Unique Short Story Anthology, Brilliance of Hope, Casts Much-Needed Light on Zimbabwean Diaspora

On The Table Read, “the best book magazine in the UK“, compiled and edited by Samantha Rumbidzai Vazhure, ‘Brilliance of Hope’ is a critical contribution to Zimbabwean historical record. With over forty short stories from writers based in Dubai, South Africa, United Kingdom and other diverse locations around the globe, the book is an authentic and vibrant reflection on the Zimbabwean dispersion.

Collection Of Short Stories

The project has been nicknamed ‘Diamond’, due to the gemstone’s resilience under pressure, and its ability to reflect light. ‘Brilliance of Hope’ – compiled and edited by author, poet and publisher, Samantha Vazhure, is more than just an anthology of short stories. A vital contribution to Zimbabwean literature, the collection gives readers a glimpse into what it means to be an immigrant in today’s world. 

Through fictional and autographical stories, the writers demonstrate the beauty and complexity of the Zimbabwean dispersion, building on the themes of resilience, hope, displacement and interconnectedness with raw and startling honesty. 

Brilliance Of Hope

An anthology of 41 short stories about the Zimbabwean dispersion, by 15 writers, compiled and edited by Samantha Rumbidzai Vazhure. Intended to record a crucial element of African history in the making, this short story anthology depicts experiences of the Zimbabwean diaspora through perspectives of writers based in Australia, Dubai, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States and Zimbabwe. 

The fictional and autobiographical narratives herein collectively reflect on the resilience and hope intrinsic to the Zimbabwean dispersion. Entangled in a common quandary, these writers echo the particulars of what it means to be displaced as a first generation immigrant. 

Samantha Rumbidzai Vazhure Aplifies Zimbabwean Voices

“I put together this anthology, in part, to amplify Zimbabwean voices on the global stage,” says Vazhure, who also contributed two stories to the book. “But what I found, in the end, was something altogether more fascinating. Many of the stories seem to build on one another, with the voices flowing like a river from one to the next. As I discuss in the book’s foreword, in African philosophy, this is referred to as UBUNTU – I am, because you are.”

Continuing, “As such, the writers contained here reflect each other like diamonds, and their vibrations are picked up by each other. They know what it is to be a first generation immigrant, but they also had their own labyrinthine journeys through the dispersion process. That’s the exquisite beauty that each reader can uncover as they move through the stories… how they are all interlocking pieces of the same song with unique notes to savour and be surprised by. This anthology changed the way I view the world, and I know that others will have the same transformative experience.”

About Samantha Rumbidzai Vazhure

Samantha was born in the district of Barking and Dagenham (London, United Kingdom) in 1981, to Zimbabwean parents who were studying in the United Kingdom and returned to Zimbabwe a couple of years after independence. Samantha’s father is of Karanga origin and her late mother was Zezuru.

Samantha spent her childhood in Masvingo, Zimbabwe where she completed her education at Victoria Primary School and Victoria High Boarding School respectively. She returned to the United Kingdom in 1999 after completing her A levels. She studied Law and Business Administration at the University of Kent in Canterbury and proceeded to study a Postgraduate Diploma in European Politics, Business and Law at the University of Surrey.

Samantha works as a financial services professional. She is married to her childhood sweetheart, and together they have two children.

About Carnelian Heart Publishing Ltd

Samantha Rumbidzai Vazhure established Carnelian Heart Publishing Ltd to publish her own books in the first instance, where she advocates equality, mental health, the welfare of women and children, empowerment of women and survivors of abuse, the welfare of immigrants, amongst other causes. She decided to expand the publishing business by offering her services to other authors, and by helping specific groups of writers to get onto the global scene, in order to amplify their voices as part of her advocacy work.

Through this platform, Samantha seeks the most authentic voices from the most unlikely places, to bring a new flavour of story-telling to global readers.

Find Brilliance Of Hope Now:

‘Brilliance of Hope’ is available now: https://amzn.to/37wQOQC

Visit the Publisher’s website to find author interviews and more information about the stories contained in this anthology: www.carnelianheartpublishing.co.uk 

Donate to support The Table Read
We strive to keep The Table Read free for both our readers and our contributors. If you have enjoyed our work, please consider donating to help keep The Table Read going!