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https://theconversation.com/animal-farm-has-been-translated-into-shona-why-a-group-of-zimbabwean-writers-undertook-the-task-206966>
"Since independence in 1980, Zimbabwe has in some ways become like
Animal
Farm. Like the pigs in the classic 1945 novel by English writer George Orwell,
the country’s post-liberation leaders have hijacked a revolution that was once
rooted in righteous outrage. In Zimbabwe, the revolution was against
colonialism and its practices of extraction and exploitation.
The lead characters in
Animal Farm have the propensity for evil and the greed
for power found in despots throughout history, including former Zimbabwe
president Robert Mugabe. Zimbabwe’s leaders have also acted for personal gain.
They remain in power with no accountability to the suffering of the people they
claim to represent.
Animal Farm’s relevance is echoed in celebrated young Zimbabwean author
NoViolet Bulawayo’s recent novel
Glory. Her satirical take on Zimbabwe’s 2017
coup and the fall of Mugabe is also narrated through animals. And visual artist
Admire Kamudzengerere founded Animal Farm Artist Residency in Chitungwiza as a
space for creative experimentation.
It’s within this context that a group of Zimbabwean writers, led by novelist
and lawyer Petina Gappah and poet Tinashe Muchuri, have translated
Animal
Farm into Shona, the country’s most widely spoken language. A dozen writers
contributed to the translation of
Chimurenga Chemhuka (Animal Revolution)
over five years.
Independent, free and evidence-based.
It’s clear to me, as a scholar of Zimbabwean literature, that too few great
books are available in the country’s indigenous languages. This matters
particularly because there are few bookshops and libraries where young people
can access good writing. But Zimbabwe’s writers are taking matters into their
own hands."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
