Wilson Chipangura, Guest Reporter
HARARE – The eighth edition of LitFest Harare, will roar to life on Wednesday 24th November 2021 with a lot of exciting events lined up for four days.
LiFest Harare is “an annual international literature carnival, where writers, academics and readers discuss, critique literature.”
The event has grown bigger and better each year and for this year it will be held under the theme ”healing” and will run from 24-27 November 2021.
Speaking on the choice of this year’s theme, Festival Director, Chirikure Chirikure said the world is in pursuit of healing from different issues that have occurred over the centuries.
“The world is trying to heal. More conversations on dealing with the painful past have been opening up. Some want restitution for colonial plunder and injustice.
“The wrongs of historic, economic and physical genocides that inflicted personal and communal wounds are being called into the light.
“The global pandemic we are still currently grappling with has also brought into sharp focus the need for stronger institutions and common platforms for collaboration on building peace and stability in our world.
“LitFest Harare 2021 seeks to contribute to this pivotal discourse by putting healing, peace building and conflict transformation at the centre of this year’s edition.”
According to a festival program outline sent to RosGwen24, the opening day will be streamed online from Glasgow and Harare via Zoom and Facebook with poetry, music and keynote addresses being the main acts.
The festival will start at 6pm (CAT) with a 30 minutes poetry performance from Edzai Isu Poetry Pot.
Next on the slot is opening music from Chiwoniso Maraire and Chengeto Maraire Brown who have 30 minutes to swing everyone into the festival mood.
Welcome remarks and Introductions are slated for 5 minutes from the two ceremony directors Moonchild Rye and Afropoetiq. Festival Director elder Chirikure Chirikure will then deliver opening remarks from 7:05pm to 7:15pm.
Dr Wale Okediran, secretary general of Pan African Writers Association from Accra, Ghana will offer Solidarity and tribute to Abdulrazak Gurnah on winning the Nobel Prize for Literature.
There will be different poetry performances from 7:25pm to 7:45pm from recorded poetry videos.
The main event of the day will begin at 7:45pm to 8:45pm with a keynote or State of the Story address reserved for Professor Robert Muponde from Wits University in South Africa.
Professor Kizito Muchemwa from Great Zimbabwe University and Memory Chirere (University of Zimbabwe) will be respondents delivering Healing Words and Healing Memory in a Time of Literature.
The meeting will be moderated by Khaya Moyo from Skyz Metro FM in Zimbabwe.
The time between 8:45pm and 9:30 has been reserved for a musical performance from peace concert videos which will act as the closing mark for day one.
Mr Chirikure Chirikure also took time to appreciate both local and international partners of LitFest Harare who have added life to the festival.
“We are grateful to our long standing local and international partners whose support enabled us to put the festival together, besides the challenges the world is going through.
“In particular, we appreciate the support from the UNESCO Desk of the University of Glasgow, the University of Glasgow, and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany.”
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