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Showbiz Reporter
TWO enthusiastic readers and high school friends have partnered to revive the reading culture through an innovative talk show.

The book review talk show titled, “Feasting on Words Book Show”, a first of its kind in the country, was launched recently on YouTube and Facebook to encourage people to embrace a reading culture in the face of technology.

Memory Mutandwa, a Harare-based lawyer who is also a co-host of the show, said by embracing technology, people would enhance the culture of reading that is irreplaceable in attaining knowledge from books.

“Technology should enhance reading not replace it. Feasting on words talk show aims to influence our audience to read the books we would have reviewed thereby improving the reading culture,” she said.

The programme aims to review books written by Zimbabweans from all walks of life thereby promoting both up-and-coming and established works.

“We’re going to review books written by Zimbabweans and bring to light great works that are out there. The way we enjoy Mills and Boon and Sidney Sheldon among other famous fiction writers is the way we should celebrate our own,” said Sympathy Sibanda-Mazuruse, a gifted voice over artiste, development worker and author.

The first episode of the book reviews was released on social media platforms last week.

A book, “The ties that bind” by Philip Chidavaenzi was reviewed and has been given a warm reception by online viewers.

Local writers as well as those in the diaspora have been invited to get in touch with the show hosts so that their books can be reviewed.

They can get hold of them on the show’s Facebook page. The duo’s manager, Takemore Mazuruse, said they were aiming for the big screen as well as partnering with corporates with this project to reach a greater populace and assist the marginalised to have access to Zimbabwean books.

“This is a noble and innovative initiative which we’re aiming to push to the big screen and not forgetting our social responsibility of making sure children from marginalised areas have access to books.  “We’ll partner with various corporates to achieve this dream,” Mazaruse said.

A research done in 2015 indicates that motivation for reading in Zimbabwe is usually exam oriented and schools have done little to encourage reading for pleasure.

“Through this talk show, we hope to encourage reading for inspiration, entertainment and information.”