If I truly had the courage of my convictions, I would be a full-blown comic novelist. Petina Gappah blowcomicconviction Change image and share on social
Ian Smith thought his Rhodesia would last 1,000 years: it lasted less than 15. Petina Gappah 000ianlast Change image and share on social
People always ask me how I manage to find humor in so much bleakness. I think this is almost a necessary skill to have. Petina Gappah bleaknessfindhumor Change image and share on social
It was one of those early mid-life crises, really. I started asking myself, 'What is it that I want from my life?' This question kept haunting me: 'Do I want to be a lawyer who always wanted to be a writer, or do I actually want to be a writer? Petina Gappah crisisearlyhaunt share on social
The struggle for Zimbabwe lit up the imagination of people around the world. In London, New York, Accra and Lagos, bell-bottomed men and women with big hair and towering platform shoes sang the dream of Zimbabwe in the words of the eponymous song by Bob Marley: Every man has the right to decide his own destiny. Petina Gappah accrabellbig share on social
I wonder why people commit crimes that are premeditated - to gain love, because of hatred, or for financial reasons. Petina Gappah commitcrimefinancial Change image and share on social
I was one of the first six black kids to integrate a formerly all-white school. I remember being looked at all the time and people laughing at my hair. I was also very self-conscious about the food I had for lunch. I had egg sandwiches, and the other mothers gave kids fancy stuff like bologna and Marmite. It took about a year to settle in. Petina Gappah blackbolognaconscious share on social
A novelist, poet and playwright who writes equally well in Shona and English, Charles Mungoshi is Zimbabwe's finest and most versatile writer. His life project has been to interrogate the notion of family. Petina Gappah charleenglishequally share on social
My grandfather was a polygamous man, and he had two wives, and between him and his two wives, we are about 200 or so in our family. Petina Gappah familygrandfatherman Change image and share on social
'Authentic' is one of my least favourite words because in such a diverse country, whose authenticity are you talking about? Petina Gappah authenticauthenticitycountry Change image and share on social