ZIMBABWEAN LITERATURE


Although eclipsed by Zimbabwean sculpture, Zimbabwe has a rich literary tradition, which is well documented in Kahari's book (referenced below.) My list also includes non-fiction and travel guides. Unfortunately, most of the books mentioned are published in Zimbabwe, and are currently only available there. (Check out the UZ bookstore for the best prices and selection.)

Non-fiction

African Laughter; Dorris Lessing; Harper Collins; New York; 1992.

The Africans; Lamb; Vintage Books, New York; 1987. (Not much information on Zimbabwe, but a very good introduction to the contemporary history, politics, and problems of many other African countries.)

African Entries; Pearce; unpublished. (I couldn't resist mentioning my own journal, which chronicles the year my family spent in Zimbabwe. Any interested publishers should contact me immediately!)

Cry of the Kalahari; Owens & Owens; Houghton Mifflin Co, Boston; 1984. (This book is about the Kalahari in Botswana, but it will get you in the mood for camping in the National Parks in Zimbabwe.)

Kandaya Another Time, Another Place; Shaw; Baobab Books; Harare, Zimbabwe; 1993. (Shaw was a newspaper reporter and reservist during the war. Between missions he was assigned to interview Kandaya, the same guerilla fighter he hunted when he was on duty.)

Lwaano Lwanyika; Reynolds and Cousins; Cousins in association with Save the Children Fund; Harare, Zimbabwe; 1989. (A wonderful survey of the Tonga People.)

Mana Pools; Teede; Quest, Harare; 1988. (I havenÕt found any good books on Zimbabwean geology, plants, or animals, specifically mineral, plant, or animal identification books. Sure, its easy enough to identify lions and elephants, but there are lots of different kinds of antelopes, little cat-like creatures, little dog-like creatures, little rat-like creatures, bugs, reptiles, birds, trees, rocks, and flowers that are so amazing that you feel like you have to know what they are right away. This book is about the best IÕve found so far, it does focus on Mana Pools, but fortunately, most flora and fauna in Zimbabwe can be found there.)

Ndebele Religion and Customs; Bozongwana; Mambo Press, Harare; 1983. (Not a very good or scholarly book, but the only book that IÕve found on the Ndebele of Zimbabwe. YouÕll have trouble finding this book outside of Matebeleland.)

The Painted Caves; Garlake, Peter; Modus Publications; Harare, Zimbabwe; 1987. (A must book to read if youÕre planning on seeing rock paintings.)

The Rise of the Shona Novel: A Study in Development; Kahari; Mambo Press, Gweru; 1990. (I havenÕt actually read this book, but it has been recommended to us and should be a good starting point for people serious about Zimbabwean literature.)

Recollections of an Elephant Hunter; Finaughty; Balkema, Cape Town; 1954. (Child-like writing and shockingly deplete of values, but a first hand account of life in Zimbabwe before Rhodes. There are other elephant hunter memoirs floating around that can probably be substituted for this one.)

The Shona Mini Companion, A Guide for Beginners; Dale; Mambo Press, Harare; 1990. (A very good guide for learning basic Shona.)

The Shona Peoples revised ed.; Bourdillon; Mambo Press, Harare; 1987. (An excellent book, look for it in the UZ bookstore.)

The Shona and their Neighbours; Beach; Blackwell; Oxford; 1994. (A very schollarly presentation of Shona history.)

Stone Sculpture in Zimbabwe; Winter-Irving; Roblaw Publishers, Harare, Zimbabwe; 1991. (A comprehensive survey of Zimbabwean sculpture.)

The Struggle for Zimbabwe; Martin & Johnson; Faber & Faber, London & Boston; 1981. (A readable yet comprehensive history and background of the war, a standard reference.)

Zimbabwean Epic; Mazikana and Johnstone; National Archives; Harare, Zimbabwe; 1984. (A compilation of National Archive photographs tracing the history of Zimbabwe.)

Travel Guides

Africa on a Shoestring, 5th ed.; Crowther; Lonely Planet, Berkeley; 1989. (A must if youÕre planning on traveling to other countries in Africa. One feature is the history of each African country given in the beginning of the chapter dealing with that country.)

Discovery Guide to Zimbabwe; Melissa Shales; Haag, London; 1989. (Good, but a second choice to the Rough Guide.)

Living in Zimbabwe, A Guide for Fulbright Scholars; Pearce, Jon and Ronna; USIS; 1991. (This is a little guide Ronna and I wrote for anyone planning an extended stay in Zimbabwe.)

Zimbabwe & Botswana, The Rough Guide; McCrea & Pinchuck; Harrap- Columbus, London; 1990. (The best and most readable guide to Zimbabwe I have found. The sections on history are quite good, and you also get a guide to Botswana and a little bit about Zambia thrown in. This book is widely available in Harare.)

Fiction

And Now the Poets Speak; eds. Kadhani & Zimunya; Mambo Press, Gwelo; 1981.

Bones; Hove; Baobab, Harare; 1990.

Harvest of Thorns; Chinodya; Baobab Books, Harare; 1989.

The Black Insider; Marechera; Baobab Books, Harare; 1990.

Coming of the Dry Season; Mungoshi; Oxford University Press, Nairobi; 1972.

The House of Hunger; Marechera; Heinemann, London; 1982.

The Non-Believers Journey; Nyamfukudza; Heinemann, London; 1983.

Things Fall Apart; Achebe; Zimbabwean Educational Books, Harare; 1987. (this is a book about the conflict of Christianity and traditional culture in Nigeria, but the conflict exists in Zimbabwe too.)

Waiting for the Rain; Mungoshi; Heinemann, London; 1981.

Whites; Rush; Paladin Grafton Books, London; 1987. (This is a collection of very insightful short stories about life in Botswana.)

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