By Canisius Mushibwe
Zimbabwean author and filmmaker, known for writing the movie ‘Neria’, has been honoured with a Peace Prize of the German Book Trade.
Tsitsi Dangarembga, 62, was awarded the prize for not only her artistic work, but also her commitment to politics where she has fought for freedom and against corruption for years.
The Peace Prize established in 1950, is one of Germany’s most renowned awards with 25,000 euros attached to it.
German Publishers and Booksellers Association use the award to honour writers who have contributed to the realization of the idea of peace.
“The solution is to undo the racialize and other hierarchical modes of thinking based on demographics such as gender, sex, religion, nationality and class. And any other that were and continue to be the building blocks of empire throughout history and throughout the world,” Dangarembga said in her acceptance speech.
The writer has called for people to overcome old fashioned thought patterns through the help of language.
In some of her novels, the writer has used the example of an adolescent female to describe the struggle women face for the right to a decent life and self-determination in Zimbabwe.
Her first novel, “Nervous Conditions,” published in 1988, was among the BBC’s 100 most important books that have shaped the world in 2018.
Further, the film ‘Neria’ which featured legendary musician Oliver Muthukuzi is one of the most famous stories she has written in Zimbabwe.
Her latest novel ‘This Mournable Body’ was nominated for a Booker Prize in 2020.
Beside her writing and filmmaking, Dangarembga has advocated for freedom, women’s rights and political change in her country
