adminThe anthology, titled Placards For Sale, is made up of 40 poems that Marodza wrote between 2010 and now.
In an interview recently, Marodza said he was happy to release the anthology now because it had been a long time coming, as he had worked hard on it for the past two years.
“I have been hard at work on this anthology for the past two years and to see the fruits of my labour come to fruition brings me joy,” said Marodza.
He said that his poetry was aimed at changing today’s society, which has lost some of the values that had guided the nation’s forefathers, and hence the country was losing its identity.
“I believe that we have lost the essence of what defines us as people and through this anthology I plan to give the people a moral compass through which we will be able to reclaim our true identity,” said Marodza.
He said he was not inspired by any poet in particular, but instead was inspired by situations, hence some of his poems came from the simple things that happen in everyday life.
“I am inspired by the simplest of things. For example, whenever I walk past West Park Cemetery I get inspired to write something about the people who are buried there hence my poem Crematorium, which is in memory of the dead,” said Marodza.
He said he was not trying to write in the tradition of past poets like William Shakespeare or Dambudzo Marechera but instead he was trying to establish his own style of writing.
“I do not wish to copy writers who have come before me, but to come up with my own style which people will identify with,” he said.
Marodza said the anthology, his first, will be released through a small publisher. As such publishers did not rush writers, but gave them freedom.
derick.khumalo
Online Reporter