LIVE! The Boundless African Imagination Selam & Hello podcast

9M ago 50:25

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In this engaging live recording from the Littlgig Festival in Lamu, Lilly sits down with the distinguished Tsitsi Dangarembga, one of the Continent's most prolific writers, playwrights, and filmmakers, whose narratives have touched audiences across the world. Tsitsi's interview recounts her mother's profound influence on her life, instilling in her the conviction to harness the intellect and creativity that would lead to an award-winning career. She delves into the creation of her timeless character Tambudzai, an emblem of potential for Zimbabwean girls, and discusses the intricate ties between Tambu's story and the national narrative of the Zimbabwean Liberation Struggle as depicted in her acclaimed novels "Nervous Conditions," "The Book of Not," and "This Mournable Body." Further, Tsitsi reflects on the recognition of her work by the Booker Prize, the importance of political and social engagement, and by whom she most wants her writing to be understood. The conversation also traverses the critical importance of the African creative economy, as Tsitsi underlines the power of the boundless African imagination - a key to sustainable development and cultural empowerment.

Tsitsi's art and courage have been lauded across the world. She has won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, the 2021 PEN International Award for Freedom of Expression, the 2022 Windham-Campbell Literature Prize (fiction) at Yale University and was the 2022-2023 Joy Foundation Fellow at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute. In 2020, "This Mournable Body" was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Tsitsi is the Founder and Director of the Institute of Creative Arts for Progress in Africa Trust.

Lilly's dress is by Katush. Thank you to Georgia Black for the privilege of recording this interview at Littlegig Lamu 2023 ~ asante sana.

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Music Credits: Selam & Hello Jingle by Silas Piper

Production by: Sahihi Africa Productions

109 episodes