Displacement and survival

nce will concentrate on the topical theme of displacement and survival – both in Zimbabwe itself and in the diaspora.

The year 2006 marks a quarter-century of BZS, a non-partisan, non-profit organisation founded in the wake of independence by Guy Clutton Brock, Terence Ranger and others in order to promote good relations and understanding between the peoples of Zimbabwe and Britain. This year’s conference will seek to ask questions related to the recent population movements that have affected the lives of so many Zimbabweans.

Among the participants will be James Muzondidya of Cape Town University and Canada-based Blair Rutherford, who will speak about the lives of the mukwerekwere – members of the Zimbabwean diaspora in South Africa. Zimbabwean residents Bill Kinsey and Tony Reeler will give presentations related to the histories and consequences of recent government ‘urban cleansing’ in Zimbabwe, and the award-wining author Brian Chikawava will read from his novel-in-progress – The Steak and Porridge Manifesto. – For more information, contact JoAnn McGregor (j.mcgregor@reading.ac.uk) or Ranka Primorac (rankaprimorac@aol.com).