Tendai Charumbira
Masvingo based female writer and former teacher Tichamupei Comfort Chivore has published her first novel titled Zvichatinakira.
The book, released on March 22 2022 with Progressive Publishers is about a young boy who lost both parents at a tender age and went on to live on the streets in the city of Masvingo.
In an interview with TellZim Chivore said that everyday situations inspire her to write and also associating with street children is also an inspiration to her writings.
“My inspiration comes from the everyday life situation in the case of Zvichatinakira, because I have been fortunate enough to socialize with children on the streets. I have come to realize that sometimes we are quick to judge them without really getting to know them,” said Chivore.
She said that as a woman, mother and wife it is not easy to be a writer but said she was very grateful to have a supportive husband and family.
Chivore stated that besides her husband, she has been getting a lot of encouragement from other writers and people around her.
“As a woman, mother and wife it is not easy to be a writer. It is very hard to manage, but I am very happy to have a supportive husband who allows me to follow my dreams. Also I have been getting a lot of encouragement from other writers and people around me,” said Chivore.
The writer also highlighted that the path she chose has not easy at all considering the arts industry is male dominated as women try fight for relevance.
“It is not easy in the arts industry as it is a male dominated but as women, we are trying to make ourselves relevant by doing what most people think we cannot do. We are breaking the bias,” said Chivore.
Born in Masvingo’s Jichidza area of Zaka, she did her primary level at Mashingaidze primary school, before Jichidza High school and trained as a teacher at Morgenster Teachers’ College.
She further did her Honors and Masters Degrees in Early Childhood Education (ECD) at Great Zimbabwe University.
Besides Zvichatinakira, Chivore has featured in poetry like anthologies Women Exceed, Mupakwa Parwendo, Ngoma yeDzimbambwe Yorira Ngoma Yenhetembo Chainga Chenduri and Nduri Upenyu.
The arts and culture industry sector in Zimbabwe is a space that is traditionally dominated by men both at management and at individual artist level male writers like Chirikure Chirikure a Zimbabwe poet, Togara Muzanenhamo a novelist and a poet, Musaemura Bonas Zimunya who is Zimbabwe most contemporary writers, Chivore is breaking the barrier as she is also the founder and executive director of ZIMPAST, a Masvingo based arts organization.
Lingiwe Patience Gumbo a musician, poet, writer and voice over artist expanded her portfolio by adopting stone sculpture, she is also one of the female artists who is breaking gender barriers, alongside Tsitsi Dangarembga a novelist and filmmaker.
Pettina Gappah, a short story writer and Yvonne Vera a novelist are also breaking gender barriers.
