adminYeukai Karengezeka Arts Correspondent
Renowned poet Batsirai Chigama has been listed among the top 10 international poets that made it at this year’s edition of Stanza Digital Slam. The Stanza Digital Slam encourages the combination of skill and passion of poetry with the fun and strategy of slam, online on a worldwide stage. The poet said she was humbled to make it at the global event and is seeking for support to win the final prize at a date to be announced soon.
“I am thrilled to have made it to the top 10 short-list and I am excited to be representing Zimbabwe, an indication that the world is paying attention to the new literary voices coming out of this country.
“I am encouraging people to vote for me on http://stanzapoetry.wordpress.com before August 11.
“For me it is not about what is to be gained but it is about where the status of Zimbabwe’s spoken word will be after this,” she said.
Chigama said to qualify she sent a video of her poem “Letter to my Unborn Child” which she performed at the inaugural Shoko Festival in September 2011.
This year’s competitors will share a virtual stage with some of the best poets currently performing in Africa and the Digital Slam partnered with the pan-African Badilisha Poetry X-Change based in Cape Town.
The Digital Slam is organised by Stanza International Poetry Festival in Scotland.
In 2012 Batsirai became the first Zimbabwean to take part in the Italian Nosside World Poetry competition for which she was awarded a medal and her poem “Ivhu”, was featured in the 2012 Nosside Poetry anthology.
Batsirai has travelled to participate in a number of festivals in the region
Some of her recorded works are featured on Badilisha Poetry X-Change (Cape Town) and Indiefeed (USA) poetry portals.
In 2013, some of Batsirai’s poetry was featured on the Poetry International Website alongside other five Zimbabwean female poets.
She has been appointed the Woman Scream Poetry International coordinator for Zimbabwe 2014.
Online Reporter