Charles Mungoshi
Quick Facts
Biography
Charles Lovemore Mungoshi (born 2 December 1947) is a writer from Zimbabwe.
Mungoshi's works include short stories and novels in both Shona and English. He also writes poetry, but views it as a "mere finger exercise." He has a wide range, including anti-colonial writings and children's books. While the colonial regime initially banned his work, he now writes about post-colonial oppression as well.
The awards he has won include the Noma Award in 1992 and the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Africa Region) twice in the years 1988 and 1998. Two of his novels, one in Shona and the other in English, both published in 1975, won the International PEN Awards. His first Shona novel was Makunungunu Maodzamoyo followed by the English short collection Some Kinds of Wounds, which was banned by the colonial regime. His other Shona novel, Kunyarara Hakusi Kutaura, won several awards and his play Ingongova Njakenjake showed his versatility as a writer.
He is married to an actress, Jesesi Mungoshi, who played in the Zimbabwean film Neria as Neria. He holds an Honorary degree from the University of Zimbabwe. Mungoshi also took part in some of the local Zimbabwean drama series in the late '80s to early '90s, and played a role in a local drama Ndabvezera which was produced by Aaron Chiundura Moyo.