Sibonginkosi...

What inspires you to write?

Emotion. I have learned that when I read, I get transported into the emotion of a particular moment and whenever I think about writing I think about the emotions I feel about something, and then I try to illustrate them with words.


Do you think there is a difference between a writer and an author?

I have always thought that authors are writers who have been published and writers are authors who are yet to be published.


How does it make you feel to be part of a published anthology?

Excited, proud and a little nervous. I cannot believe my everyday reflections are part of an official published body of work. I am honestly not sure how to feel.


Do you face any challenges as a female Zimbabwean writer?

I think the biggest challenge has to be that there are not enough opportunities for writers. Much fewer female writers earn a living from being writers. So, it feels as if writing has to take a back seat while you do the work that pays, which shortchanges us because we are hearing from way less Zimbabwean female writers than we should.


Briefly describe your writing journey, from how you started to where you are today.

Writing for me has always been something I am able to do, from writing compositions about my holiday in primary school to history essays in High School. I just did not know that I enjoyed it yet because then I had to do it for school, but then a part of me always wanted to recreate worlds the way I witnessed authors do when I read novels. I always dreamt that one day I would write something that would make people pause and feel. Nowadays I write poetry mostly, but I was a finalist in the Africa Book Club short story competition in 2018 and I feel as though I am building towards the dream.


How do you want your work to be remembered?

I want my work to be remembered as honest, authentic and disruptive. I do not wish to simply fit the mold of a Zimbabwean female writer. Writing is way too strenuous a process for me to just create work that does not disrupt thinking and shift mindsets. 


Would you like to share anything about yourself to help your readers connect with you?

I am very sentimental. I like to believe that everything has meaning, like in a carefully written novel where every line and paragraph is in perfect synergy with the next one and has an impact on the novel in its entirety. I like to believe life is like that. 


Who is your favourite writer and why?

Khaled Housseini. Simply because I will never forget the way I felt when I read A Thousand Splendid Suns.


What are your future writing aspirations?

To write novels. On my most ambitious days I dream about writing books that heal and transform people.


What is your biggest dream?

My biggest dream is to be a full-time writer. 

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TURQUOISE DREAMS Editor's note:

The Office is refreshingly romantic, and I really enjoyed having the perspective from the two characters, Tendai and Victoria, as they narrated their experiences with each other. The narrative is based in South Africa and explores the themes of migration, xenophobia and separation of families. Both sexes are equally represented in this story and I smiled throughout the read.

The thing with feathers is a delightful story inspired by Emily Dickinson’s poem, "Hope is the thing with feathers". The theme of displacement and its impact on mental health is very well handled through vivid descriptions, and I like the fact that for a change a woman saves the day in this story. The men also appreciate what she is doing, rather than ostracise or pressure her into the usual dichotomy of gender-based roles. This is different and a breath of fresh air. 

Ukuhlalukelwa explores grief exceptionally well, illustrating the aftermath of a twin sister who decides to take her own life - A really sad situation, but not uncommon, which is truly heartbreaking. I found the description of the funeral amusingly relatable.
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