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Mbulelo Mpofu, Showbiz Reporter

INTWASA Arts Festival koBulawayo director Raisedon Baya has revealed that this year’s Intwasa Short Story competition attracted 115 entries with the bulk of them from Bulawayo and Harare.

“Majority of the entries are from Bulawayo and Harare. There are also entries from Beitbridge, Gwanda, Dete, Chivhu, Plumtree, Ruwa, Kwekwe, Gweru, Marondera and other places. The long list (20) will be announced in 2023,” said Baya.

The shortlisted 20 stories will be published in an anthology supported by The Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA).

Last year’s winners were Zibusiso Mpofu for Culo and The Witch, Tinashe Chipenyu for The Neighbour, The Man; Chiwoniso Tsikisai for Simbisai Maoko, Ryan McEnery Timothy for Do Not Let My Brother Suffer and the top of the cream being Kudzai Mhangwa for Greta’s Year Away.

Mhangwa pocketed US$350 while Tinashe Chipenyu walked away with US$250. Simbisai Maoko got US$150 while Zibusiso Mpofu became US$100 richer and Ryan McEnery Timothy was given US$50 in cash.

The competition is an annual literary event seeking to promote original creative writing talent in English. The competition also seeks to promote Zimbabwean narratives from Zimbabwean writers be they in Zimbabwe or living in the diaspora.

– @eMKlass_49