Efuru to launch debut poetry book
Poet Tanyaradzwa Tiffany Nyikadzino is set to launch her debut poetry collection titled Fading Rainbows on Friday at Moto Republik.
Also known as “Efuru” (Daughter of Heaven), Nyikadzino has over the years bloomed into a profound spoken word artist courtesy of encouragement from friends.
Her work is inspired by personal experiences and those of others.
She uses words to paint a picture of the world as she sees it through the lens of her own eyes.
Fading Rainbows is a series of poems that dwell on how people get hurt. They share the hurt with the reader and also bring awareness to the small and greater things that end people in an unhealthy state of mind. It is the voice of the depressed, the bipolar, the anxious, the sad, and the lonely; speaking out. It’s a book that is aimed at letting the readers know that they are not alone in their feelings. To friends and family, it aims to help them become more aware of the hurt that resides in their loved ones who always seem to be just fine.
Efuru is a Thought For Food (TFF) ambassador, which is a multidisciplinary and global community of change makers in the agri-food space. She is also a Page Poetry Alive Resident.
Some of her poems have appeared in anthologies such as Loud Thoughts, One Poem 2021 Edition as well as the Mwala Anthology.
Efuru performed at the 2021 Sadc Rights Poetry Festival, among others and has had an opportunity to participate at various open mic and school events as well as at the Miss Harare Grand finals in 2019.
Over the past few years, she has opened up to opportunities to grow and explore her talent and has relentlessly pursued her desire to write books.
Speaking to Standard Style Efuru said: “Fading Rainbows is a book that advocates for speaking up. It’s important that we make a culture of speaking out about how we feel, about what we’re going through to those that we trust. It is important that we create a circle of trust worthy individuals in the workspace at home in our creative circles, and also raise awareness about the importance of mental health. We can prevent the adverse effects of drug abuse, suicide, alcohol abuse just to mention a few.”
Stress, loss of income and isolation exacerbated the risk of violence within families during the first stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The book whose theme resonates around mental health, addresses issues to do with depression, anxiety and panic attacks, it is wholly inspired by the spike in domestic violence and abusive relationships brought about by the pandemic. It is a collection that seeks to unite families of people who do not know that they are related emotionally and helps them to realise that they are actually not alone in feeling alone.
“It was a horrible new normal not being able to go out and I found myself rethinking all the things that have happened when I was depressed,” Efuru said.
“I was inspired to write. All the cases of people living in abusive homes especially over Covid-19 lockdown just drove me to speak up.
“I really hope that people start to embrace the need to speak about how they feel.
“Half the time we do not know how we actually feel or what we’re actually going through and sometimes when you start to open up you realise that maybe you need to take a step back from life and slow down on overworking.”