Chenjerai Hove
Chenjerai Hove was a world renowned Zimbabwean writer.
Background:
Chenjerai Hove was born the son of a chief in Zvishavane, in the Midlands Province of Zimbabwe. After high school he became a teacher and later worked as a journalist in the then Rhodesia and it was during this period that he began work on his first poetry anthology ( And Now The Poet Speaks ).
He is regarded as one of the best writers to have come out of Zimbabwe. He wrote and published numerous novels, poetry anthologies and collections of essays and reflections and was awarded with numerous awards and honours throughout his writing career. He died in Norway on the 12th July 2015, at the time of his death he was penning some new work which will be published posthumously.
Chenjerai Hoves publications include the following:
- And Now the Poets Speak (co-editor; poetry), 1981
- Up In Arms (poetry), 1982
- Red Hills of Home (poetry), 1984
- Bones (novel), 1988
- Shadows (novel), 1991
- Shebeen Tales: Messages from Harare (journalistic essays), 1994
- Rainbows in the Dust (poetry), 1997
- Guardians of the Soil, 1997
- Ancestors (novel), 1997
- Desperately Seeking Europe (co-author; essays on European identity), 2003
- Palaver Finish, essays on politics and life in Zimbabwe, 2003
- Blind Moon (poetry), 2004
- The Keys of Rambo, 2004
Honours and Awards :
- Special Commendations for the Noma Award for Publishing in Africa, for Up in Arms, 1983
- Inaugural President, Zimbabwe Writers Union, 1984
- Winner, Zimbabwe Literary Award, for Bones, 1988
- Winner, Noma Award for Publishing In Africa, for Bones, 1989
- Founding Board Member, Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (Zimrights), 1990
- Writer-in-Residence, University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe, 1991-94
- Visiting Professor, Lewis and Clark College, Portland, Oregon, USA, 1994
- Guest Writer, Yorkshire and Humberside Arts and Leeds University, UK, 1995
- Guest Writer, Heinrich Böll Foundation, Germany, 1996
- Second Prize, Zimbabwe Literary Award, for Ancestors, 1998
- German-Africa Prize for literary contribution to freedom of expression, 2001
- International Writers Project Fellow, Brown University, 2007-08
