Poet Chioniso Tsikisayi excited by NAMA nomination.

Multi-talented artist, Chioniso Tsikisayi has been nominated for the prestigious Outstanding Poet award in the 22nd National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA), after winning the same award at the Roil Bulawayo Arts Awards last year.

Tsikisayi is a multi-talented artist who has been making waves in the Zimbabwean literary scene with her spoken word poetry, writing, singing, and filmmaking.

Tsikisayi said she was humbled and honoured by the nomination, and that it motivated her to keep improving her craft and exploring her creativity. She said she believed in the power of consistency and discipline in producing quality work, regardless of the external recognition.

“I am excited about refining my craft and I feel that in light of this recognition I can only continue to do my best. For me, creativity, both the spontaneity and beauty of it is rooted in consistency. The mundane is just as significant as the extraordinary. Having the discipline to put out work of quality regardless of whether there are eyes on me or not,” she said.

She also stressed the importance of strategic planning and collaboration in achieving one’s goals, and the role of awards in showcasing talent and creating opportunities. She expressed gratitude for the existence of local awards that celebrate home grown talent, before it reaches the global stage.

“There are so many deserving and gifted creatives across Zimbabwe. It’s a privilege to have awards shows of our own that recognise home grown talent, before that talent is exported to a global audience,” she said.

Tsikisayi has a diverse and impressive portfolio of artistic projects and achievements. She was the first runner up for the 65th Kenya Poetry Slam Africa Contest, and her work has been published in various online and print platforms, such as Brittle Paper, Isele Magazine, The Kalahari Review, Ipikai Poetry Journal, Agbowó art, AFREADA, Intwasa Short Stories Volume Two and Imbiza Journal for African Writing.

She also ventured into the world of theatre and fiction, with her debut play, A Woman Has Two Mouths, being shortlisted for the African Women Playwrights Network Festival of Plays held in Accra, Ghana in 2022. She also won the Canopus Award 2023 for excellence in interstellar writing in the Original Local Short Form Fiction Category for her short story Gumbojena.

Tsikisayi revealed her plans to expand her horizons and explore new mediums of expression, such as film and television, as well as to publish more solo work. She said she was passionate about storytelling and artistic expression, and that she wanted to share her voice and vision with the world.

The NAMA award ceremony will take place on Saturday at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), Hall number 3, where Tsikisayi will find out if she has won the Outstanding Poet award.

@TashMutsiba