by Panashe Chigumadzi (Author)
What are the right questions to ask when seeking out the spirit of a nation? In November, 2017, the people of Zimbabwe took to the streets in an unprecedented alliance with the military. Their goal, to restore the legacy of Chimurenga, the liberation struggle, and wrest their country back from more than 30 years of Robert Mugabe's rule. In an essay that combines bold reportage, memoir, and critical analysis, Zimbabwean novelist and journalist Panashe Chigumadzi reflects on the "coup that was not a coup," the telling of history and manipulation of time and the ancestral spirts of two women--her own grandmother and Mbuya Nehanda, the grandmother of the nation.
Author Biography
Panashe Chigumadzi was born in Zimbabwe and grew up in South Africa. Her debut novel, Sweet Medicine, won the 2016 K. Sello Duiker Literary Award. She is the founding editor of Vanguard Magazine. Her work has appeared in publications including the Guardian, Die Ziet, and the New York Times. Chigumadzi is currently studying for a PhD at Harvard.