A big congratulations to my friend Bongani Ncube-Zikhali, who has won The Intwasa National Short Story Competition 2010. This is wonderful news. The Intwasa Short Story Competition is Zimbabwe's biggest short story competition to date, with entries flowing from all corners of the country and from Zimbabweans beyond. So this is really big and really great.
I have to say, I always knew something like this was coming from Bongani. He is an extremely talented writer and Global Leader. His writing is simply beautiful, and you just have to keep watching the space; there is yet more literary fire from this young man. He is made of really solid intellectual and aggressive material, his resume speaks for itself:
Bongani Ncube-Zikhali
- is a British Council Global Changemaker.
- attended the Africa Youth Summit 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa, and the Harare Youth Summit 2010 in Harare, Zimbabwe
- attended the World Economic Forum on Africa 2010 in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, where he participated in discussions with , amongst others, President Robert Mugabe, Graca Machel, the deputy President of the World Bank & Professor Klaus Schwab.
- visited, upon the invitation of President Armando Guebuza of Mozambique, Mozambique in Aug-Sept 2010 where he was part of a delegation which toured the Mozambican Govt's Youth Development Efforts
- is a contributing writer in the 'Voices of Africa' project for the Mail & Guardian, South Africa
-was published in the 'Echoes of Young Voices I ' & 'Echoes of Young Voices II: Silent Cry' anthologies put together by 'amabooks publishers and sponsored by the British Council
-was published in the Africa Report Aug-Sept 2010 edition
The stuff of a leader wouldn't you say?
I have to say, I always knew something like this was coming from Bongani. He is an extremely talented writer and Global Leader. His writing is simply beautiful, and you just have to keep watching the space; there is yet more literary fire from this young man. He is made of really solid intellectual and aggressive material, his resume speaks for itself:
Bongani Ncube-Zikhali
- is a British Council Global Changemaker.
- attended the Africa Youth Summit 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa, and the Harare Youth Summit 2010 in Harare, Zimbabwe
- attended the World Economic Forum on Africa 2010 in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, where he participated in discussions with , amongst others, President Robert Mugabe, Graca Machel, the deputy President of the World Bank & Professor Klaus Schwab.
- visited, upon the invitation of President Armando Guebuza of Mozambique, Mozambique in Aug-Sept 2010 where he was part of a delegation which toured the Mozambican Govt's Youth Development Efforts
- is a contributing writer in the 'Voices of Africa' project for the Mail & Guardian, South Africa
-was published in the 'Echoes of Young Voices I ' & 'Echoes of Young Voices II: Silent Cry' anthologies put together by 'amabooks publishers and sponsored by the British Council
-was published in the Africa Report Aug-Sept 2010 edition
The stuff of a leader wouldn't you say?
Below is an excerpt of Bongani's winning story, which is entitled 'Purple', and which has been excerpted with the author's permission. A teaser for the readers, enjoy!
But always that image of my home remained in my mind, called out to me in my dreams. The picture of jacaranda blossoms floating down onto the car as we drove on our way from church, of the fountain at Centenary Park shooting jets of water into the air as if daring the heavens with a display of their majesty. The sound of laughter with my friends as we wandered aimlessly through town on the weekend. Images of a past gone by, morning memories of forgotten dreams. Memories that I try to search for as the bus arrives in the City of Kings from Johannesburg. It’s been sixteen hours and not for the first time, I wish I could have afforded the money to fly all the way. But such is life; regret is for those who have the luxury of living in the past.
I can make out the dark shapes of buildings as the bus passes through the dead of night into the city centre. The moon hangs silently in the sky, the only source of light as most of the street lamps are dead; I had been warned but the reality still surprises me. The first hint that my portrait of this half remembered place might not be accurate anymore; that the years have not been kind. We stop at the bus station and collective sighs of relief fill the place as people stand up to leave. I am slower than most, I am in no rush to leave. I know that no one is waiting for me outside, that only the still night air will welcome me home.
Beautiful. Great stuff from Bongani; it can only get better.