Literature is not just about writing books. This is the message that the 2016 Litfest wants to cement firmly in people’s minds as it brings in dancehall artists, comic book illustrators and stand up comedians to talk about their writing and creation processes.

The festival kicks off in Harare tomorrow, Wednesday, December 1 and runs until Saturday, December 3. All festival events will take place at Theatre in the Park, Harare Gardens.

Get paid to write app reviews

The official opening takes place tomorrow evening and includes a performance of the one-man play “Diary of Madness” by Philani A. Nyoni.

In October this year the Swedish Academy awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature to musician Bob Dylan, whose well-crafted and thought-provoking lyrics have influenced generations of music lovers.

In the same vein, LitFest has realised that lyrics and comedy scripts are also part of literature. In line with this, the programme for the three day festival includes Alexio Kawara, Edith WeUtonga, Winky D, Killer T and Lady Squanda who are set to feature in a discussion themed ‘Me and My Lyrics’.

Also on the programme is another  group of unlikely suspects; stand up comedians, Doc Vikela and Michael K who will talk about ‘Writing Funny’. They are also billed to perform on Thursday evening.

Filmmaker Nakai Matema is on the programme for a discussion on ‘Writing with Film in Mind’. Rumbi Katedza and Stephen Chigorimbo will talk about pieces of literature and their adaptation for the screen.

Enoch Chihambari and Claire Dongo will talk about graphic novels, comics and their contribution to culture.

Other highlights on the programme include a discussion on poetry with Ignatius Mabasa and Joseph Woods, facilitated by Albert Nyathi.

The festival will look at literature from various perspectives and will include presentations by artists on their lyrics, stand up comedians comic book illustrators on their creation process.

This year, one of the main partners for the festival is Great Zimbabwe University.

Professor R.J. Zvobgo, the firebrand academic and Great Zimbabwe University Vice-Chancellor, who raised funds for the Herbert Chitepo Law School in just over a year, will give a keynote presentation as part of a packed programme. His talk will be themed, “Morality, ethics and taboos, sex and sexuality and their impact on literature.”

Speaking to Zimbo Jam, festival director, Chirikure Chirikure said that preparations were on course.