More pictures from the book donation

Virginia Phiri in the library boardroom
Zimunya gives a vote of thanks as Ms Chimuka and I listen

Library and academic staff at the book presentation

Virginia Phiri donates copies of her books to University of Zimbabwe library

On 1 July 2010, Zimbabwean writer, Virginia Phiri donated copies of all her books (including the latest, Highway Queen) to the University of Zimbabwe library. It was a brief but memorable session attended by some library and academic staff members including poet and University of Zimbabwe lecturer, Musaemura Zimunya. Ms Y.Chimuka, head of the library Reader Service division, received the books on behalf of the library(above)

The Zimbabwe International Book Fair Indaba draft program for 2010

The Zimbabwe International Book Fair Indaba draft program for 2010 (below). As usual, the INDABA will run along the major Book Fair from Monday 26 July to Saturday 31 July. The ZIBFA Indaba is an annual Conference which is the major forum for debating critical issues to the book industry in Africa. It is also a unique national platform for networking and collaboration among stakeholders.)

DATES: 26 JULY DAY ONE

VENUE: CROWN PLAZA

THEME: Promoting Cross Cultural Dialogue

08:00 - 08:30 Arrival & Registration
ZIBFA Secretariat

Chairperson: Greenfield Chilongo

08:15 -09:00 Welcoming Remarks and Official Opening: ZIBFA Chairperson

Chair: Ruby Magosvongwe

09:00 - 09:45 Key note paper on the THEME: Promoting Cross Cultural Dialogue.

Speaker: Mrs Angeline S. Kamba

First Session: Constitutional Rights and Culture

Chair: Pathisa Nyathi

09:45 - 10:05 Justice Rita Makarau (JA)

10:05 - 10:25 Emmanuel Magade

10:25 - 10:45 Discussion

10:45 ? 11:15 TEA BREAK

Chairperson: Ruby Magosvongwe

11:15 - 12:00 OPENING CEREMONY
Culture Fund representative
Minister of Education, Arts, Sport and Culture
British Council
Norwegian embassy

Second Session: School Syllabi, Technology and Culture

Chair: Prof Rosemary Moyana

12:00 - 12:20 Pharaoh Joseph Mavhunga

12:20 - 12:40 Ellen Machingaidze

12:40 - 13:00 Dr. Xavier Carelse

13:00 -13:15 Discussion

13:15 ? 14:15 LUNCH BREAK

Third Session: Publishing and Marketing

Chair: Murray McCartney

14:15 - 14:35 Ndai Nyamakura

14:35 - 14:55 Jane Katjavivi / Akossi Afori Mensah

14:55 - 15:10 Discussion

15:10 - 15:25 TEA BREAK

Fourth: Session: Intellectual Property & Copyright

Chair: Greenfield Chilongo

15:25 - 16:45 Witness Zhangazha

16:45 - 16:05 Sara Moyo

16:05 - 16:30 Discussion

16:30 Closing Remarks
Cletus Ngwaru

*******************************************************************

27 July 2010 DAY TWO

08:30 ? 08:45 Registration
ZIBFA Secretariat

08:45 - 08:50 Welcoming remarks
Prof Z.Gambahaya

Fifth Session: Globalisation, Media and Culture

Chairperson: William Chikoto

08:50 - 09:10 Prof. Helge Ronning

09:10 - 09:30 Dr. Dumisani Moyo

09:30 - 09:50 Dr. Rino Zhuwarara

09:45 - 10:00 Discussion

10:00 - 10:20 TEA BREAK

Chairperson: Jerry Zondo

Sixth Session: Language, Literature and Cross Cultural Dialogue

10:20 - 10:35 Prof. Herbert Chimhundu

10:35 - 10:55 Dr. Ali Mathonsi

10:55 - 11:10 Dr Itai Muhwati

11:20 - 11:40 Dr. Reuben Chirambo

11:40 - 12:00 Discussion

Seventh Session: Medicine and Culture

12:00 - 12:20 Dr. Duri

12:20 - 12:40 Dr. Chirenje

12:40 - 12:55 Discussion

12:55 - 14:00 LUNCH BREAK

Eight Session: MDGs Religion and Culture

Chairperson: Nondo Simon

14:00 - 14:20 Dr. Charles Mugaviri

14:20 - 14:40 Mr. Fred Gweme

14:40 - 15:00 Prof. Ezra Chitando

15:00 - 15:20 Prof. Maurice Vambe

15:20 - 15:45 Discussion

15:45 - 16:00 TEA BREAK

Ninth: Session: Indaba sum up : Rapporteur

16:00 - 16:30 Musaemura Zimunya

16:30 Closing Remarks
Ruby Magosvongwe

18:00 - 20:00 Book Merit Awards managed by the Zimbabwe Book
Publishers Association (ZBPA)

Wednesday 28 July 2010

YOUNG PERSONS INDABA

Venue: Crown Plaza

Chairperson: Stephen Chifunyise

09: 00 - 09:10 Opening remarks: ZIBFA Chair person Cletus Ngwaru

09:10 - 09:45 Keynote Speakers: Shimmer Chinodya and/ Barbara Nkala

09:45 - 10:00 Discussion by Panel

10:00 - 10:30 TEA BREAK

10:30 - 11:45 Break Away Groups

Theatre: E. Vutuza
Short stories:
Novel: Ignatius Mabasa
Script and Film: Tsitsi Dangarembga
Performance Poetry: Albert Nyathi / Chirikure Chirikure
Writing Poetry:
Indigenous literature: Elvas Mari

11:45 - 13:00 Report back and Plenary Discussions


13:00 - 14:00 LUNCH BREAK

14:00 - 16:30 Theatre in the Park: to stage of the two plays by Stephen Chifunyise -
Heal the wounds and / Waiting for a new Constitution?


16:30 Closing remarks & END

Virginia Phiri's new book: 'Highway Queen'

‘Highway Queen’ is a collection of five short stories (in English) which are individual but related as in Miguel Street. It was published by Coral Sevices in Zimbabwe this 2010. Virginia Phiri chronicles the trials and tribulations of women cross boarder traders of Zimbabwe during what has become known generally as ‘the Zimbabwean crisis’. You find here desperate women at the boarder posts, scheming and scheming. Sometimes they are ensnared and raped for a free ride on the long distance trucks. But on a good day, they snatch little but sweet victories in order to feed their unsuspecting husbands and children. They bail out families from hunger and certain death. ‘Desperate,’ Virginia’s first book, in which a woman bites and chews a rival's ear in a love triangle, was published in 2002. Her second book ‘Destiny’, a story about a hermaphrodite girl, appeared in 2006. Virginia’s works include co-authoring Zimbabwe Women Writers anthologies in both fiction and non fiction and in various Orchid journals. She was writer-in residency at Le Chateau de Lavigny, Switzerland in Summer 2006 and Villa Waldberta in Germany in Summer 2008. She is also an Accountant by profession and is also an African Orchid expert. Orders: corals@telco.co.zw

WOMAN IN THE SHADOW

(By Robert Muponde)
Her voice, he had bound
He had strung, her voice
Her voice, he had strangled, strangled, strangled…
When she spoke of his
Binding, binding, binding her
When she spoke of his
Strangling, strangling, strangling her
He broke her voice with a pick axe …
Smashed her being … for years
Crushed her consciousness … for ages
And enslaved what remained of her spirit
Worked her hard by day
That his fields grew greener each year
Toiled her by night
That stout-limbed children were born
By the bound, strangled, crushed woman.

But one day in a hundred years
As a shadow she came
One day in a thousand years
She rose from her living death
And demanded back her voice
This one day, she spoke with the voice of freedom
The man heard the terror speak
In his mind he saw his green fields deserted
Weeds choking the rich green
Hunger … hunger crunching at his children’s health…
No… no… no…

Rope in hand, he flew at her
To bind, to strangle her again
But the shadow, the slave, the woman
Had unbound herself
Horror seized his reason
When he saw his one time slave-woman about to flee
In wild desperation he called for more rope
For more hands to bind her …
But the ropes, in their thickness
Had become too thin to bind her anymore
In her eyes were the spear and sword of her freedom
To him for the first time she said,
“I’m the woman you’ve been killing for ages, ages, ages …”

**Robert Muponde is Associate Professor of English in the Department of English and Assistant Dean for International Affairs and Partnerships, Humanities, at University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. He holds an interdisciplinary Ph.D in Childhood studies. Muponde is also Co-editor of numerous works, including Versions of Zimbabwe: New Approaches to Literature and Culture; Sign and Taboo: Perspectives on the Poetic Fiction of Yvonne Vera; and Manning the Nation: Father Figures in Zimbabwean Literature and Society.

Recipes from a Shona world

'Kubika Machikichori' Shona for preparing delicious meals, carries traditional recipes from Goromonzi, about 50 km out of Harare. This book was compiled by founding member of Zimbabwe Women Writers (ZWW), Colette Mutangadura and edited by Keresia Chateuka. Read about how to prepare pumpkin soup powder, how to prepare mealie rice in peanut butter, how to make puddings from figs or watermelon, how to make porridge from the baobab fruit, how to make coffee from okra seed, how to make jam from guava fruit and many more! Some of the contributors are Colette Mutangadura herself, Claudia Muzembe, Plaxedes Kaseke,Shirley Gumbodete and others.For querries and orders phone: + 263 042925688 or +263 0712525228

'Toriro and his goats'.... the real-real thing

It is now out...and watch this space for details!

"Chirere has successfully taken the traditional art form... and others...to emerge with universal lessons of love, pain, fear, innocence and guilt with such dexterity that it escapes no reader's notice."
-Edmore Zvinonzwa- The Herald, 14 June 2010.