Writing Now. More Stories from Zimbabwe

Description

The sequel to the award-winning Writing Still, this new collection of stories paints an engaging - and sometimes challenging - picture of contemporary life and concerns in Zimbabwe. Like its predecessor, Writing Now combines well-established writers - Chinodya, Mupfudzi, Eppel, Chingono - with several new voices. Although the stories emerge from lives of economic hardship and privation, their tone is by no means uniformly. Zimbabwean writers continue to demonstrate that sharp humour and surreal fantasy can grow from the bleakest of roots.

Sujets

• Fiction

Informations

• Publié par: Weaver Press
• Date de parution: 15 juin 2005
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781779221827
• Langue: English

Extrait

Writing Now
Writing Now More stories from Zimbabwe
edited by Irene Staunton
Published by Weaver Press, Box A1922, Avondale, Harare. 2005.
Weaver Press, 2005.
Each story: the author.
Typeset by Frances Marks, Weaver Press. Cover Design: Myrtle Mallis. Cover illustration: Lovemore Kambudzi, Mbare Musika, 2004 Printed by: Bardwell Printers, Harare.
The editors and the publisher would like to express their gratitude to Hivos for the support they have given to Weaver Press in the development of their fiction programme.
All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise - without the express written permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 1 77922 043 X
I would like to give special thanks to Professor Alessandro Triulzi and Professor Paola Splendore whose generosity through the use of their lovely apartment in Rome made the editing of this text a particular pleasure.
Irene Staunton 2005
Contents
Notes on Contributors
Rukudzo
Andrew Aresho
Tables Turned Over
Adrian Ashley
Ndakayambuka
Pat Brickhill
St Augustine
Clement Chihota
ZESA Moto Muzhinji
Brian Chikwava
Kachasu - a killer
Julius Chingono
These are the Days of our Lives
Edward Chinhanhu
Tavonga
Shimmer Chinodya
Orthello
John Eppel
Gold Digger
Albert Gumbo
The Trek
Lawrence Hoba
The Lost Generation
Derek Huggins
The Breadwinner
Ethel I. Kabwato
Unfinished Business
Rory Kilalea
Delicious Monstalia
Ignatius Mabasa
A Secret Sin
Daniel Mandishona
Cycle of Days
Adonis Maphango
Pay Day Hell
Christopher Mlalazi
The Letter
Farai Mpofu
The High Flyer
Mzana Mthimkhulu
Chizuva
Charles Mungoshi
Forever Haunted by Rita s Eyes
Stanley Mupfudza
Space
Chiedza Musengezi
City Insomnia
Tinashe Mushakavanhu
Living on Promises and Credit
Ambrose Musiyiwa
Kurima
Vivienne Ndlovu
A Fine Day for a Funeral
William Saidi
Whatever Would Auntie Jean Say?
Chris Wilson
Glossary
Notes on Contributors
Andrew Aresho was born in 1967 in Highfield, Harare. He attended Ruzivo Primary School, Mufakose and Mufakose High 2. Joining Tel-One as a trainee draughtsman in 1987, he remained with them until 1995. He began writing seriously in 1997 and as a self-taught writer has a passion for short stories, although he has had poetry published in the Sunday Mail . Currently, he is employed as a draughtsman. He is married and has four sons.
Adrian Ashley was born in Bulawayo in 1978. He grew up there and nurtured his interest for writing in that city s venerable public library. He is currently working towards a BA in Literature with specialisation in creative writing with UNISA. His short story Prelude to a deviant has been published in Sable Magazine. He has recently relocated to Malawi on a temporary basis and is working on a novel.
Pat Brickhill is the mother of three wonderful children. She grew up in a large extended family in Durban, South Africa, where both her parents were prominent trade unionists. She has had a life-long love affair with books - her first job was working in the Musgrave Library in Durban. She lived in Zimbabwe for 21 years and co-founded Grassroots Books, now known as the Book Caf . For five years she was Events Co-ordinator at the Zimbabwe International Book Fair. She now lives in West Sussex. She has recently completed her first novel and hopes one day to write for a living.
Clement Chihota teaches Applied Linguistics at the Zimbabwe Open University. Currently, he is based at the University of Cape Town where he is reading for a Ph.D. in English (on interfaces between Marxist criticism and critical stylistics and the possibility of integrating them into Marxist stylistics .) Clement has published a collection of poems, Before the Next Song (1999) and, with Robert Muponde, edited a collection of short stories entitled No More Plastic Balls (2000) in which seven of his own short stories appeared. Clement is presently working on a new collection of short stories.
Brian Chikwava is from Bulawayo but he has been resident in London for the past two and a half years. He is also a singer/songwriter and recently released Jacaranda Sketches , his first record since arriving in the UK. Brian won the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2004 for his short story Seventh Street Alchemy (in Writing Still , 2003). He is currently working on a novel.
Edward Chinhanhu was born in Rusape and grew up in Nyazura. He was educated at Marymount Teachers College, after which he went to Africa University to read for a BA degree. He taught in Mutare for sixteen years before resigning in 2003 to further his studies, and completed an MA in Peace, Leadership and Governance at Africa University in 2005. Among his writing achievements are a Commonwealth Award in 2000, an ERA Award (Johannesburg), and a contribution to a compilation of short stories on AIDS published at the University of Cape Town.
Julius Chingono , who was born on a commercial farm in 1946, worked for most of his life on the mines. A poet, he has had his work published in several anthologies of Shona poetry including Nhetembo, Mabvumira eNhetembo and Gwenyambira between 1968 and 1980. His only novel, Chipo Changu was published in 1978 and an award-winning play, Ruvimbo , was published in 1980. His poetry in English has also been published in several South African and Zimbabwean anthologies: Flags of Love ( Mireza yerudo ) (1983) and Flag of Rags (1996). His work is also featured on the Poetry International (Zimbabwe) web-site.
Shimmer Chinodya was born in Gweru in 1957 and educated in Zimbabwe. On completion of his first degree he went to the Iowa Writers Workshop where he did an MA in Creative Writing. His publications include the novels Dew in the Morning (1982), Harvest of Thorns (1989), an anthology, Can We Talk and other stories (1998) and Chairman of Fools (2005). Harvest of Thorns won the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Africa region) in 1990; Can We Talk was shortlisted for the Caine Prize in 2000. Chinodya has also written children s books under the pen name, Ben Chirasha; in addition, he has developed a highly acclaimed O-level textbook series Step Ahead: New Secondary English Course . Shimmer Chinodya works as a free-lance writer and consultant.
John Eppel was born in South Africa in 1947 and grew up in Zimbabwe. He teaches English at Christian Brothers College in Bulawayo. His first novel, D.G.G. Berry s The Great North Road , won the M-Net Prize in South Africa. His second novel, Hatchings , was short-listed for the M-Net Prize. His book of poems, Spoils of War , won the Ingrid Jonker Prize. His other work, The Giraffe Man (translated into French), The Curse of the Ripe Tomato, The Holy Innocents, and The Caruso of Colleen Bawn , as well as his poetry anthologies, Sonata for Matebeleland , Selected Poems: 1965-1995, and Songs My Country Taught Me 1965-2005 , have received critical acclaim. He has also written two study guides for Literature in English.
Albert Gumbo is a Zimbabwean with a global outlook. He is Vice President of the Alliance Francaise de Harare, a member of the Hellenic School parents association committee and active in civic affairs. The bumper sticker on his car reads Zimbabwe, my country, my commitment, my future . He speaks with passion on his desire to see individuals take responsibility for the destiny of their countries and of themselves. He lives in Harare.
Lawrence Hoba was born in 1983 in Masvingo. He attended Thornhill Primary and High, Ndarama Secondary and Hippo Valley High Schools. Briefly worked as a relief teacher in Chiredzi before joining the University of Zimbabwe where he is currently studying tourism and hospitality management. He represents a new generation of budding writers who are determined to have their voices heard.
Derek Huggins opened the Gallery Delta in 1975 for the promotion of contemporary painting, and is still director of the venue. He was also the Chief Executive of the National Arts Foundation from 1975 to 1988, and published Arts Rhodesia and Arts Zimbabwe , and from1994 to 2002, he published Gallery , the art magazine. Over a period of thirty years, he has, intermittently written short stories. His first anthology of stories Stained Earth was published in 2005, and he has been published in Writing Still and in Short Writings from Bulawayo vols. I and II.
Ethel Irene Kabwato was born in Mutare into a creative family. She attended Mutare Girls High School where she won prizes in poetry and prose. She trained as a teacher at Hillside Teachers College and was a founding member of the Zimbabwe Women Writers Mutare Branch. In 1995 Ethel sat on the Budding Writers Association of Zimbabwe Board as the Mutare Branch chairperson. Currently, she is a member of the Women of Words and Images, which promotes women in film, as well as the Harare Branch of the Zimbabwe Women Writers. In 2004, she participated in the British Council s Crossing Borders Writers Project. She is studying for a BA degree in media studies with the Zimbabwe Open University. She is married to Lovet Mutisi and they have two children.
Rory Kilalea (pen name - murungu ) was born and educated in Zimbabwe. He has worked in the Middle East and throughout Africa, directing and writing documentaries. His short stories have been nominated twice for the Caine Prize and his poetry and short stories have been published in South Africa, USA, Malaysia, U