The Keresenzia Effect: The child killer in Chirere & Tagwira’s stories
When a society’s structures fall, when its economy crumbles and there are high levels of unemployment and unimaginable suffering, its children face the highest levels of danger such a society of presents. The whole fabric of this society is endangered, and its future plunges into uncertainty. This has been true to the Zimbabwean situation, whose effects have begun to reverbrate through the country’s new literature, which shows how the children are responding to the woes of their environment. The works of Memory Chirere and Valerie Tagwira shed some light on this issue, which this study presents as the Keresenzia Effect.
In 2007, Valerie Tagwira shocked us with “Mainini Grace’s Promises”, a powerful story about the ravages of HIV/Aids, in which the child character kills her aunt at the end. The reader can see the frustration in the girl, her anger at the broken promise of Mainini Grace, whose betrayal to the family is that she has fallen victim of the pandemic that has killed other members of the girl’s family. If Mainini should be the source of hope, why has she allowed herself to be a victim? In a fit of rage, her niece pushes her to the ground, killing her in the process. Read more
Why we write still
Someone made a remark, the other night, which had me thinking about the role of writing and value of writers. We were at the Book Café for a Literary Discussion on Valerie Tagwira’s The Uncertainty of Hope. The person asked why there was such a fairytale ending to the novel, given all the vicissitudes explored and the woes that Onai, the protagonist endures.
“Real life is not like that. Why is it our writers can’t tell it like it is?” lamented the participant. I wonder if the Brothers Grimm ever had to answer such a question. Why are fairytales still fascinating even up to this day? Read more
The Uncertainty of Hope by Valerie Tagwira- a discussion
Valerie Tagwira
LITERARY DISCUSSION @ THE BOOK CAFÉ
“THE UNCERTAINTY OF HOPE” By Valerie Tagwira
Thursday 18 September 2008, 5.30-7pm, FREE
Thursday 18 September brings another early evening literary discussion at The Book Café, based on the award-winning novel “THE UNCERTAINTY OF HOPE” by Valerie Tagwira.
“Through the various and complex lives of Onai Moyo - a market woman and responsible mother of three children, and her best friend Katy Nguni - a vendor and black-market currency dealer - we are given an insight into the challenges that face those who only survive by their wits, their labour and their mutual
support.” (www.africanbookscollective.com/books/the-uncertainty-of-hope). Read more
On The Zimbo Jam- Power FM Top Twenty- 20 March 2010Presented by DJ Chilli (Hazvine Sakarombe) on Power FM. 10:00-12:00hrs, 20 March 2010 Position Song Artist 20 Battle Field Jordin Sparks 19 If We Ever Meet Again Timberland ft Katy Peri 18 Falling Underdog 17 Emperor’s State of Mind Jay Z 16 How Low Luda Chris
- Famba Zvakanaka Sam MtukudziZvinosiririsa sei mhuri yeZimbabwe kusiiwa nemwana achine mukaka pamhuno. Apa ndinobva ndanzwisisa kuti Baba vake vaiedza kurevei uye zvinorevei muupenyu hwemunhu mumwe nemumwe wedu? Samson Mutukudzi gotweuye ari mwakomana mumwechete wa Oliva na Daisy Mutukudzi nderimwe reruva ranga richangotanga kuyevedza rabva radamburwa tinoti mweya wake ngauzorore murugare.
- Salif Keita- A Music Legend Comes to ZimbabweOne of Africa’s all time great musicians, Salif Keita, will close off the 2010 edition of the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) on a high note with a long awaited main stage performance at the six day arts extravaganza set to explode into activity in Harare at the end of April.
- Power FM Top Twenty- 20 March 2010