American writers to grace book fair

country.
The writers — Ellen Dore Watson, Camille T. Dungy, Thomas Mallon, Christopher Merrill and Bob Schacochis, who will be in the company of Kelly Bedeian, the programmes officer at the University of Iowa — are expected to hold several workshops with Zimbabwean writers and publishers.
The five are all members of the University of Iowa’s International Writing Programme (IWP).
Apart from facilitating writing workshops, they will also be holding capacity building seminars as well as exchanging readings of their works with Zimbabwean writers.
They will be in Zimbabwe until Saturday when the curtain comes down on the fair.
Their first port of call will be a breakfast session with Zimbabwean playwright and arts critic Stephen Chifunyise tomorrow morning during which they will be discussing the background of writing in Zimbabwe.
After the session with Chifunyise, the visiting group conducts a workshop with the “Nyora Group”, who are also members of the Women Writers Association.
The focus will be on story-telling through writing as a means of self-expression and how writing can be a therapeutic experience.
Writing skills and techniques will also be shared.
Journalists will also have an opportunity to meet with the authors in a workshop dubbed “Bhala Group” whose thrust will be on the issue of developing a culture of writing.
High school writers’ clubs will be given a chance to rub shoulders with the gurus before the “Bhala Group” also conducts another workshop with the authors.
They will be looking at the issue of writing and the habit of reading during which the visiting writers will be sharing their experiences.
They will also meet with publishers, literary critics, bloggers, editors, poets and other artistes to discuss issues related to their respective fields.
Other activities to look forward to include a visit to the Great Zimbabwe University in Masvingo, tour of the Great Zimbabwe Monument and a tour of the Book Fair exhibitions, among others.
The group is also expected to visit the Harare City Council Flag Room where they will donate books.
The visitors will also participate in the Youth Cultural Arts Festival (YOCAF) in Masvingo, offering workshops, readings and attending cultural events.
Ellen Dore Watson has published five poetry anthologies, among them “We Live in Bodies”, “Ladder Music”, “This Sharpening” and “Dogged Hearts”.
Some of the Zimbabwean writers and poets they are expected to conduct workshops and share their experiences with include Christopher Mlalazi, Mbizo Chirasha and Chirikure Chirikure, among others.
To date, Zimbabwean writers Chirikure Chirikure, Charles Mungoshi, Chiedza Musengezi and Freedom Nyamubaya have participated in the International Writers Programme since its inception in 1967.
The aim of the programme is to provide authors the time to write, read, translate study, conduct research, travel, give readings, and also be part of the vibrant literary and academic community of the University of Iowa, a major American research institution in Iowa City, the only American city designated as a Unesco City of Literature.