Brilliance of Hope showcases the resilience and hope intrinsic to the Zimbabwean dispersion.
It is an honour to tell you about this wonderful book that I worked on called Brilliance of Hope. This is in my top 5 highlights of 2021. The stories will make you cry, laugh, and everything in-between. Don’t take my word for it, get yourself a copy and find out. The stories in Brilliance of Hope anthology were compiled and edited by Samantha Vazhure, with myself as the assistant editor.
Editor’s note by Samantha Vazhure
As part of my advocacy for the welfare of immigrants, I compiled and edited this anthology of short stories to provide a platform where a crucial element of Zimbabwean history could be recorded. This is also an opportunity for the contributors to amplify their voices globally.
This project, named “Diamond”, is inspired by a gemstone known for its resilience under pressure, and its brilliance based on its ability to reflect light. When light enters a diamond, it is refracted by the diamond’s internal angles, causing the sparkle diamonds are known for. This sparkle represents hope. When two or more diamonds are placed together, a superposition called entanglement, they vibrate at a low frequency only detectable by laser. Spiritually, a diamond represents clarity, promise and possibility. These characteristics of a diamond have been used as puns to name this anthology, BRILLIANCE OF HOPE: Reflections, Refractions and Vibrations of the Zimbabwean dispersion.
With contributing writers based in Australia, Dubai, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States and Zimbabwe, the fictional and autobiographical stories herein collectively reflect light on perspectives of the resilience and hope intrinsic to the Zimbabwean dispersion. I find it fascinating that the voices in this anthology not only complement one another, but they seem to complete each other’s stories, with one picking up from where the other left, thereby magnifying the concept of universal oneness. In African philosophy, this is referred to as UBUNTU – I am, because you are. Together, the contributors are entangled in a common quandary and are vibrating the particulars of what it means to be displaced as first generation immigrants.
I am excited that I contributed to this anthology. For this reason, I asked Innocent Whande to assist me with proofreading and drafting an overview of each narrative. Innocent not only holds a master’s degree in Creative Writing & Publishing, but he is a Zimbabwean based in the United Kingdom and has, like the contributing writers, experienced first-hand the joys and sorrows of being an immigrant. I am honoured and eternally grateful that he agreed to support me on this project.
As advocates for mental health we feel obliged to include a trigger warning for this anthology:
Some stories in the collection contain themes of suicide, alcoholism & drug dependency, depression and abuse. If you are affected by the issues in these stories, please visit any of the following charity websites for help, or search in Google for similar charities local to your jurisdiction.
Suicide – https://www.samaritans.org
Abuse, Anxiety, Bullying, Depression, Loneliness, Self-harm, suicide – https://giveusashout.org
Suicide and other mental health challenges – https://www.thecalmzone.net
Mental health issues – https://www.mind.org.uk
Here is where you buy your copy of the book:
Enjoy the book!
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