Online Reporter
Trust Khosa
Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
THE literary arts community and indigenous language advocates are buzzing with excitement as the 12th LitFest Harare International Literature Festival returns to the capital from November 26 to 29.
Founded by esteemed storyteller, author and academic Chirikure Chirikure, this year’s events will take place at various venues across Harare, with Theatre in the Park and Alliance Française serving as the main locations.
The premier literary arts fête, which brings together learners, budding and seasoned writers, publishers and editors from various stables, is famed for promoting the reading culture.
Over the years, many have lamented the dearth of the reading culture.
In some marginalised communities, there has been lamentation over the shortage of reading materials in the first place, which Chirikure and his partners have vowed to address.
Chirikure, a well-known advocate for promotion of minority languages, will host the upcoming event under the Kalanga banner titled “Lebeleka Takawilila — The Languages and Legacies of Art”.
This initiative aims to provide minority communities with the platform they need to amplify their voices and contributions.
In a statement ahead of the four-day literary arts gathering, Chirikure demonstrated his willingness to use this annual event as a platform to cement its place as a dynamic space for literary and artistic expression, dialogue, and cross-cultural exchanges.
“This year’s festival will host over 80 participants — writers, poets, artists, scholars, and cultural practitioners — representing more than eight countries, including Botswana, Lesotho, Sweden, Malawi, the UK, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, among others.
“The 2025 theme, ‘Lebeleka Takawilila – The Languages and Legacies of Art,’ invites participants and audiences alike to reflect on how art in all its forms speaks across generations, languages, and cultures. The Kalanga-inspired theme, meaning ‘Speak, we are listening,’ celebrates the enduring power of creative expression to build bridges, preserve memory, and shape identity in a rapidly evolving world,” reads part of the statement.
Festival director Chirikure said the theme also embodies the spirit of artistic continuity and cultural resonance that LitFest Harare represents.
“Lebeleka Takawilila is a call to listen — to the voices of our ancestors, to the rhythms of our present, and to the echoes that will carry our stories into the future.
“This year’s festival is not only a celebration of literature but also a tribute to the many languages through which art speaks and the legacies it leaves behind.
“Attendees can look forward to an inspiring lineup of readings, panel discussions, workshops, performances, and community engagements,” he stressed.
With an array of activities lined up across Harare’s popular cultural venues, with Alliance Française and Theatre in the Park as the main focal points, it promises to be an event not to be missed.
Sharing some of the major highlights of the festival, Chirikure assured attendees of good times ahead, especially for candidates sitting for their Ordinary Level examinations next year.
“Festival highlights include an opening evening reception, a theatrical production of the classic novel and O-Level set book, ‘Tambaoga Mwanangu,’ an evening of poetic intersections, a silent reading hour and book swap, a visual poetry exhibition, a poetry slam, as well as a closing concert in partnership with SoFar Sounds Harare, which celebrates African unity and will be held at a surprise location.
“As the festival approaches, excitement is building both locally and internationally for what promises to be an unforgettable celebration of literary and artistic heritage,” he stated.
Besides the annual LitFest Harare, Chirikure has been doing a lot to promote the literary arts and African languages.
Last year, he organised the Language Legacy Expo, which ran for 10 weeks, celebrating Shona literature.
Hosted by Consultus Publishing Services in partnership with LitFest Harare, the exposition, which took place at CPS Head Office in Eastlea, Harare, lived up to expectations.
On the entertainment scene, he has made a name for himself as a songwriter, translating many songs, books, and journals for the benefit of readers. Academically, he graduated from the University of Zimbabwe in the early 1980s, where he studied Shona and History.
As a dub poet, he has gained recognition both locally and internationally.
His passion for empowering young children has led him to hold numerous group discussions with learners throughout Zimbabwe.
After all has been said and done, Chirikure Chirikure’s name will always resonate in people’s minds.
He deserves to be counted among the luminaries with over 40 years in the game.
He is also famed for setting up the Nemashakwe Community Library and Information Resource Centre in Gutu, Masvingo, five years ago.
To him, this initiative was a game-changer meant to empower rural folks with a reading culture. He, however, called for the provision of books before we could lament the dearth of the reading culture.
“Before we address the issue of the lack of a reading culture, young people in rural and marginalised areas must have access to reading materials. Many rural communities lack books, which motivated me to convert one of my father’s shops in Nemashakwe into a community library in 2021,” he told the Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub early this year.
