In search of Tsitsi Dangarembga
WordPress, the platform for my blog Moments In Literature, has a feature called “Search Engine Terms”, which tells you what words people searched in order to end up viewing your posts. Nearly daily, the visitors to Moments in Literature come through searches of Tsitsi Dangarembga, using the following terms: bira Dangarembga, interviews with Tsitsi Dangarembga, Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions, Zimbabwean literature Dangarembga, Dangarembga new excerpt, and many others.
So people are looking for Dangarembga, people are talking. And they have reasons to. First, the world is leaning towards focusing on Zimbabwean literature, what with all the drama that the country has been going through. Early next year the world of reading will be greeted with two books by Petina Gappah, which promise to be huge successes (Gappah is a good writer), and there is likely to be hightened interest in the literature of Zimbabwe in general.
Perhaps, the interest in Dangarembga is a reflection of what’s on the minds of many readers (I am assuming it’s not one person visiting my blog through numerous, if not obsessive, searches for Dangarembga’s works); it is a reflection of the fact that there is renewed interest in her works, or in finding clues about Zimbabwe in her novels. 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
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