LONDON - The last Zimbabwean writer to win the Guardian Fiction Prize was the late Dambudzo Marechera in 1979 with his debut novella, The House of Hunger. Switzerland-based fulltime lawyer, Petina Gappah, burst on the literary scene with a collection of short stories, An Elegy of Easterly, and has made the final shortlist of the same prize, to be awarded on December 2 in London.
The other writers who have made the Guardian shortlist include novelists Samantha Harvey for The Wilderness, Eleanor Catton for The Rehearsal, Reif Larsen for The Collected Works of TS Spivet and non-fiction writer Michael Peel for A Swamp Full of Dollars.
Since An Elegy for Easterly was released by Faber and Faber in April, it has been widely praised as a literary gem for its great insight, humour and energy. Gappah has already scooped translation deals in Europe, been short listed for international awards and toured around some of the worlds famous literary festivals.
Gappah is set to attend a festival celebrating African Literature in Oslo, Norway from November 17-19 where she will be launching, Klagesang for Easterly, the Norwegian version of her book. Other notable writers in attendance will include novelist and filmmaker Tsitsi Dangarembga, Orange Prize winner Chimamanda Adichie Ngozi, 2002 Caine Prize winner Binyavanga Wainaina and Niq Mhlongo.
She is currently finishing work on her forthcoming novel, which is also set to be published by Faber and Faber in London as part of the two-book deal she signed with them.
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