The Standard

28 THE STANDARD STYLE / ARTS / BOOKWORM
September 28 to October 4 2014
L - R - Ethel Kabwato, Lawrence Hoba, Tinashe Mushakavanhu & Philani Nyoni
Taking writing
Lia Brazier of Hellenic Academy receives a book prize from Tinashe Mushakavanhu
to the young
By Bookworm
Tino Mukura of Lilfordia receives a book prize from Lawrence Hoba
I
was recently part of a group of writers who
facilitated creative writing workshops at
Westridge High School in Harare. If there
is anything I love doing, it is sharing my
love and passion for books and writing with
LILIAN MASITERA
masiteral@yahoo.com
0772 924 796
Usave Saskam,
verenga udzore pfungwa
young people. The turnout was overwhelmingly
good, never mind the fact that it was a
Saturday. Hundred and fourteen students,
ranging in age from 11 – 18, from 29 schools attended
the workshop.
Apart from providing the venue,
Westridge High School, also kindly donated
book prizes to the 20 best students who were
selected after the prose and poetry sessions.
The workshop attracted a broad spectrum
of schools, including Rydings from Karoi,
Cecil John Rhodes (CJR) from Gweru, Bryden
School from Chegutu as well as Mufakose
Mhuriimwe and other Harare and Marondera
Schools.
The workshop was the initiative of the
National Institute of Allied Arts (NIAA), in
association with the Meikles Foundation.
The purpose of the workshop was to motivate
and inspire budding writers by giving them
a chance to interact with young experienced
writers.
Creative writing is important for children
and teens as they learn to express themselves
better. It not only provides them with a safe
space to make sense of the human dynamics
around them, but it teaches them writing at
the highest level, going beyond lucidity into
the realm of literary tension, and then further
into humour, narrative complexity, abstraction,
and metaphor.
If young people are not learning to write
while exploring personal narratives and short
fiction, it is because our educators need more
training -- or the specifics of the curriculum
need further development. It is not because
those forms of writing in themselves are of
no use.
Four Zimbabwean writers Lawrence Hoba,
Ethel Kabwato, Philani Nyoni and Tinashe
Mushakavanhu shared their experiences as
published writers with the school children.
The writers have been published in Zimbabwe
and elsewhere.
The writers worked in small groups giving
the young students ideas on how to improve
writing in both poetry and prose. Interestingly,
most of the kids had intelligent
questions to ask about writing and books. The
feedback from teachers, who also participated
in the workshop, was tremendous, as they all
felt that they had learnt much from the writers,
and had gained a fresh perspective on how
to improve their teaching methods.
Teachers who were present were actively
encouraged to be part of the workshops. It’s
a great opportunity for teachers to observe
the writing process in action and be exposed
to different teaching styles and writing activities.
In this way, the workshop becomes an effective
and “hands on” session for the teachers.
The ability to write well is vitally important
to do well in school or in any career, as
many jobs require good writing and communication
skills. Traditionally, little teaching of
creative writing has been done in Zimbabwean
schools, and even then, it often takes a back
seat to other subjects. It is possible, though,
to improve children’s creative writing skills
through encouragement, supporting parent’s
efforts at home.
From the perspective of the writers, the
experience was a good one, and it certainly
opened the door to the idea of further interaction
with the schools. “There seems to be a
real hunger to know about the writing process.
The thing is, all writers approach the process
differently. I know that I work very differently
to someone like Dambudzo Marechera, for example.”
All the four writers agreed that the workshops
needed to taken to schools around the
country as a way of building a strong army
of young writers and readers. In the past few
years, less than five new creative fiction books
are published in Zimbabwe revealing an anemic
literary environment.
According to the NIAA Literary Festival
Director, and convener of the workshop, Beverley
Abrahams, the workshop was a great
success and the NIAA will consider holding
more such workshops in the future. She expressed
her gratitude to the Meikles Foundation
for the generous sponsorship it provided
and to Westridge High school for opening up
their school for the event and sponsoring the
book prizes.
NIAA holds an annual literary festival
and competition for school children across
Zimbabwe which, this year, attracted over
2 400 entries from 48 primary and 26 high
schools around the country. Two students
excelled during the workshop included Tino
Mukura of Lilfordia School walked away with
prizes in both prose and poetry as did Heidi
Langton of Chisipite Senior School.
The foundation of Zimbabwe’s literary
future can only begin now. Tomorrow is too
late.
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