short-stories

Where to Now? review in The Zimbabwean

Where To Now?

Published by amaBooks

Genre - Fiction

Review by Jerá

from http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/entertainment/art-and-literature/60080/where-to-now.html

Where To Now?Short Stories from Zimbabwe, published by ’amaBooks and edited by Jane Morris, is an anthology of 16 potent short stories by Zimbabwean writers. It is the 5^th anthology in the short writings series that have been released by ’amaBooks and follows up from the acclaimed 4^th collection – Long Time Coming: Short Writings from Zimbabwe.  This latest book is a co-publication with Parthian Books of the United Kingdom and – having been launched at the Jozi Book Fair and the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, as part of the Intwasa Arts Festival – will be launched in the United Kingdom later this year.

Blessing Musariri

By blending the works of new writers with more established authors, ’amaBooks seeks to promote previously unpublished writers.  Names that are immediately recognizable, among the array of writers, are award winning playwright, Raisedon Baya, award winning author, John Eppel and Oxfam Novib PEN Freedom of Expression award winner and NAMA award winner, Christopher Mlalazi.  Award winning author of children’s books, Blessing Musariri, winner of the Zimbabwe Book Publishers Association’s Best First Book Prize in 2010, Bryony Rheam and woman of the moment, 2011 Caine Prize winner, NoViolet Bulawayo, also grace this collection.

Most of the stories are set against the backdrop of the country’s decade of hyper inflation, economic demise and political strife but, as displayed in this book, Zimbabwean writers do manage to find humour.  It is not all comedy.  The stories in the anthology are divergent in theme – from comic, tragic, social commentary and allegorical.

Caught in a compromising position, a wife outsmarts her husband in Mapfumo Chihota’s comical tale of spousal infidelity - A Beast and A Jete.  Set in rural Zimbabwe, this story leaves a lasting impression for its humour and its clever plot.

Barbara Mhangami’s Christina the Colourful, also within a rural setting, continues the theme of womanly triumph.  However, it is something of a paradox, in that the author illustrates the oppression of women, yet the main character’s chosen profession – prostitution – it can be argued, is one that perpetuates the very same oppression, from which women seek to flee.  However, as a story, Christina the Colourful is well constructed and stands out as one of the best written pieces of the anthology.

The poignant and tragic tale of sexual abuse, Making a Woman, by Thabisani Ndlovu, illustrates the prejudices existing in society, against people with physical disabilities and the social pressure on women to marry and enter into motherhood.  While Mongi, the lead character, a deaf woman, claims a victory of sorts over the men who abuse her, she is left mentally and physically scarred from the ordeal.

Snapshots, set in inflation ravaged Zimbabwe, will draw smiles and chuckles from every reader, before turning into a tragic narrative, in NoViolet Bulawayo’s characteristic style.  The characters, for their names and their quirks, will remain in readers’ minds, long after the story ends.  It is typical NoViolet; uncomplicated yet intense.

Crossroads illustrates the trials and tribulations faced by the Zimbabwean immigrant – from visa application to arrival in Mzansi – in search of a better life.  Precocious talent, Novuyo Rosa Tshuma, in this story – as with all her previous works – is a sculptor of words.  Novuyo, who, at only 21, won the 2009 Intwasa Short Story Competition, is a skillful writer who, by her work, promises to emulate past literary greats, such as Yvonne Vera.

Nyevero Muza’s The Poetry Slammer is an unforgettable piece, whose concept is unique, in that there is a character within a character and a story within a story – Nhamo, the lead character is a writer, who invents the story of a performance poet and it is the latter character who dominates this memorable tale.

In this era, where professional women are forced to choose between boardroom success and family, Alone, by Fungai Machirori, is a relevant piece, which is notable for its superb construction and humour.

In this reviewer’s opinion, Sudden Death, by Blessing Musariri is the most outstanding story.  Musariri’s use of language and her writing style, which appears so effortless, will endear her to most readers. Rosanna, known to her colleagues as Agnes, is a care worker, living in England.  Together with her husband, Simba, they labour tirelessly to save for their dream home, back in Zimbabwe.  An unexpected telephone call brings bad news.  The humour of this tale turns into heartache.  This funny and, in some instances, quirky story deserves special mention among a line-up of 16 beautifully composed, expertly edited, fiction stories.

Where To Now? is a recommended read and would be a worthy addition to the bookshelf of any fan of Zimbabwean literature. 

Four of the five shortlisted writers for the Literature Award at the 2012 Zimbabwe Achievers Awards had stories published in the 'amaBooks collection Where to Now? Short Stories from Zimbabwe.

Novuyo Rosa Tshuma was first published by 'amaBooks in Echoes of Young Voices, and subsequently in Silent Cry: Echoes of Young Zimbabwe Voices.

Mzana Mthimkhulu's short stories have appeared in each of the earlier 'amaBooks short writings collections: Short Writings from Bulawayo I, II and III, and Long Time Coming: Short Writings from Zimbabwe.

John Eppel's publications with 'amaBooks include the novels The Curse of the Ripe Tomato, The Holy Innocents and Hatchings; the short writings collections The Caruso of Colleen Bawn and White Man Crawling; poems in Intwasa Poetry; and poems and short stories in each of the books in the Short Writings series. His latest publication is the collection of short stories and poems with the late Julius Chingono, Together.

Barbara Mhangami-Ruwende's first published story is that in Where to Now? Short Stories from Zimbabwe.

The fifth shortlisted writer for the award is Lloyd Matowe. The winner will be announced at the Zimbabwe Achievers Awards ceremony on 28 April.

Barbara Mhangami-Ruwende interviewed by Pamela Stitch

Barbara Mhangami-Ruwende, whose short story Christina the Colourful was published in Where to Now? Short Stories from Zimbabwe, is interviewed by Pamela Stitch on:

http://www.pamelastitch.com/books/381-talking-diasporan-stories-wtih-barbara-mhangami-ruwende.html

This month, we found ourselves within the realm of short story narratives and who best to speak with but short story author - Barbara Mhangami-Ruwende who is Zimbabwean but based in the United States. It was a fun interview, as we got to talk about life, stories, books and much more.

Why don’t we have your books here in the United States? How did you start writing?

It is because right now I am working on a collection of short stories and I am also working on a novel. My first born is 10, I have an 8 year old and I have twins. So, I am trying to manage my home and my writing life. I started writing at the end of 2010, it was actually Sarah Ladipo Manyika that was actually very instrumental in my starting to write. Sarah has been telling me that I need to write. For some reason in 2010,I actually started. It was in the midst of the craziness that I started putting down my first piece. When I gave it to Sarah, she said, oh my goodness, I can’t believe that you are not writing. Since, I started writing, I have been published in several anthologies. You can find some of my work in Where to Now? Short Stories from Zimbabwe, published by ‘amaBooks and an online journal called Story Time. I have two others which are due out soon in two separate anthologies - one called Liquid Gold and I have another story coming out that was commissioned by a photographer in the UK. I am currently working on a collection of short stories.

What will these short stories be about - will it be about life in the UK, Diaspora or Africa?

I mixmatch of all those things but my life is rooted in the experiences that I’ve had in Zimbabwe, UK, it is an eclectic mix of stories, urban Zimbabwe, rural Zimbabwe and there are some diaspora pieces featuring Nigerian films. I have Gambians, Sierria Leonians, people from all over the continent. So I feel I am more African than Zimbabwean.

I know that you went home to Zimbabwe recently, how was it?

From my personal perspective, there is no place that I’d rather be than in Zimbabwe. What I experienced back home was a greater appreciation of my people than I ever had. Zimbabweans are very hardworking people. Wherever I visited, be it in urban areas or in the rural areas -everyone was emphasizing what to do to make a living. People do not want handouts, they want to work for their money. That has stuck to me and in my own spirit there was a shift from why anyone will want to go to this place to a why not. My love for Zimbabwe is so big.

What was your first story?

The first story I wrote when I seriously started writing was called Christina the Colourful. It was about the life of a young girl. She's the misfit. Her mom and her father had four girls prior to her. In having her, they were attempting to have a boy. She knows immediately that she is unwanted. In this story, she talks a lot in her mind. She tells the story of her favorite aunt who is her father's sister and also the black sheep of the family. She adores her aunt and is fascinated by her. So they try to arrange a marriage for this aunt to tame her and the aunt does the most unheard of thing which makes it impossible for her to come back to the village. You have to get the book to find out what happens.

Your stories seem to be women forward ...

Another thing that I am is a hard core feminist. Always have been. My feminism is an organic type. It is not one bought or adopted from an ideology. I have gotten a lot of criticism from people who tell me that it is adopted. My feminism comes from the fact that I have always refused to be treated less because I am a girl. That has always infuriated me. I am known in the village as someone who could go into a rage if I am treated differently because of my gender. For a long time, I refused to wear skirts and dresses. I don’t know anyone in my family that is like that - in my family I am known for being this way. Another reason that I say that it is an organic kind of feminism is because the women I grew up around were everything that I didn’t want to become. A lot of my uncle’s had second, third wives and a small house. I remember that I saw women that were mere shadows. I remember that I wanted to be a nun because they seemed to be the only ones that seemed to have some form of autonomy. To me marriage meant being caged in, loss of freedom, abuse, and I remember that I didn’t want that.

So what changed:


Nothing changed but as I walked my walk, someone came that loved me the way I was and so there was nothing to change. He has no issues with me. We have been married for 14 years, so that validated who I am. That being pro women and being militant about being pro women doesn’t mean that I can’t be married. You know being a feminist doesn’t necessitate not being married, it is about choice, it is about being able to choose and live with your choices and exercise your choices in freedom. That for me is feminism. 




What will your novel be about?


The novel is set in post colonial Zimbabwe, a middle class family. Not one of those typical African stories. It seems to be out there that the acceptable literature for African writers is the literature of poverty, war and women being abused. So it’s success might be questioned in terms of literary success and readership. I believe I am writing another African story that doesn’t get more play, because a lot of the stories out there are about war. It is really about family life post independence.



What African author inspires your writing?

My mentor - Sarah Ladipo Manyika. She is of grace, beauty. Tsitsi Dangarembga and her Nervous Conditions, Yvonne Vera, Ama Atta Aidoo, Buchi Emecheta. For me those are women that inspire me. They wrote stories that to this day, I can go back and reread. On current authors, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, when I read her writing, I seriously need to lie down, get comfortable, get something good to eat and then read. That’s my ultimate my pleasure. Another author is Lola Shoneyin. Her book blew me away but when I picked up her poetry ahhh, this woman has haunting poetry. Other people that I have mentioned, I read, Helon Habila - Oil on Water, and his writing is the kind that relaxes you, it is not verbose. His descriptions are tight, so succinct and his story moves at a pace that I liked. His is a nice pace. You envision it and you go to that place that he is talking about. Tricia Nwaubani- I Did Not Come To You By Chance. Chris Abani, On Becoming Abigail which is a novel.



Writers in Zimbabwe?


I have to give kudos. There are two publishers that are doing a lot to push African writers. One is ‘amaBooks, another is Weaver Press. I think that they do an amazing job in trying to put together an anthology of Zimbabwean writers and they encourage young Zimbabwean writers in Zimbabwe. I really think that’s against all odds, they are trying to keep literature alive and the love of reading. I think writers, publishers, parents in particular have to encourage people to have a love of reading. My prayer is that the written word doesn’t die out. If you have a society of non reading people, it can only put the society at a disadvantage.



What challenges did you face?


Time. You know being a mother of small children, you do not have much of a support system here. I might not write everyday but in my mind I write. Working in my mind is what I have learnt to do as I watch my kids, cook, you know that I have learnt to be super efficient with my time. I walk around with a notebook. Everything is working out in support of my writing. My husband is completely supportive of it. My children love it and they want to be the main character of my writing.


What word of encouragement will you give people who want to be like you?


You know I have been asked this question so many times. If you are passionate about this and you want to write. Get a piece of paper, get a pen and start writing. Another thing, that I will advise is to read other people's works. Read other writers. You are already half way there if you are a reader. Know your voice. Everyone has a story to tell and it is about finding your unique voice to tell it. You will be surprised that if you put those words to paper, you hear the voice that’s you. Submit your work. For the longest time I would write and keep stuff, there is nothing in this world as good as having someone out there validate your writing. Don’t be scared of rejection. Don’t give up.