INTERVIEW WITH EDWARD DZONZE
1.Briefly introduce to us who you are
Also known as NRS(NamelesRadioStation) in Spoken Word circles ,Dzonze is s passionate poet who finds his purpose in life through playing around with words .Author, co-editor of the Zimbolicious poetry series , Dzonze was born on the 4th of June 1989. He attended Mufakose 1 High School before corresponding with local colleges to attain his Advanced level certificate .In 2011 he enrolled with Seke Teachers' College for a Diploma in Primary Education but was however expelled barely two months before the final examination for absconding lectures .
2.Can you tell us about your initial encounters with poetry and initial impressions with writing
I started writing at a tender age of 14 .My first poem was a love poem which i wrote on the 14th of February 2003.It is in the poem where i took solace for not having a girlfriend as it were and from there-on writing has served as a companion to me .
3.What is your writing process?
Basically i write to question all the things that seem out of place .M y daily routine begins with reading a book even if it means re-reading the literature i have read before so when i am writing i am writing to challenge whatever the good literature i have been reading . Sometimes i don't get to write a poem or a story but always i write a line or two everyday .
4.What traditions and cultures , writers and artists you have studied and how have these shaped your writing?
I was mainly exposed to Western literature and traditions but basically i read all the good literature that i come across with .In my formative years as a writer i read Musayemura include among others, Chenjerai Hove, Charles Mungoshi , Emmanuel Ngara, Chirikure Chirikure and the Ngugis . I've also read Patricia Cornwell, Zora Naelle Hurston , Ruby Dee, Langston Hughes,Geofrey Chaucer,T.S Elliot, Jamaica Kincaid,Gordon Parks and too much of Dambudzo Marechera as well as Maya Angelou.
I've also read all the poems in the Zimbolicious Poetry Anthologies at least more than twice .My interaction with different cultures of the world have challenged me in raising the standards of my own writings not very much to , but at least closer to the standards that won them accolades in writing .
5.Tell us about the writing scene in your country
Moving with time is what largely determines the writing scene in my country where those who have embraced the dynamics of the digital era are fast making a name in the industry while those still sleeping are dreaming of breaking through .
6.Tell us how Zimbolicious started. What does it mean to you as a writer and as co-editor?
When RoyaltyPublishing USA , an e-publishing company , was founded by a close friend (Frances Robinson) i was given 3 free publishing contracts two of which saw the publication of my 2 poetry collections Many Truths Told at Once and Wisdom Speaks .A budding writer that i was then , i approached Tendai Mwanaka with the other contract and together we settled for a poetry anthology that would accord fellow Zimbabwean writers a space to tell their story . Mwanaka proposed the term Zimbolicious after deliberations as to the nature of the anthology and thus Zimbolicious became .
Zimbolicious to me is a poetry page upon which the Zimbabwean story is told , a poetry page upon which names of writers are written without fear and favour .
7.Tell us about the first reading of the Zimbolicious poetry anthology at the UZ mid last year .What were the major highlights and what more do you think can be done to bring the Zimbolicious story and poetry in general to the people?
I would like to describe the first reading of the Zimbolicious poetry anthology at the UZ as a big success. The event was held on 7 July 2017 at the Llewellyn Lecture theatre, this of course came as a result of some contributors who heeded Mwanaka's call to have such book readings . Some of the contributors who came through include among others, Tinashe Muchuri, Phumlani Chipandambira , Chenjerai Mhondera , Lovers Pamire , Dr Kufakurinani and of course yours truly . The poems presented challenged the academics in attendance to question why the co-operate world would turn a blind eye to such intellectually rich content that have the capacity to transform the country as a whole.
Lovers Pamire thrilled the audience with his unmatched Country beats while your truly was in a generous mood, sharing three Spoken word pieces before getting into the business of the day .From what i saw indeed book readings are the way to go but also we as writers need to fight all the way for our literary works by making sure that we bring the books into local bookshops. What can we do when we have a co-operate world that is so blind to our craft? The editors alone cannot achieve it....
8.Tell us about your poems in the Zimbolicious Poetry Anthology Volume 1 and 2
Volume carries two of my poems I Sing "Zimbabwe Among Genius" and "Up in arms with Our Own", both poems came with a Shona translation. The first poem being a celebration of Zimbabwean talent while the later was an outburst on the stupidity of Xenophobic stampedes that we have witnessed on the other side of the Limpopo River.
In volume 2 i made 3 English submissions "Today is their Day(Heroes' Day)" which is basically a celebration of the sacrifices made by free fighters who liberated the nation from servitude . The second one being "Africa :To whom it may concern", a poem which questions African leaders with regards our way of life against the resources that we boast of . "Childhood Memories of Nyaruchena River" talks about some of the myths we were told as we grow up .In as much as those myths play a big role in shaping African societies there comes a time when ones gets to know the truth and realize how important those myths are , zviera-era as so called in Shona.
9.You have published 2 books with RPUSA, tell us why you chose an American publisher rather than those in Zimbabwe .What are the challenges of publishing with foreign publishers .
In short RPUSA , was willing to give me a chance , something that local publishers were never to do unless you have a reputable name .I asked myself how do i make a name if no local publisher will give me a chance and then Frances seem to came with the answer and thank God Zimbolicious was born out of it all .
The biggest challenge i have personally faced is bringing the aforementioned books onto the local market and obviously i will not talk about royalties , when you are dealing with a foreign publisher it means getting into a foreign market as well .
10. Outside the Arts field , what other things are you interested in .
My life is all art .I am patron of Firetym Entertainment , a local arts initiative that seek to promote and help upcoming artists overcome almost the same challenges i overcame myself .I also manage two Dancehall artists Chief G and IrieMan who also happen to be co-founders of Firetym .
11. Any parting words
I would like to thank everyone who made Zimbolicious a success and finally I am looking forward to Zimbolicious Volume 3 , depending on how volume 1 and 2 fares on the market as we are at the marketing and promotion phase .
1.Briefly introduce to us who you are
Also known as NRS(NamelesRadioStation) in Spoken Word circles ,Dzonze is s passionate poet who finds his purpose in life through playing around with words .Author, co-editor of the Zimbolicious poetry series , Dzonze was born on the 4th of June 1989. He attended Mufakose 1 High School before corresponding with local colleges to attain his Advanced level certificate .In 2011 he enrolled with Seke Teachers' College for a Diploma in Primary Education but was however expelled barely two months before the final examination for absconding lectures .
2.Can you tell us about your initial encounters with poetry and initial impressions with writing
I started writing at a tender age of 14 .My first poem was a love poem which i wrote on the 14th of February 2003.It is in the poem where i took solace for not having a girlfriend as it were and from there-on writing has served as a companion to me .
3.What is your writing process?
Basically i write to question all the things that seem out of place .M y daily routine begins with reading a book even if it means re-reading the literature i have read before so when i am writing i am writing to challenge whatever the good literature i have been reading . Sometimes i don't get to write a poem or a story but always i write a line or two everyday .
4.What traditions and cultures , writers and artists you have studied and how have these shaped your writing?
I was mainly exposed to Western literature and traditions but basically i read all the good literature that i come across with .In my formative years as a writer i read Musayemura include among others, Chenjerai Hove, Charles Mungoshi , Emmanuel Ngara, Chirikure Chirikure and the Ngugis . I've also read Patricia Cornwell, Zora Naelle Hurston , Ruby Dee, Langston Hughes,Geofrey Chaucer,T.S Elliot, Jamaica Kincaid,Gordon Parks and too much of Dambudzo Marechera as well as Maya Angelou.
I've also read all the poems in the Zimbolicious Poetry Anthologies at least more than twice .My interaction with different cultures of the world have challenged me in raising the standards of my own writings not very much to , but at least closer to the standards that won them accolades in writing .
5.Tell us about the writing scene in your country
Moving with time is what largely determines the writing scene in my country where those who have embraced the dynamics of the digital era are fast making a name in the industry while those still sleeping are dreaming of breaking through .
6.Tell us how Zimbolicious started. What does it mean to you as a writer and as co-editor?
When RoyaltyPublishing USA , an e-publishing company , was founded by a close friend (Frances Robinson) i was given 3 free publishing contracts two of which saw the publication of my 2 poetry collections Many Truths Told at Once and Wisdom Speaks .A budding writer that i was then , i approached Tendai Mwanaka with the other contract and together we settled for a poetry anthology that would accord fellow Zimbabwean writers a space to tell their story . Mwanaka proposed the term Zimbolicious after deliberations as to the nature of the anthology and thus Zimbolicious became .
Zimbolicious to me is a poetry page upon which the Zimbabwean story is told , a poetry page upon which names of writers are written without fear and favour .
7.Tell us about the first reading of the Zimbolicious poetry anthology at the UZ mid last year .What were the major highlights and what more do you think can be done to bring the Zimbolicious story and poetry in general to the people?
I would like to describe the first reading of the Zimbolicious poetry anthology at the UZ as a big success. The event was held on 7 July 2017 at the Llewellyn Lecture theatre, this of course came as a result of some contributors who heeded Mwanaka's call to have such book readings . Some of the contributors who came through include among others, Tinashe Muchuri, Phumlani Chipandambira , Chenjerai Mhondera , Lovers Pamire , Dr Kufakurinani and of course yours truly . The poems presented challenged the academics in attendance to question why the co-operate world would turn a blind eye to such intellectually rich content that have the capacity to transform the country as a whole.
Lovers Pamire thrilled the audience with his unmatched Country beats while your truly was in a generous mood, sharing three Spoken word pieces before getting into the business of the day .From what i saw indeed book readings are the way to go but also we as writers need to fight all the way for our literary works by making sure that we bring the books into local bookshops. What can we do when we have a co-operate world that is so blind to our craft? The editors alone cannot achieve it....
8.Tell us about your poems in the Zimbolicious Poetry Anthology Volume 1 and 2
Volume carries two of my poems I Sing "Zimbabwe Among Genius" and "Up in arms with Our Own", both poems came with a Shona translation. The first poem being a celebration of Zimbabwean talent while the later was an outburst on the stupidity of Xenophobic stampedes that we have witnessed on the other side of the Limpopo River.
In volume 2 i made 3 English submissions "Today is their Day(Heroes' Day)" which is basically a celebration of the sacrifices made by free fighters who liberated the nation from servitude . The second one being "Africa :To whom it may concern", a poem which questions African leaders with regards our way of life against the resources that we boast of . "Childhood Memories of Nyaruchena River" talks about some of the myths we were told as we grow up .In as much as those myths play a big role in shaping African societies there comes a time when ones gets to know the truth and realize how important those myths are , zviera-era as so called in Shona.
9.You have published 2 books with RPUSA, tell us why you chose an American publisher rather than those in Zimbabwe .What are the challenges of publishing with foreign publishers .
In short RPUSA , was willing to give me a chance , something that local publishers were never to do unless you have a reputable name .I asked myself how do i make a name if no local publisher will give me a chance and then Frances seem to came with the answer and thank God Zimbolicious was born out of it all .
The biggest challenge i have personally faced is bringing the aforementioned books onto the local market and obviously i will not talk about royalties , when you are dealing with a foreign publisher it means getting into a foreign market as well .
10. Outside the Arts field , what other things are you interested in .
My life is all art .I am patron of Firetym Entertainment , a local arts initiative that seek to promote and help upcoming artists overcome almost the same challenges i overcame myself .I also manage two Dancehall artists Chief G and IrieMan who also happen to be co-founders of Firetym .
11. Any parting words
I would like to thank everyone who made Zimbolicious a success and finally I am looking forward to Zimbolicious Volume 3 , depending on how volume 1 and 2 fares on the market as we are at the marketing and promotion phase .
thanks dear editors and fellow poets for the great works of art. everyone of us get involved in the marketing and promotion stages.
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