Ngonidzashe Paradza
Perseverance Muhoma
Another edition of Lit-Fest (Literature Festival) Poetry competition was held at Charles Austin Theatre last week, with organisers saying they were hopeful the event will grow by leaps and bounds.
Literature Festival Poetry is an outreach project to reach out to cities targeting budding writers and poets.
Festival administrator, Robson Lambada told TellZim News he was pleased with the success of the event and was looking forward to the final competitions to be held in Harare this coming November.
“The activities outside of Harare are part of the outreach project by which we reach out to other cities targeting budding writers. We will have the annual festival which is a three-day-long event in Harare where we will be celebrating Black history,” said Lambada.
The local event, at which eight local poet stars and three guests from Harare participated, saw Ngonidzashe Paradza of Rhodene coming out ahead of everybody else to win for himself $60 in cash and a book.
Paradza said entering the competition was not about money or victory alone but to put himself and his work on the market.
“It was not about the prize but marketing myself as an artist as well as protecting my Poetry is Life brand. With myself being the best among the rest, it felt so humbling. Victory will come the day I will make Masvingo the home of poetry, the day my fellow poets will make a living out of their talents,” said Paradza.
With many years of experience in the industry, Paradza now eyes a successful career in poetry and at national level.
“I have been a poet for a solid nine years and now I look forward to becoming a successful poet in Zimbabwe while promoting poetry in all corners of the country,” Paradza said.
