Böcker av Tsitsi Nomsa Ngwenya

'The Fifty Rand Note is a collection of stories about multiple levels of consciousness from home, diaspora, the self to the collective, all being drawn from a society going through painful motions of change. Is it possible to steal a whole fifty rand note on a kombi and not return change? Is it possible for anybody to lose their source of livelihood and remain sane? What do you do when your city is fast becoming worse than the village? Is it possible to silence the whole village as you insist...? "Let me tell you"... Tsitsi's stories bring the reader closer to the acidic narratives of the likes of Dambudzo Marechera and Ayi Kwei Armah. This book will surely twist your neck until you see your heels.' Memory Chirere, University of Zimbabwe'After reading Tsitsi Nomsa Ngwenya's collection of short stories I came away decidedly entertained. And it also felt like I had been under a microscope being scrutinised. No doubt that was because Ngwenya is a stickler for detail and writes so evocatively as to create a verbal collage of experiences. The Fifty-Rand Note is a very good read and I recommend it without reservation.'David Mungoshi, author of The Fading Sun and Live Like an Artist 'The Fifty-Rand Note is not only a collection of hilarious, well packaged stories but a very philosophical work of art with cross- cutting themes of everyday life from politics, crime, religion, culture, marriage and migration to poverty and the very idea of good life. Tsitsi artistically and wittingly presents these rather serious matters in a very captivating and absolutely fantastic piece.' Professor Prudence Maqhawe Khumalo

Portrait of EmlanjeniPortrait of Emlanjeni tells an enthralling story of the inhabitants of a small, remote village in Matebeleland South where the rains will not come, and modernity lays waste to the landscape. While primarily driven by the pregnancy of Zanele and the rape of Khethiwe, there is much more to this story. At its core, it is a vivisection of humanity, a detailed examination and graphic portrayal of the nuances of society. Tsitsi Nomsa Ngwenya callously explores the fallibility of individuals, but she also celebrates the victories that come when people work together with a common interest, be it a village performing a rain dance ceremony or a group of young girls banding together in sisterhood against the fervid savagery of sexual abuse.PRAISE FOR TSITSI NOMSA NGWENYAIn Portrait of Emlanjeni, Tsitsi Nomsa Ngwenya weaves a story that is both gripping and intriguing as well as rich in the sounds and sights of an idyllic Zimbabwe that may be waning. The characters in this narrative are endearingly rustic and appealing, yet complex by degrees. In some ways, the universe that Ngwenya creates in this novel is richly pastoral and vividly graphic. It makes the romantic want to lament, "Cry our beloved Culture." Ngwenya grapples with the challenges of being a woman in a largely patriarchal society and engages in a near-mortal struggle against the vicissitudes of a modern, but hostile world in which the sensitivities of a conquered people are callously trodden upon. I recommend Portrait of Emlanjeni for bookshelves in every home. David Mungoshi, author of The Fading Sun and Live Like an Artist. Portrait of Emlanjeni is a narrative that guides the reader on a tour that captures a Zimbabwean landscape and its people. The narrative reminds the reader that somewhere in this country, there are forms of life that are not only charmingly pastoral but are also being lost in our struggle against the vagaries of modern life, struggles that also tramp upon the sensitivities that make us human. Tsitsi demonstrates a keen awareness of the humanness of her characters, making this novel a must-read for those who want to find themselves. Tanaka Chidora, author of Because Sadness is Beautiful?