Tsitsi Dangarembga’s body of work has consistently explored themes of postcolonial identity, gender, and the complexities of Zimbabwean society.
By Abioye Damilare Samson
Zimbabwean writer and filmmaker Tsitsi Dangarembga has been honoured with the Sharjah Lifetime Achievement in Literature Award at the second edition of the Sharjah Festival of African Literature. The award was presented during the opening ceremony on January 14 at Sharjah University City, recognising her decades-long contribution to African literature and her work as a cultural activist addressing issues of colonialism, identity, and education through both writing and filmmaking.
Speaking to Daily Times Online TV after receiving the award, Dangarembga expressed deep appreciation for the honour, describing it as both humbling and motivating. “This award is not just a personal recognition”, she said. “It affirms that African stories matter and that our narratives are being recognised beyond our borders. Festivals like this are crucial for preserving culture and ensuring African voices continue to be heard globally”.
Dangarembga is best known for her Tambudzai Trilogy, which includes Nervous Conditions (winner of the Commonwealth Writers Prize), The Book of Not, and This Mournable Body (shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2020). Her body of work has consistently explored themes of postcolonial identity, gender, and the complexities of Zimbabwean society.
The five-day festival, held under the theme “The African Way”, was opened by Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Book Authority. The event brought together 29 writers—20 from Africa and 9 from the UAE—for panel discussions, poetry readings, children’s workshops, culinary demonstrations, and live performances. Featured writers included British poet Lemn Sissay, Zimbabwean novelist Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu, Rwandan author Scholastique Mukasonga, Nigerian writer Sefi Atta, Tanzanian children’s literature specialist Nahida Esmail, Ugandan speculative fiction writer Dilman Dila, and Nigerian linguist Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún.
This year’s edition placed particular emphasis on literary traditions from Zanzibar, Ethiopia, and South Africa, highlighting the linguistic and cultural diversity of African writing. The festival, which included 20 panel discussions, five poetry evenings, 20 children’s workshops, and 10 culinary sessions alongside book signings and artistic performances, reinforced Sharjah’s role as a platform for cross-cultural literary dialogue and expanded the global presence of African literature through sustained institutional support.