Online Reporter
Ivan Zhakata-Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
German-based Zimbabwean author Dr Phillip Gwatidzo is taking his book “Changamire Dombo — The Legend” on a national tour next month, with plans to adapt the story into an animated series and film for international audiences.
The book, now an Advanced Level English literature set text, has received endorsements from the Ministry of Arts, Sports, Recreation and Culture and the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe.
It is available on Amazon worldwide as both a Kindle eBook and a paperback edition.
Changamire Dombo tells the story of a young man who rises to kingship in the 1600s, defeating Portuguese raiders and leading the empire that once belonged to the Mutapa dynasty.
Dr Gwatidzo said he wrote the book to bring pre-colonial African history to life.
“We are living in times where inspiration from our identity may be the first dose we need to regain our pride and self-belief in who we were, where we came from and who we can be if we embrace our identity,” he said.
Dr Gwatidzo said African history was often under-celebrated, leaving many Zimbabweans disconnected from their heritage.
“Now because we are the only race that has embraced identity adoption, we will remain second class to the owners of the identities unless we celebrate ourselves, our history and our culture whilst shaping an independent future,” he said.
Speaking about the book tour and international ambitions, Dr Gwatidzo said: “The most important aspect of Changamire Dombo is the creation of an anchoring space for us as Zimbabweans to be able to have that self-awareness and self-pride and then be able to take that and share that with the world. And as I can gladly say that Changamire Dombo is already currently in the education system as an A-level English literature set book, and because of that grounding, we are now looking to engage in an international book tour where we take our story and engage the external audience, telling them our story, our grounding, where we come from and why we operate the way we do.”
Dr Gwatidzo also said he has received support from the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) to develop content locally.
“We are looking to channel this path where we can create this content for our kids to enjoy and also get their grounding and then take our culture out to the world and share it with the world,” he said, adding that the project was seeking partners, collaborators and sponsors.
The national book tour and planned adaptations marked a significant step in transforming Changamire Dombo from an educational classic into a Zimbabwean cultural export for global audiences.
