“No one reads poetry. We can’t publish you.” That’s what Samantha Vazhure was told by the Zimbabwean publishers she approached when she wanted to launch her first collection. None of them wanted to publish her work.
Last week on Tuesday, I was alerted to an article that appeared on Zimbo Jam by a Facebook post from Munya Chidzonga. He was complaining about an article that had appeared on the site and said the article was heavily critical of the first episode of Our Perfect Wedding Zimbabwe which is hosted by his wife Adiona.
In 'These Bones Will Rise Again,' Panashe Chigumadzi talks about spirit mediums and spiritual manifestations without qualifiers or excuses. She states them, not as things that may exist, not as myth or lore, but as one who is convinced that they are. This is a truly courageous book; a young Zimbabwean, raised in South Africa, on a part of the continent where Christianity is the de-facto religion and where traditional religion is looked down upon as backward, somehow manages to put that lens aside and see things through different eyes.
Makosi Musambasi, Zimbabwean TV personality and former reality TV star, has been selected to join one of the models who will this weekend take part in the leading fashion event in the Middle East, Runway Dubai.
Zimbabwean writers have done well again at this year's Brittle Awards, snapping up four nominations in the recently-announced shortlist for the 2018 edition. There's even a fifth nomination, in the name of one of our favourite adopted Zimbabwean authors.
Last week, we posted a question on our Facebook page, asking our readers what the new Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, Hon. Kirsty Coventry, needs to focus on to push arts and culture forward. The responses we received have us a little concerned about the enormity of the task that Coventry faces and led to a number of other questions which we hope she can answer, with her actions more than her words.
Shortly after arriving in Japan two days ago, as Zimbabwe's representative to the 58th edition of the Miss International pageant, Tania Tatenda Aaron posted on Instagram that she had been received by the official organising committee with huge smiles. It was a heartwarming post which belies a glaring, less heart-warming truth; In the 57 years of the pageant, not a single African contestant has won the crown.
In November this year, Zimbo Jam turns 10 and its archives, turn 14. In order to celebrate these milestones, I will be sharing regular articles on the weird and wonderful places this website has taken me and on the lessons I have learnt as an entrepreneur, as a journalist and as an artist during that journey.
Phiona Mutesi is a giant. She is a Ugandan chess champion who represented her country at the age of 15. She is so inspiring that Walt Disney, from the thousands of scripts they have to consider, chose her story and made a movie about her rise from the slums of Kampala to global chess stardom.
