James Kilgore, author of We are all Zimbabweans now (Oct 25-Nov 6)

Please welcome James Kilgore, author of We are all Zimbabweans now. James will be chatting on LibraryThing until November 6th.

We Are All Zimbabweans Now tells the story of young American researcher Ben Dabney who goes to Zimbabwe in the early 1980s, right after independence. Ben reveres Robert Mugabe as the “African Gandhi” and believes Zimbabwe’s policy of racial reconciliation will set a model for the world. Gradually his illusions disintegrate and he must confront his own conceptions about history and its heroes. I wrote the novel from prison in California, drawing on my 20 years living and working in the southern African region. I hope it presents some of the historical roots of the present chaos and conflict in the country.
The story is not autobiographical but includes many things which I experienced during my years in Harare (1982-91). I think of the novel as part political thriller, part historical work. I have tried to provide enough background on Zimbabwean history so that a reader need not be familiar with Mugabe and Zimbabwe to follow and enjoy the story. I look forward to any comments or questions people from Library Thing may present.

Congratulations on the publication of your book, James. I visited Zimbabwe two years ago and have followed their plight since, communicating with various guides we had during our safari. It is a colossal waste of humanity, not to mention land, resources, etc.

The author proceeds from my novel 24 Bones will be donated to various agencies in Zimbabwe.

I know Mugabe was once seen as a savior of a people, and perhaps he once was, but he has changed, and I really hope he will soon move on.

I'll look for your novel.

MFS

My novel tries to show that Zimbabwe is not simply the "basket case" portrayed in the media today, that a number of positive changes took place in the 80s, but at the same time there were parallel issues unfolding. My point is that the present outcome was not inevitable but is the result of the interplay of a number of forces domestic, regional and global. Hopefully, I've managed to show this in the content of a story which is more than a series of rhetorical outbursts. I'll check out your 24 Bones. I hope the agencies to which youy donate your money are able to do some good.

Hello James - I'm glad to see there has been something of a resurgence of interest in your book. Since the Q&A appeared in the Sunday Times quite a lot of people have asked me about it.

I've just finished a frightening Roman a Clef called The Tall Assassin by Alan D Elsdon about political assassinations in South Africa. Give it a read if you can - I'll be interested to hear what you think. I'll be reviewing it for the Weekender at some stage.

Cheers,

Aubrey

Thanks for the lead, Aubrey. I'll put it on my wish list. I'm doing research for a post-1994 South Africa novel now so that's capturing most of my reading energy. Does the tall assassin deal with recent assassinations as in the 1990s/2000s or does it focus earlier?

Earlier - except for the theologian Johan Heyns and Chris Hani. Some grand novels coming out now; please keep me posted on the progress of your latest work. I'm curious to see your take on post-apartheid South Africa.

You can imagine that it won't be a praise poem to the miracle of democracy but I'll work hard to avoid a screed. That's the joy of writing fiction--you can capture the complexities of an historical period as they are experienced within the life of an individual. Other history can do this as well, but the majority of the non-fiction on post-apartheid takes a more macro approach or deals with one aspect of the situation (e.g. HIV/AIDS, gender, labour, etc.) Zakes Mda in Heart of Redness does try to insert the macro view into the story. It's not quite Achebe or Ngugi but I like it. You may know other works as you're much closer to the source than I am.