Publisher:

Langaa RPCIG

Langaa Research & Publishing Common Initiative Group

P.O. Box 902 Mankon

Bamenda

North West Region

Cameroon

Langaagrp@gmail.com

www.langaa-rpcig.net

Distributed in and outside N. America by African Books Collective orders@africanbookscollective.com

www.africanbookscollective.com

ISBN-10: 9956-764-89-2

ISBN-13: 978-9956-764-89-1

© Tendai R. Mwanaka & Daniel Da Purificação 2017

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying and recording, or be stored in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher

About the editors

Tendai Rinos Mwanaka is a multi-disciplinary artist who lives in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe. Books published include among others, Zimbabwe: The Urgency of Now (creative nonfiction), Finding a Way Home (stories novel), Revolution (poems), Playing To Love’s Gallery(poetry), Pearls of Awareness (poetry). Curator and editor of the following anthologies, Democracy, Good Governacne and Development in Africa, Best New African Poets Anthologies, Zimbolicious Poetry Anthology, Experimental Writing African Vs Latin America Anthology. He is also a published and exhibited visual artist (photography, painting, drawing, collage, video.) represented by Arna Gallery, Sweden. A sound/musical artist, mentor, translator, scholar, theorist, reviewer, critic... Work has been published in over 400 journals in over 27 countries, translated into French, Germany and Spanish.

Daniel da Purificação, was born in 1983 in some place called Angola. Has a Bachelor diplome and Masters Degree. He likes to speak and read, is always thinking and writing all the time. Since 2002 he has lived out of the place where he was born. He is a Honour invited at Hispanamerican Writers summit HORAS DE JUNIO that happens every year in Sonora (México). He also works as a journalist on rádio and a freelancer, teacher at university, is a public policy consultant... He is also a recommended facilitator and he talks about society, philosophy, politics, education, democracy... He has two collections of poems (THE ANGOPOEMS and INTERMITENCIAS) that he hopes will be postdeath publications... Now he lives between México and Angola.

Contributor’s Bio Notes

Ajise Vincent is an economist and social researcher based in Sokoto, Nigeria. His works have appeared or are forthcoming at The Bond Street Review, Indiana Voice Journal, Jawline Review, Jalada, Ink, Sweat & Tears, Chiron Review, Asian Signature, Ann Arbor Review, Yellow Chair Review, Bombay Review, Birmingham Arts Journal, Best New African Poets 2015 Anthology, Snapdragon: a journal of art & healing, The Cadaverine, Souvenir literary journal, Elsewhere, Sentinel Quarterly & various literary outlets. He is a recipient of the Eriata Oribhabor poetry prize 2015. He loves coffee, blondes & turtles.

Asiko Joan is a Kenyan Stage and Screenwriter, Poet, a budding author of short African stories and a performing artist. She is a graduate of Theatre Arts and Film Technology from Kenyatta University. She draws her passion from the world around her. Her works mostly tackle social and economic issues.

Atukunda Rogers is a journalist, filmmaker, writer, researcher and educator.

He was born in Mbarara hospital on 27thMarch 1987. He got a government scholarship and joined Makerere University, Kampala where he graduated with an Honours BA Education in Literature and English Language studies in 2011.

Awendit Marial is a South Sudanese poet and essayist, born Dec, 1989. His poems have appeared in the Brittle Paper and the Kalahari Review. He resides in his hometown Yerul.

Ballard Chaun was raised in both Missouri and California. He has lived with his wife in Ghana, West Africa, where they taught at a local area school. He writes, For the past five years, we have travelled and taught throughout various countries, and we are currently preparing for our new relocation to Saudi Arabia. He has had poems recently published and accepted by shufPoetry, Grist, Sukoon, and The Caribbean Writer.

Ballot Mari: I am an Author and Poet living in Stellenbosch, South Africa at present. I have been passionate about Poetry and Nature from an early age. I wrote my first poem at age of 5. Here we encountered atrocious political injustices and the complexities of corruption as well as more than 11 official different languages in one country?

Baptista Britos Adriano nasceu em 1992, Zambézia (Moçambique), é estudante finalista do curso de Tradução Francês-Português na Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, é poeta, residente na cidade de Maputo.

Benfiquista Fabious é o psiodónimo literário de Fábio Audora Pedro, nascido em Saurimo, Lunda Sul a 31 de Março de 1994. Frequentou os estudos primários e secundários na mesma cidade, onde actualmente frequenta o curso de Gestão de Recurso Humanos, no Instituto Superior Politécnico Lusíada da Lunda Sul e exerce a função de repórter na empresa Arte Visual Lda. Para além de coordenador do Secretariado Arquidiocesano da Juventude, na Arquidiocese de Saurimo. É membro do núcleo Lev’Arte Lunda Sul, onde descobre a veia poética e participou da primeira Antologia do núcleo, intitulada As sementes do Nordeste. Conta apenas com obras em prelo.

Bismarck Mimi Brako: I am originally from Ghana. In the last 18 years, I have lived in the United States of America. After taking off from my teaching career to raise my children, I decided to work on some writing (something that I have always been passionate about). I plan on publishing an anthology in the next year. The premise of my anthology is nostalgia. It captures various themes, events, foods, and memories of things that I remember as a child in Ghana. The 3 poems in this anthology are samples from the collection.

Botha Ernestu: I am a 20 year-old aspiring poet from South Africa, Richards Bay. I have been writing poetry since I was very young and write in my two home languages Afrikaans and English.

Canhanga Mohamed, Mociano dos Santos, nasceu em Luanda, em Junho de 1997. Filho do jornalista e escritor Luciano (Soberano) Canhanga, cedo foi influenciado para Letras e Ciências Sociais, mas é na Arquitectura, outra arte, que mais se revê, frequentando o II ano da Licenciatura em Urbanismo e Paisagismo. O gosto pela composição textual já leva tempo. Porém, a queda para o texto conotativo é recente e encontra nos livros escritos e outros colecionados pelo pai a fonte de conhecimento artístico, lendo desde Saramago a Pepetela. A observação, sempre presente entre os artistas da palavra, dá força aos seus textos que descrevem vivências, sentimentos e anseios.

Canhanga Soberano nasceu no Libolo, Angola, em 1976. Licenciado em Comunicação Social e mestrando em Ciências Empresariais. Trabalhou em diversos media nacionais e estrangeiros. Leccionou na Universidade Lweji A Nkonde e no Instituto Superior Politécnico Lusíada da Lunda Sul. Foi assessor de comunicação da diamantífera Catoca e dirige o Gabinete de Recursos Humanos do Ministério da Geologia e Minas.Publicou: O Sonho de Kaúia (romance-2010), Manongo-Nongo (contos-2012), 10encantos (poesia -2013), O Relógio do Velho Trinta (romance-2014), O coleccionador de pirilampos (Contos-2014) e Canções ao vento (poesia 2015). No prelo: Amor sem Pudor" (poesia).

Cassoma Cláudia is an emerging writer from Luanda, the capital of Angola. Her passion for writing has followed her since her early seasons, being ameliorated each day. Besides the act of creating written works, Cláudia devotes her life to social work deeply believing in a better world.

Chafaki Fayssal is a Moroccan Arab poet, whose poetic style still preserves the norms and conventions of Classical Poetry in Arabic, English, Russian, and Spanish, in form and content, but delivers conventionally and conveys faithfully modern and contemporary messages to a multi-cultural literary audience. Fayssal Chafaki is a simple farmer, poet, and writer, and lives now in the Western country-side of the Kingdom of Morocco, where he has devoted himself to revive poetry and literature which, seemingly, have ceased to play their important and great universal role.

Chambule Márcia Rosel, de nacionalidade Moçambicana, Nascida a 10 de Setembro de 1994, escreve poemas desde os 12 anos.

Tem feito declamações dos seus poemas em vários saraus que tem acontecido na cidade e província de Maputo.

Charles Tembi is a Zimbabwean-born writer and poet who has recently attained a Masters Degree in English Studies from Stellenbosch University, South Africa, where she currently resides.

Chikowore Handsen: I am a poet who writes to inform, entertain and engage. I believe in the power of words to draw attention and also to incite deep thinking. I like poetry and believe that poems are good therapy. I have been published in a few magazines and read my poems at events.

Chikowore Tafadzwa: After completing my A Level studies, I started writing poems. Poetry helps me to express my feelings in a unique and exciting way. I also use poems as tools for informing people. I was inspired to write poems by my uncle Handsen who is an established poet.

Chilaule Virgílio Henrique, nascido a 15 de Dezembro de 1990 em Maputo, fez o Curso de Psiquiatria e Saúde Mental. Actualmente trabalha como Técnico de Psiquiatria e Saúde Mental. Iniciou sua careira na poesia em 2009, fazendo parte de um grupo cultural chamado aldeia literária, do qual nasceu uma antologia poética, com a participação dos seus 3 poemas com títulos: Rio Incomáti, O preço do Saber e Casar-te-ei. Desde então, tem pulicado em jornais, dando como menção o jornal Xitende e tem participado em várias obras literárias, tendo seu textos publicados em antologias internacionais tais como Galiza-Moçambique Numa Linguagem e Numa Sinfonia e Caravelas em Viagem editadas em suiça.

Chipandambira Phumulani was born in Mhondoro Ngezi, he currently stays with his family in Norton (Zimbabwe). He is a freelance writer who likes reading and writing poems and short stories.

Chirasha Mbizo was born in Zvishavane district in 1978. He is an internationally acclaimed performance poet, writer and creative projects facilitator and live literature producer. In 2003 he was the New Generation Poetry Delegate at The Gothenburg International Book Fair, Nordic African Institute Writers Seminar, and Swedish Writers Union reading night in Sweden. He co-authored a poetry anthology titled, Whispering Woes of Ganges and Zambezi with Sweta Vikram, an Indian born-New York based poet.

Chumo Gideon (Mr. Roundsquare) is a dark humour monger, tramedist, and fictioneer of maximalist prose, poetry and short story. He studied English Language, Linguistics and Literature in college, and taught for long in the Horn of Africa before retiring back home to HR practice. You can catch up with him @Chumolet or in http://www.myroundsquare.blogspot.com and http://www.abortedpoet.wordpress.com

Coates Christine is a poet and writer from Cape Town. She has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Cape Town. Her poems and stories have been published in various literary journals. Her debut collection Homegrown, published in 2014, by Modjaji Books, received an honourable mention from the Glenna Luschei Prize. Her poems have been selected for the EU Sol Plaatje Poetry anthologies every year since inception: 2011 – 2016, and Best New African Poets 2015 Anthology.

Correia Cátia Regina, 26 anos, nascida e residente no Rio de Janeiro (Brasil) região da Baixada fluminense, mulher preta, nascida em diáspora, que busco constantemente referências e inspiração (de vida e poesia) em reminiscências africanas, que acabam se misturando, supostamente com essa tal brasilidade. Estudante de Letras na Universidade Federal rural do Rio de Janeiro Integrante de grupos de luta e resistência da juventude negra local, desenvolvo o tom de alguns versos, nos amores, lutas, angustias, e achismos de quem transita por discursos e vozes múltiplas dentro de minha (pseudo) realidade.

David Stephen Temitope is a Nigerian poet currently studying for a Ph.D in South Africa. His poems explore the quotidian experiences of Africans.

Dlamini Ndumiso: I am a 20 years old. My writing journey started at the age of 15 when I was visiting a psychologist that my school had recommended I go see, since I was being a very troublesome teen. In the doctor’s waiting room, I picked up a book by Khalil Gibran, a compilation of his poetry and some of his short stories. Immediately I was taken up and since then, I have been writing and writing.

His poetry is famed for its Pan-African eloquence and profundity, therefore Dzonze Edward is a Zimbabwean born writer who appreciates life with a poetic bias, spoken word artist NRS, Edward has 2 poetry collections to his name, Many Truths Told at Once (Royalty Publishing USA, 2015) and Wisdom Speaks (Royalty Publishing USA, 2016). Co-editor of Zimbolicious Poetry Anthology

Domingos Magno, António D. S. Domingos de nome completo, 39 anos de idade. Estudante universitário de economia e gestão. Vivo em Luanda para onde me mudei com a família no tempo de guerra, sou da Gabela, kwanza Sul. Pai, filho, activista cívico e acérrimo defensor dos direitos humanos o que me condena a ser um eterno poeta da vida.

Armel Fernand Mbida Ebo’o est né le 19 mars 1981 au Cameroun. Il a découvert la poésie grâce aux écrivains français Victor Hugo et Baudelaire, ainsi qu’à travers l’écrivain espagnol Federico García Lorca. Il a étudié le Commerce International ce qui lui a permis de connaître d’autres cultures. Pour écrire, il s’inspire de l’histoire des villages dominés par les nations impérialistes. Il se définit lui-même comme amoureux des gens et de la nature.

Ezeigwe Kelechi is a queer feminist and poet. He has been published in anthologies and journals, including The Muse Journal, reputed to be the longest surviving student journal in West Africa (since 1963). He has won the first prize for poetry at The Muse Literary Arts festival 2015, and won the third prize for the same category the following year, 2016. His work was published in the Best New African Poets 2015 Anthology edited by Tendai R.Mwanaka and Daniel da Purifacacao. He believes in Individualism.

Farinha Ismael, poeta, declamador, escritor e contabilista, nasceu em Angola província de Luanda aos 27.08.1981. Começou a escrever poesia por influência do movimento Hip Hop (RAP) foi a sua primeira manifestação artística, tem participado em declamações de poesia em Luanda nas actividades culturais, é membro no movimento Lev´Arte, Chá de Caxinde.

Participou em algumas antologias, em Angola e Brasil.

Fernandes Joel: Escritor e poeta estudante do curso de engenharia informática pela universidade. Técnica de Angola utanga nasceu em luanda aos, 07, 10, 1981 no município do cazenga

Fernando Evaristo de 22 anos, escrevo a 4 anos. Meu gosto pela escrita começa na altura em que transito para o segundo ciclo do ensino secundário e porque química era a das piores disciplinas para mim decido seguir as letras e lá tive oportunidade de estudar a literatura e a arte de escrever entrou em mim. Sou vencedor do concurso desenha-me a tua liberdade da CCFM/ICMA (Centro Cultural Franca Moçambique/ Instituto Cultural Alemanha Moçambique) e de mais concursos. Meu maior foco é a poesia e contos.

Cris Poetisa é o pseudônimo de Ferreira Cristina, nascida aos 23 de Abril de 1975 na Província de Cabinda/Angola, onde cresceu e viveu muitos anos. Tem 4 meninas que são a sua maior alegria. Tem uma grande paixão pela escrita desde os tempos de adolescência e é através desta linda arte que é a poesia que consegue exprimir todos os seus sentimentos. Participei em uma Antologia denominada Elos-No Verso.Também é uma apaixonada pela estética.

Garcia Antonio has served in the SA Army as an officer and senior officer for 16 years. His experience includes two UN deployments in the DRC and in Sudan as well as various national and regional deployments. Among several degrees he holds an MA in History (Cum Laude), Garcia writes and researches on topics ranging from the First World War, Anglo-Boer War, Korean War, military geography, Peacekeeping and future war. Furthermore, the author teaches as an adjunct lecturer at Unisa and will be a visiting scholar at Columbia University during 2017.

George Abigail is a South African diarist, writer and poet, aspirant young adult novelist and playwright. Her prose Wash Away My Sins was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She has received grants from ECPACC, the National Arts Council in Johannesburg, and the Centre for the Book in Cape Town.

Gombera Charmaine: I champion the defending of human rights driven by the strong desire and thirsty to be free mentally, socially, and economically. Poetry uncoils the umbilical cords of being dependent and oils the spheres of freedom. A pen is sharp razor to bring freedom.

Sheril Guzha is a 24 year old Zimbabwean writer who can sweep you off your feet, take you down memory lane and back to the present, all the way to endless imaginations of what the future holds with passion inked on paper. She is an enthusiastic writer who is driven by the whole spectrum of emotions, from hurt, pain, melancholy and despair to hope, joy and love

Al Hassanein Rana: Rana is a young revolutionary female with a cutting gift for writing. Daughter of an Egyptian writer. She does not hesitate to express herself and she often does not care about political correctness. She breaks the clichés about the Egyptian women or about religion in Muslim countries. Rana was awarded in HAMSA annual Dream deferred essay contest. Lately, she contributed with a collective of her writings in Graffiti Baladi book project that was published in France by Omniscience Editions., a BNAP 2015 contributor!

Hayward Michelle: I am a 24 year old female living in Cape Town. I have travelled all over Africa – Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Swaziland, Tanzania and Egypt. Besides travelling, I also love kite surfing and of course I love reading and writing poetry but I have never had a poem published.

Hurley Niall: In a country where it’s easy to hold on to old hangups, Niall seeks to add something new to the conversation. Previously he’s done so as a teacher, blogger and advertising copywriter. But he believes nothing can be more powerful than sharing South Africa’s new narrative than poetry and prose.

Ibrahim Nureni was born in Lagos, Nigeria. He is an essayist, poet, analyst, playwright and activist. His poems have been published (and sent for publication) both in local and international journals and magazines.

My name is Agu Raphael Gift Ihuoma. I am from Abia State, Nigeria. I am 19 years old. I am a student and a young writer.

Ijalusi Tola is a Nigerian poet and writer who writes from Ibadan and whose works have appeared on various online Literary Journals and Magazines such as PAROUSIA Magazine, PIN Quarterly Journal, Bravearts Magazine, Kalahari Review, Kreative Diadem, Duane’s Poe Tree, WRR, The Poet Community etc

Jaison Lisa is budding poet and writer born and raised in the city of Gweru in Zimbabwe. She studied at the Midlands State University before relocating to SA. She has also been active in writing social development proposals for RathoAfrica, an NGO she founded in 2016 to focus on programs that advance gender equality and conduct social research on social and humanitarian issues.

Jorge Augusta é uma jovem angolana que nasceu a 10 de Maio de 1995, no Huambo, mas residente em Saurimo, onde frequentou os seus estudos primários e secundários em Saurimo, Lunda Sul. Cidade em que frequenta actualmente o 2º ano do Curso de Geologia na Escola Superior Politécnica da Lunda Sul, afecta a Universidade Lueji A’nkonde. Apesar de não ter nenhuma obra publicada, reúne já alguns inscritos e é membro do Núcleo Le’Arte Lunda Sul. É actriz e também intérprete de surdos.

Juma Brenda is a Kenyan Poet, Stage and Screenwriter, Actress and a Filmmaker and a Graduate of Theatre Arts and Film Technology from Kenyatta University. She derives her passion from any form of art be it Literary, Performing or Visual Arts. Her works revolve around social, political and economic commentaries.

Kapp Beula, born in the city of Johannesburg, matriculated from the school Noordelig, where after working mostly in sales, discovered the love of teaching. Currently resides in Jozi enjoying teaching; loves writing, reading and making jewelry.

Khoza Tralone Lindiwe holds a BA Communications degree from the University of Johannesburg (RAU) and a Post graduate Diploma in Marketing. She is a qualified Marketing Specialist. She regularly writes for All4Women and Bizcommunity in South Africa and internationally her work includes writing for MUMRU a United Kingdom’s online magazine for single mothers, as well as for a South Australian Woman’s Fashion Magazine.

Kudyahakudadirwe Christopher ‘Voice’ is a Zimbabwean freelance writer, poet and teacher living and working in South Africa. He holds a Masters of Creative Writing from the University of the Western Cape. His short stories appear in Ghost-Eater and Other Stories and New Contrast. Two of his poems were recently published in Best New