Petina Gappah conquers the literary world

international award! Several other women writers have also been doing well and representing the country. Bryony Rheam has done well. Novuyo Rosa Tshuma, who has been on a residence in Europe, just dropped her second novel House of Stones. Valerie Tagwirei and Melissa Tandiwe Myambo have also exhibited serious writing talent. But our writer of the moment has to be none other than Petina Gappah, the lawyer and writer who with her forthcoming fourth novel seem to have finally made it real big!

‘‘I am delighted to say that Livingstone’s bones have found a wonderful new home in New York. After a truly terrific, and terrifying auction involving eight publishers, my novel, OUT OF DARKNESS, SHINING LIGHT will be published by Scribner.’’ She announced this past week on her facebook page to the delight of many of her friends and fans. In her excitement Petina told the world that her deal with Scribner publishers is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars! She talked six figures! And for the uninitiated Scribner is big. They are also Stephen King’s publishers. This alone should give you an idea on how big they are.

I remember some years Petina Gappah refusing to be called an ‘‘African writer’’ saying she was a writer and not interested in labels that will end up confining her. I think she knew her talent was much bigger than some of the labels we rush to give our writers.

In the past we have talked about the Dambudzo Marecheras, Chengerai Hoves and Shimmer Chinodya winning international awards and raising the Zimbabwean flag high. Never have any of our writers struck such a huge deal before. Petina Gappah’s book deal is historic and makes her one of Zimbabwe’s most successful writers, if not the most successful. This fit alone needs to be celebrated as it inspire many writers to continue dreaming big. For many writers who were about to give up on their dreams Petina’s fit tells us that there is still a big market out there for good writing and good stories. It says to many of us keep writing and keep dreaming. And I believe it’s high time our children started reading her books in classrooms. She has earned her stripes and proved beyond any reasonable doubt that she is one of the best, if not the best.

Let me end this piece with the words of Yvonne Vera, another giant writer in her time, she said:

“A woman writer must have an imagination that is plain stubborn, that can invent new gods and banish ineffectual one . . .’’

I think Yvonne Vera was talking about the likes of Petina Gappah.