Library Weekly

On 7 April 2005, Zimbabwean novelist Yvonne Vera died in Toronto, Canada, at the age of 40. Her first published book was a collection of short stories, 'Why Don't You Carve Other Animals' (1992), which was followed by five novels: 'Nehanda' (1993), 'Without a Name' (1994), 'Under the Tongue' (1996), 'Butterfly Burning' (1998), and 'The Stone Virgins' (2002). Her novels are known for their poetic prose, difficult subject-matter, and their strong women characters, and are firmly rooted in Zimbabwe's difficult past.

Vera was born in Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia, on 19 September 1964. At the age of eight, she worked as a cotton-picker near Hartley. She attended Mzilikazi High School and then taught English literature at Njube High School, both in Bulawayo. In 1987, she immigrated to Canada and she married John Jose, a Canadian teacher whom she had met while he was teaching at Njube. At some point in the late 1980s, Vera was diagnosed as HIV-positive, but never shared this information during her lifetime. At York University, Toronto, she completed an undergraduate degree, a master's and a PhD, and taught literature.

In 1995, Vera returned to Zimbabwe. She became director of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, a gallery that showcases local talent ranging from that of professional artists to school children. Vera resigned in May 2003 because of the withdrawal of government funding, an exodus of local artists and a drop in visitors. In 2004, Vera returned to Canada to seek treatment. She was working on a new novel, 'Obedience', when she died on 7 April 2005 from meningitis.

Vera had won a number of international awards, including the Tucholski prize awarded by Swedish PEN (2004) and the Macmillan writer's prize for Africa, for 'The Stone Virgins' in 2002. She was also the 1997 winner of the Commonwealth writer's prize for best novel, Africa region, for 'Under The Tongue'.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Selected publications

Petal thoughts : Yvonne Vera : a biography / Ericah Gwetai. - Gweru : Mambo Press, 2009

Trauma und Literatur : Das Nicht-Erzählbare erzählen - Assia Djebar und Yvonne Vera / Martina Kopf. - Frankfurt am Main : Brandes & Apsel, 2005

Sign and taboo : perspectives on the poetic fiction of Yvonne Vera / Robert Muponde; Madivavarira (Madivavarir) Taruvinga. - Harare : Weaver Press ; Oxford : James Currey, cop. 2002

The stone virgins / Yvonne Vera. - Harare : Weaver, 2002

Opening spaces : an anthology of contemporary African women's writing  / Yvonne Vera. - Oxford [etc.] : Heinemann [etc.], 1999

Butterfly burning / Yvonne Vera. - Harare : Baobab Books, 1998

Under the tongue / Yvonne Vera. - Harare : Baobab Books ; Claremont : David Philip Publishers, 1996

Images of the West : images of Africa  / Yvonne Vera. - Harare : Baobab Books, 1996

Why don't you carve other animals / Yvonne Vera. - Harare : Baobab Books, 1994

Without a name / Yvonne Vera. - Harare : Baobab Books, 1994

Nehanda / Yvonne Vera. - Harare : Baobab Books, 1993

Yvonne Vera interviewd by Eric Beauchemin

In May 2003, Dr. Vera resigned as director of the National Gallery in Bulawayo. In a wide-ranging interview, she explained to Eric Beauchemin (Radio Netherlands) why she resigned and her sentiments about Zimbabwe's situation.

Timeline of Zimbabwean novelists via DBpedia and Wikidata