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who is popularly known by her pen name, NoViolet Bulawayo, said home inspires her writing and is looking forward to moving back.
“Home inspires my writing very much, so I’m very much looking forward to moving back and working from there, and possibly giving back by starting some something aimed at nurturing young writers,” she said in an interview from her base in the United States.
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She said although she does not yet have a time- frame on when she will return, but will definitely do so in the near future.
Bulawayo received instant fame after winning the award recently for her short story “Hitting Budapest”.
She said while winning the Caine Prize humbled her, she had not expected to clinch the coveted award.
“I was shortlisted for the SA PEN/Studzinski back in 2009 and I didn’t win it. That quickly taught me to put expectations aside in this game.
“I don’t write to win prizes, so I try not to concentrate too much on winning anything,” she said.
On the state of Zimbabwean literature, Bulawayo said the country was a powerhouse of African literature but currently there was a lull on the writing scene.
“I’m absolutely proud of our literary ancestors for setting the pace.
“Even though things are happening I think it’s not exactly where it should be, given where we’re coming from.
“We come from Dambudzo Marechera, Yvonne Vera, Chenjerai Hove, Tsitsi Dangarembga and Barbara Makhalisa, among others.
“I’m not sure we are close to what these greats did, but that also has a lot to do with lack of proper investment in different areas of the field.
“Still, I feel this doesn’t dismiss the current writers, and I hope they keep pushing,” she said.
Bulawayo said the writing landscape in the country was harsh to the writers.
“I believe we have a lot of talent but not the proper outlets for it to thrive and flourish.
“We only have a couple of publishing houses, and they are not enough to cater for the abundant talent so they are forced to be extremely selective, which affects the rise of new voices as well as the writing industry.
She added that there was need for more training by way of workshops, saying this is what will take Zimbabwe’s writers to the next level.
Bulawayo grew up in Gwanda and later relocated to Bulawayo.
On what influenced her to start writing, she says: “As a kid I was surrounded by stories.
“From my grandmother, Ugogo’ uNaEdeni telling us inganekwane (tales) around the fire, to gossiping women, my father, who just had a thing for telling stories if he was in the mood.”
Bulawayo went to Njube and Mzilikazi high schools in Bulawayo, after which she went abroad with the intention of studying law but veered off her intended course.
She added that her favourite writer is Yvonne Vera, because she exhibited courage and complexity in her works.
She recently earned a master’s degree in fine arts at Cornell University and is now lecturing there.
Online Reporter