To reinvigorate the Zimbabwean literary space, the non-profit literary organisation Harare Book Club, will host a poetry and spoken word engagement on November 19 at Alice Wonderland in Borrowdale, Harare.
The event, which is set to start at 4pm ending at 6:30pm will be headlined by leading mbira musician Hope Masike and will feature renowned author Dr Ignatius Mabasa, including various local poetic talents namely SoProfound, Tanaka Chidora, Rutendo Chichaya, and Pauline Mukondiwa.
Founded in 2018 by Tonderai Mudambo and Rumbidzai Zinyemba, Harare Book Club aims to reinvigorate and promote the Zimbabwean literary industry.
It is a collective of readers, writers, and book enthusiasts based in Harare with membership in various parts of the world.
They hold simultaneous in-person and virtual book discussions, hosting authors where permissible with a focus on pan-African and diaspora literature.
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Tsitsi Dangarembga, Ignatius Mabasa, and Petina Gappah are renowned local authors that the book club has hosted during their meet-the-author live discussions.
Space for literature and books has gradually shrunk over the years due to the volatile economy, lack of investment, high production costs, and lower buying power, the organisers told Standard Style.
The purpose of the poetry and spoken word soirée is to create an energetic space to enjoy leading local literary talent. Headliner Hope Masike will present her latest poetry collection Die With Me, fusing poetry and traditional Mbira music in her performance. The event will allow various stakeholders including readers, writers, publishers, booksellers, music lovers, and content creators to partake in a vibrant artistic environment.
According to organisers, there will be a limited number of tables that will be available for booksellers to vent their catalogues to guests, for USD15.00 per vendor. Advance tickets are USD7.00, gate entry is USD10.00.
