Ihram Writivism Laureate Speaks to Writer and Human Rights Activist Talent Madhuku

MC: Who is Talent Madhuku and what is he doing currently?
Talent Madhuku: I am a young man ( I have recently celebrated my 33rd birthday) who lives in a small town called Mvuma, which is located in the Midlands province of Zimbabwe, along the Harare-Masvingo highway. I am self employed.

MC: How long have you been writing?
Talent Madhuku: It’s hard to say. I remember in my early twenties running out of books to read, I had no data to access literary journals online, and I remember writing a story that day. I however became serious about it five years ago, when I started submitting some of my short stories to literary journals.

MC: Where are your writings published, list the publications?
Talent Madhuku: My poems and short stories have been published in The Manchester Review, Brittle paper, Idle Ink, The African Writer Magazine, Kalahari Review and Impspired.

MC: How are writers, poets and artists treated in your country?
Talent Madhuku: I feel that there’s an atmosphere of distrust between the authorities and writers, poets and artists. And regrettably, this sometimes becomes full blown hostile, forcing some writers, poets and artists to flee the country. In Zimbabwe writers, poets and artists usually face constraints if their work is viewed as being critical of the state. A recent example is the violent disruption of Job Sikhala's book launch in Masvingo.
I also feel that writers and poets are overlooked and misunderstood, especially in small towns and rural communities. The culture of reading is declining among young people. This is, I think, because not much is being done to highlight the importance of writers and poets. Unlike in other countries, I am yet to hear of a major road, an airport or any major infrastructure being named after a writer or poet in any of the cities and towns of Zimbabwe. I feel that writing , despite the strength and bravery it requires, is not seen as a form of heroism in my country. Where I live, people actually laugh when they see me going to the forest to write, they see no value in writing.

MC: How many writers’ organisations are currently operating  in  Zimbabwe?
Talent Madhuku: This is a difficult question. I’m not sure of the number. There are writer organisations in Zimbabwe. Many of them are based in the country’s two major cities, Harare and Bulawayo. I know of the Zimbabwe Writers Association, International Human Rights Art Movement, Zimbabwe women Writers, Bulawayo book club, Harare book club and the Zimbabwe Poets for Human Rights.

MC: How many books have you written so far?
Talent Madhuku: I have written two novels, In the beyond, published by Mwanaka Media and publishing, and Story of an illegal miner, which is yet to be published.

MC: Have you won any writers, poetry and book prizes?
Talent Madhuku: I have submitted to a few competitions but none of my submissions have been successful.

MC: In your writings are you touching on gender and social justice issues?
Talent Madhuku: As a writer my work is inspired by what happens around me, so consequently, the themes of gender and social justice find their way into my work. I do touch on these issues in my short story, standing on the doorway which is published in Impspired Magazine volume fourteen print edition and in my unpublished novel, story of an illegal miner.

MC: How do you respect  freedom of speech or expression in your country?
Talent Madhuku: By expressing my ideas and views in my work, and by respecting the views of others. The issue of freedom of speech is topical in my country. In its context, I feel that the importance of writers, poets and artists cannot be overemphasized. For the past four and half decades, history has shown that despite the dangers they face, writers, poets and artists have been the foremost proponents of freedom of speech in my country.

Talent Madhuku is a writer of novels and short stories. He’s from Zimbabwe.