Interview with Tembi Charles

Interview with Tembi Charles

When did you begin your career as a literary artist? Can you tell us about your education, both in and outside classroom?

My interest in reading and writing started at primary school. My Grade Seven English teachers, Sister Pauline and Mr Moyo, who I still remember fondly, encouraged us to read and to tell our stories. I began writing poetry and short stories then. After a career in retail, I completed a BA General, majoring in English Literature and Gender Studies from The University of the Western Cape, an Honors Degree and Masters Degree in English Studies from Stellenbosch University. I have recently started a Dual-Title PhD in Comparative Literature and African Studies at Penn State University in the USA. This formal training has given me the time to learn about writing. Outside the classroom, I enjoy going to poetry readings whenever I get the chance.

What are the writers and artists that inspire you a lot, and why

This is a difficult question because there are so many. I enjoy work coming from Zimbabwe right now. The poetry is alive, exciting and daring! More and more Zimbabweans are writing, which is good, as I believe all of us have something to say. Right now, life in Zimbabwe is difficult for most people and for poets this is the time to create for future generations. We need to capture the history of our beautiful country as it unfolds, whether good or bad.

Your poem “Mother” is rich in visual imagery culling inspiration from a variety of sources like Christianity and traditional African Culture, can you tell us about it

Thank you. This poem came about when I was thinking about the upsurge of Churches everywhere, and I asked myself if religiosity is really a good thing for our society. I am intrigued by people who are God-fearing on the one hand, and also superstitious and hateful, on the other.

Your other poem in Zimbolicious Poetry Anthology, Vol 2, “Uhleko lolu ngolwani?” is written in Ndebele, Tell us why you decided on using Ndebele rather than English, and the challenges of writing in indigenous African languages. Can you tell us about the process of translating your own work? What it involves, how you approach your work, what you want to achieve

This is a very interesting question indeed, because I had always written in English until a friend asked me if I think in Ndebele or in English? This peculiar question prompted me to start writing in my mother tongue to find out. I must say it has been harder than I thought. I seem to take longer and struggle to find the right words. I think this is the price many of us pay because we have adopted English as our main language of communication in most spheres of our lives. When it comes to translating from Ndebele to English, the process is difficult, as there are many words that simply do not exist in English and if they do, they do not quite mean what is intended in Ndebele. I do whatever I can to be true to my original message.

How do you bridge your work as a creator and your work as an academic? Where do you see yourself bending more towards in the future?

I get more pleasure from writing poetry because I can break the rules more easily and do whatever I want linguistically; there is more freedom.   However, I see both forms of writing as creative in different ways and I will continue to do both.

Make a list of the 5 most important things in your home

My books are most important, and so are my spectacles, my pen, my writing pad and tea!
What are the improvements you want to see in the Zimbolicious poetry series in the future?
The Zimbolicious Poetry series is an important work and I would like to see more and more poetry in our indigenous languages.