Yeukai Munetsi
Zvishavane- based author Emmanuel Mhike (35), is to launch his first book in Mazvihwa, 40km South-East of Zvishavane and online for foreign based fans on September 10.
The 100 Shona poems anthology book seeks to address contemporary issues of preservation, education and sustainability.
Elaborating on the book, Mhike said he discovered his talent at 28 after attending a workshop with Zimbabwe’s renowned writers.
“I discovered my writing talent at 28 after Chisiya writers workshop organized by United States of America (USA) based Lecturer of Creative writing Professor Emmanuel Sigauke and Muonde Trust in 2015.
“Present at the workshop were David Mungoshi (novels), Memory Chirere (poetry) and Emmanuel Sigauke (short stories),” he said.
In order to advance his concept, Mhike did not schedule his writing but was rather inspired by everyday events to write his work.
“My writing was never scheduled. I always work, travel, relax and sleep with pen and paper around.
“The first stage in my writing is inspiration which gives me a theme to write on. My first stanza introduces a reader to what inspired me to pen down the piece, the body tackles interesting questions, discussions and beliefs while the last stanza answers all the questions or concerns raised in the body,” he added.
The recent release was inspired by Memory Chirere who according to Mhike made writing poems seem simple and exciting.
The book also supports the element of being patient as it took Mhike almost seven years to publish his work.
“Writing like any other talent needs to be given space and resources. Unlike other talents, writing is a calling that will stress or even kill you if you do not execute. Take your time, I started writing my book in 2015 and employed two editors to edit the week over a period of five years,” said Mhike.
He went on to encourage aspiring writers to thoroughly edit their work with professional editors before publishing.
