Julius Chingono

Julius Sekai Chingono was born in Zimbabwe in 1946. He got his primary education at Mabvuku School, but dropped out of school at the age of 14 and worked as a rock blaster in the mining industry for most of his life.[1] Chingono was inspired to pursue his education to become a writer and attended Nyatsime College.[2] In 1960, at a commemoration at Mabvuku, he met Walter Lambert Muparutsa, former editor of the Literature Bureau, and showed him his poem “My Old Shoe”. According to Muparutsa, a British colonial officer suggested he translate the poem in Shona, reflecting a bias against local writers publishing in English.[3]

Chingono began his career writing for Shona and English magazines. He worked as a cadet reporter with journalists such as Justin Nyoka (later Robert Mugabe's director of information), and wrote poetry along the way.[4] His poetry has been published in several anthologies of Shona poetry such as Nhetembo, Mabvumira eNhetembo, and Gwenyambira between 1968 and 1980. His poetry in English has also been published in several South African and Zimbabwean anthologies: Flags of Love (Mireza yerudo) was published by Gazebo books in 1983; Flag of Rags was published by Quartz Press 1996.[5]

In 2004, he attended the Uncwadi Writer's Conference in Port Elizabeth, South Africa with young writer, Tinashe Mushakavanhu.[6] He was a guest poet at festivals in Rotterdam (Poetry International: 2004), Durban (Time of the Writer: 2006) and Tel Aviv (Sha'ar International Poetry Festival: 2008).[5] Some of his work proved controversial: on 21 March 2009, speaking at an event for World Poetry Day in Bulawayo, Chingono was briefly detained after reading "My uniform", a poem treating police corruption and hunger in Zimbabwe; the poem was said to be offensive.[7][8]

Chingono died on 2 January 2011 at age 65, after a short illness.[9]

• Ruvimbo (play)
• Chipo Changu (novel)
• Flags of Rags (poetry)
• Kazwi (poetry)
• Not Another Day (short stories and poems)
• Together (written with John Eppel)[10]