For the first years of my life, I went to school in Rhodesia. My memory of living in the townships is that they were actually really happy places. Petina Gappah happylifelive Change image and share on social
Publishing can be a cliquish and incestuous business; it is not uncommon for writers from the same agencies and publishers to review each other. Petina Gappah agencybusinesscliquish Change image and share on social
I don't want to write because I have to; I want to write because I want to. Sometimes, when writers write because they have to, the results are disastrous. Petina Gappah disastrousresultwrite Change image and share on social
I speak English. I dream in it. I cannot separate my English from my Shona; I see the world with those two languages. Petina Gappah dreamenglishlanguage Change image and share on social
Only al-Jazeera is allowed to report from Zimbabwe, but it is unwatchable. Their Zimbabwean reporter Supa Mandiwanzira was one of Zanu-PF's praise-singers at the reviled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation. Petina Gappah allowbroadcastcorporation share on social
I get irritated by the term 'African writer', because it doesn't mean anything to me. Petina Gappah africanirritateterm Change image and share on social
Zimbabwe is an unusual case study in African colonialism in that it was invaded by a private company under Royal Charter. Petina Gappah africancasecharter Change image and share on social
What we are trying to do now, this new generation of African writers, is to write about what it is to be a human being living in a particular African country. These are stories that resonate with anyone, anywhere. Petina Gappah africancountrygeneration share on social
I'm not even sure that I want to go back... The Zimbabwe that I really loved, the Zimbabwe that I grew up in, just isn't there anymore, and I'm not sure about the country that has replaced it. Petina Gappah anymorebackcountry Change image and share on social
These are the kinds of names that Zimbabweans like: names that have positive qualities. Like, Praise is a very popular name; Loveness is a very popular name. Petina Gappah kindlovenessname Change image and share on social
