YOUNG AFRICAN WRITERS SHOULD READ, WRITE, LEARN AND STRIVE TO BE SUCCESSFUL – MBIZO CHIRASHA
Mbizo Chirasha is a Zimbabwean poet, an internationally acclaimed Performance poet, Writer and a senior fellow of the International Human Rights Art Festival (IHRAF). In this Interview with Wole Adedoyin, he shared with him facts about his life, writing and literary activism
WA: TELL US ALL ABOUT YOUR WRITING BACKGROUND, WHAT YOU’VE WRITTEN, WHAT YOU ’RE CURRENTLY WRITING
MC: I have been writing for the past 27 years. I am intrigued by the panorama of hills in my country, the mismatching of seasons, the poetry slam of birds in the mornings and the jam session of rock rabbits and mother-monkeys at country dawn, quite compelling. I was later attracted to the bustling and hustling in city squares, the echo of slogans and hushed beat of election campaign songs and again the nerve-tilting presidential speeches. Wail of motorcade sirens, hushed suffering of the masses under the grind of poverty as the ruling elite got possessed by seven legions of corruption, nepotism, tyranny and political violence. Nevertheless, despite
those and other ailments, Africa boasts of geographical, natural and mineral abundance, the ambiance brought by the flora and fauna. The sweetness of dialects from Xhosa, Kamba, Karanga, Kikuyu, Igbo and more. Africa is the home of Nyiragongo, Inyangani, Kirinyaga,
Kilimanjaro, White Nile, Blue Nile, Nzere Rivers, Garurep, Limpopo. So my writings are dipped in my experience from the country dawns of my umbilical cord to the hustle of Harare City Squares, to the political landscape and up to the African traditions and cultures. I am a born griot who graduated into Spoken Word Poet, Page Poet, Author, Anthologist and Literary Artivism Diplomat. As of now, I am writing my 800 paged Memoir, I call this process, a revolutionary adventure and I have experience much at my tender age that have to be read, archived and learnt by all students of life..

WA: WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT A PIECE OF WRITING?
MC: I am excited by the change my writing can bring to any reader, the beauty of realizing the value of pen, word and paper. The gift of educating my readers, my people and global community at large through written words that speak differently than everyday talk but circling around ideas, processes and thoughts that are in reality of our daily lives.
WA: WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE WRITERS AND WHY?
MC: I have loved a lot of writers from Russia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, British, Irish Writers and more. I have to mention Famished Road by Ben Okri, there are some great stuff there, I loved how the author used powerful lyrical expression and bold verbiage to depict African Myth, the paradox of African tradition, the engaging drama of Africa wizardry and witchcraft written in beautiful and flowery taste.

WA: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A NEW WRITER STARTING OUT?
MC: The most important aspect is writing what you know best, writing things you are familiar with, read voraciously to be able to find and master your voice, that voice that shapes you into the writer you become. Read, Write and keep focused.
WA: WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO WRITE?
MC: I am inspired by several things, village life, country side terrains, village rituals, festivals, politics, political history, African kingdoms and anthropologies
WA: DO YOU HAVE A WRITING ROUTINE?
MC: Not exactly, I usually write great pieces when I am staying alone than living with crowds, so I always write in my closet. This is very important because you are able to listen to the voices coming to your writing psyche. It’s a place that’s special?
WA: HOW, WHEN AND WHY DID YOU FIRST START WRITING?
MC: I listened to my father’s stories, he was a great storyteller, I read a lot of Shona and English folktales/ stories at tender age, I started writing readable messages 27 years ago
WA: WHAT WAS THE FIRST PIECE YOU EVER HAD PUBLISHED?
MC: I can’t remember, they are many and I have done a thousand of things, I remember publishing short opinions in the Gweru Times as back as 1996, some poetry in the Motto Magazine and some poetry in the Writers Scroll, a budding Writers Association of Zimbabwe journal. Quite a while.
WA: HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED SENDING YOUR WRITING OUT INTO THE WORLD?
MC: I was happy. It was a beautiful and wonderful step. It changed my mind set. It gave me that energy and strength to forge ahead.

WA: HOW DID YOU GET YOUR PUBLISHER?
MC: Some of my publishers approached me while I wrote to others. Everything we do must be guided by faith, determination, tenacity, focus and due diligence. Social media is enabling people to access each other quickly and collaborate in various creative/ book writing projects.
WA: TELL US WHAT KIND OF RESPONSES YOU GET FROM AUDIENCES\ READERS.
MC: Responses from my readers are always brilliant and encouraging; I have so far built a very vibrant writing and reading lovers’ community.

WA: HOW CAN PEOPLE FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOU?

MC: https://miombopublishing.org/mbizo-chirashainternational/

WA: TIPS, TRICKS, THINGS TO PASS ON TO DEDICATED WRITERS?
MC: Read, Write, read, write and focus. Learn and strive to achieve positive results

WA: ANY TYPICAL/COMMON MISTAKES THAT NEW WRITERS TEND TO MAKE?
MC: Hurry editors, hurry and bring on half baked writings, hunt for fame

WA: WHICH OF YOUR BOOKS WERE THE MOST ENJOYABLE TO WRITE?
MC: My forth coming memoir

WA: TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRST PUBLISHED BOOK?
MC: Good Morning President (2012)
WA: WHAT WAS THE JOURNEY LIKE?
MC: The writing journey requires a lot of hands on, determination and it’s always steep like any other process.

WA: WHAT IS THE KEY THEME AND/OR MESSAGE IN THE BOOK?
MC: Political Poetry, Human Rights Matters, Protests Poetry
WA: TELL US ABOUT THE POETRY EXCHANGE BETWEEN GIRL CHILD CREATIVITY CONCEPT OF ZIMBABWE AND THE SOCIETY OF YOUNG NIGERIAN WRITERS (SYNW)
MC: That was great; such projects have to be done always to promote diversity and integration among writers of different nations.