She started off sending her work to writing contests before she finally handed in her work to a literary agent. Since then she has released four searing titles which are powerful depictions of both Zimbabwe’s past and present. Petina Gappah is a writer and lawyer who was born in Zambia and came of age in Zimbabwe. Today she is one of the countries’ most visible and respected writers. Petina’s prose is sharp, precise, biting, honest and at some moments scary. Her often satirical writing has allowed many readers (especially from her home country) to find some sort of relief through her magnificent tales.

Her first collection of short stories ‘An Elegy of Easterly’ is a powerful exploration of life in Zimbabwe. The collection includes stories of people struggling with insanity, hyperinflation, a woman marries a man with HIV/AIDS while wedding guests look on and a sham funeral for a deceased politician is held at Zimbabwe’s Hero’s Acre. The book is both powerful and paints a very realistic and honest view of Zimbabwe’s socio-political landscape. The book was awarded the Guardian First Book Award in 2009 and remains in print across the world.

Her first novel ‘The Book of Memory’ is the story of an albino woman named Memory who is languishing at Harare’s infamous Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison. Memory is encouraged to write her memories by her defense lawyer. The book tackles issues of prejudice, flaw in legal systems, betrayal and loyalty. Memory comes from the township and finds herself adopted by a Caucasian benefactor who lives in a leafy suburb in Harare. Gappah kept me guessing as I flipped through the pages of the book which has shocking revelations and truly flawed but relatable characters. ‘The Book of Memory’ is indeed powerful book.

‘Rotten Row’ is another collection of short stories mainly focused on Zimbabwe’s legal system. The stories range from a falling out between in-laws just before a wedding ceremony, a man contemplating leaking nude pictures of his model girlfriend, a Caucasian child from the UK finds himself growing up in one of Zimbabwe’s townships and a host of many other intriguing tales from the land of Zimbabwe. While ‘An Elegy’ was more of Zimbabwe’s yesteryear, ‘Rotten Row’ is a more modern retelling of the lives of Zimbabweans. 

Her latest novel titled ‘Out of Darkness, Shining Light’ took over a decade of research and was published in 2019. The novel focuses on the group of men who transport David Livingston’s body to present day Kenya following his death. The book was nominated for an NAACP Award in the United States and won a NAMA (National Arts Merit Award) for ‘Outstanding fiction in Zimbabwe. 

Gappah’s talent has extended beyond the pages of her acclaimed books, she is also a playwright who has written plays such as ‘Rotten Row’ that enjoyed staging in Harare. Her short story ‘Something Nice From London’ was adapted into a film in which Gappah served as its writer; the film starred popular Zimbabwean actor and Big Brother Africa contestant Munyaradzi Chidzonga. Gappah and poet Tinashe Muchuri translated the iconic George Orwell novel “Animal Farm” into ChiShona. In 2017 she was awarded the DAAD Artist-in-residence in Berlin and in 2016 she was named ‘African Literary Person of the Year’ by Brittle Paper Magazine. She holds law degrees from the University of Zimbabwe, the University of Cambridge and the University of Graz and she wrote the insightful introduction to the coffee table book ‘Great Zimbabwean.’ Gappah is not only a literary giant in the nation but also a cultural phenomenon who’s unique work has brought a fresh perspective to African literature.