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Nhlalwenhle Ngwenya, Showbiz Correspondent
WHEN playwright Thembelihle Moyo showcased her play, I want to Fly, four years ago at Plays on Sunday at Amakhosi Cultural Centre in Bulawayo, little did she know it would be selected alongside six plays from Africa.

The play will be part of a book themed The Contemporary Plays by African Women that will be published next year by internationally acclaimed Methuen Drama on Imprint of Bloomsburg.

I want to Fly is a play about a young girl Yinka played by Qeqeshiwe Mntambo. As a young girl from a rural set up, she has a dream to be a pilot but faces a lot of hurdles as she is oppressed as a woman and the only achievement they have in life is marriage.

Moyo said the selection came to her as wonderful news and shows she is doing something right.

“This is a sign that we are doing the right thing and it’s encouraging to other women writers out there. As long as we continue to get this kind of exposure and continue to interact with the international community, it means that we can achieve a lot,” said Moyo.

She added that a lot of plays that premiere at local theatres end up being shelved, but with such exposure it means the plays are getting a long life span.

“This is an honour for local plays because most of them are showcased at theatres but after that there’s no mention of the play. But in such a situation it means that the plays has been given a long life span as it is now recognised internationally and not only in Zimbabwe,” said Moyo.

Other plays selected for the book include Sara Sawaari, Niqabi Ninja (Egypt), Tosin Tume, Not that Woman (Nigeria), Sophia Mempuh, Bonganyi (Cameroon), JC Niala, Unsettled (Kenya), Adong Judith, Silent Voices (Uganda), and Koleka Putuma, Mbuzeni (South Africa).