BY PATIENCE KUTADZAUSHE
Allen Ginsberg, in Ginsberg, A Biography, said: Poetry is not an expression of the party line. It’s that time of night, lying in bed, thinking what you really think, making the private world public, that’s what the poet does.
The same can be said about Nate Gwenambira, who launched his first poetry book titled Are We Sane? on July 31 at his residence in Waterfalls.
Gwenambira, who is an avid reader of literature and political history, is pursuing a career as an independent writer.
“I am a keen observer of the goings on in our societies, so having identified the social realities surrounding us I became more aware of the ills that affect us directly and indirectly. And I felt the need to question our sanity in the face of so much lies and violence and pain, hence the title, Are We Sane?.
“As a people, we have become very comfortable with wearing our darkest insanities with no vestige of shame left. So I thought to myself, why don’t I pose a few uncomfortable questions in light of the status quo? This, therefore, brought the book to life,” said Gwenambira.
Although Are We Sane? is his first poetry collection as an independent writer Gwenambira has published two textbooks under the Secondary Book Press banner.
Due to the Covid-19 regulations, Gwenambira is using social media platforms and digital fliers to engage with his target market.
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“I used the social media to market the launch and it worked. I managed to sell 15 books at the launch alone and that is a good start,” he said.
“I hope to self-publish a second poetry collection and gradually transition into the short story form so that I can diversify my writing.”
Like any other artiste, Gwenambira bemoaned piracy and believes that his book will not be an exception.
“Piracy is a cancer that is eating the fabric of the publishing industry. However, we have put in place measures such as protected e-books to curb the possibility of the book being pirated,” he said.
