Zimpapers Logo

Ambrose Musiyiwa

Tafadzwa Zimoyo Senior Arts Reporter
Zimbabwean writers continue to put the country on the world map through their publications that are of international appeal.

The likes of Dambudzo Marechera, Chenjerai Hove, Yvonne Vera (all late), Charles Mungoshi, Tsitsi Dangarembgwa and Chirikure Chirikure, among others, are some of Zimbabwe’s literary giants who have written success stories for Zimbabwe internationally.

United Kingdom-based Zimbabwean writer, poet, artist and journalist, Ambrose Musiyiwa is one writer who is following in this path.

Musiyiwa, who is based in Leicester and used to contribute literary reviews to The Herald, has co-edited a poetry anthology titled “Welcome to Leicester” together with renowned author Emma Lee.

Apart from editing the book, Musiyiwa and Lee each contributed some of their poems in the collection.

All the poems in the book were collected from various poets from different parts of the world who sent their works through social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and e-mails.

“We also sent out invites to five cities in other parts of the world that are twinned with Leicester-Chonqqing in China; Krefeld in Germany; Masaya in Nicaragua; Rajkot in India and Strasbourg in France – as well as to seven other towns that are named also Leicester-Leicester, Sierra Leone; Leicester, North Carolina; Leicester, Massachusetts; Leicester, Vermont; Leicester, New York; and Leicester Township, Clay County, Nebraska.

He said one good thing about the 90 poems featured in this collection is that they are representative of these different continents and countries from which the poets originate and reside in.

“Countries like Sierra Leone, India, China, Nicaragua, France, Germany, United States and the United Kingdom itself are felt in colour, smells, texture and tone without forgetting that at the centre of it all is Leicester, the city that inspired this book,” said Musiyiwa.

Reading through it, one is “transported” to Leicester and back.

Musiyiwa’s poems, “This City”, “Welcome to Leicester”, “Tree of Memories” and “When Leicester Becomes a Republic”, are remarkable for their humorous tone and brief style.

He uses language that is deceptive to the eye and ear and it only takes two or three readings for one to grasp the message behind the façade of simplicity. Take, for instance, the short poem “Welcome to Leicester” which reads: “this city, a place of exits and arrivals, welcomes you as you leave”.

It is a poem about a city of paradoxes that “welcomes visitors as they leave”!

In other words, what this statement carried in the poem implies is that Leicester City is always open to visitors.

Musiyiwa also contributed another poem, “When Leicester Becomes a Republic”.

Musiyiwa, who was born in Zimbabwe is a former teacher and as a journalist he has written for various publications, both in Zimbabwe and outside.

His short story, “The Bracelet” was published in the anthologies “Writing Now” (2005) and “Writing Free” (2011) by Weaver Press.

He is also the author of the novel, “Diary of An Asylum Seeker” among other works.

Musiyiwa is not new to the Zimbabwean literary scene having had some of his short stories and newspaper articles published in The Herald, High Density Anchor (now defunct) and Chitungwiza Express (also defunct), among others. For The Herald, he contributed to the book reviews section then called “The Scribe’s Scroll” together with the likes of Thomas Sukutai Bvuma (late), Farai Nyandoro, among other writers and literary critics.