Bulawayo writer Chioniso Tsikisayi just snagged first place at the Harare Review of Books Zimbabwe Speculative Poetry Competition with her piece Alternative Transport, even though she admitted dystopian sci-fi stuff isn't really her lane. The judges went wild over how she mixed Zimbabwean folklore with futuristic themes, and one of them said the technical execution felt like reading an actual song while getting transported through local streets.
Tsikisayi walked away with a hundred bucks plus signed copies of poetry collections, and this win stacks onto her already ridiculous resume that includes getting nominated for a National Arts Merit Award. She performs at international festivals across Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, and her experimental films have screened in California.
Second place went to Hebe R Manyepxa for a poem called Zvapera Mumunyu, while Nyika Reloaded x Tapiwa Constance grabbed third with their entry Nyika Reloaded.
Tsikisayi walked away with a hundred bucks plus signed copies of poetry collections, and this win stacks onto her already ridiculous resume that includes getting nominated for a National Arts Merit Award. She performs at international festivals across Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, and her experimental films have screened in California.
Second place went to Hebe R Manyepxa for a poem called Zvapera Mumunyu, while Nyika Reloaded x Tapiwa Constance grabbed third with their entry Nyika Reloaded.
