// Poetry submission deadline extended to 24 November 2022 //
Wassup fam. I hope you are finding enough time to rest as we enter the "end of year fatigue" season. It's definitely been quite a long year and for today, I would like to share an opportunity for Zimbabwean poets.
The Ipikai Poetry Journal is an initiative of the Zimbabwe Poets Society. They are constantly looking for ways to support Zimbabwean poets wherever they are in the world. Their mission is to make Zimbabwean poetry more visible and accessible locally and around the world and to make an impactful contribution to the global community of poets. On this note, they have recently extended the deadline for poetry submissions for their 3rd issue, themed " Thank God it's Friday". I really like the timing for this theme because it coincides with the end of the year, so it's guaranteed to be an ideal must-read for everyone as we wrap up the year (I personally have read enough somber poems for the year. lol). You can find more information here, and make sure you submit fam (I'm gonna submit as well).
I've really been impressed by the work that the team behind the journals are doing, and while exploring their site ( https://ipikai.org/ ), I came across information regarding The Phillip Zhuwao Poetry Prize which they will be launching soon. I must have missed this when I submitted for the first issue, but anyway, this is really cool because all published poets will be entered for the annual prize (another reason for you to submit your poem before the 24th of November). This is a great initiative not only because it honors Phillip Zhuwao, but it will also inform people and poetry communities about him. It's good to ensure that we develop / continue to promote a culture that keeps writers and readers informed, not only about the poets we have to day or tomorrow, but also those who came before us.
"The Phillip Zhuwao Poetry Prize was initiated by a gift from Tinashe Mushakavanhu to the Zimbabwe Poets Society. It honors Zhuwao, a young Zimbabwean poet who died in 1997, aged 27. He was a brilliantly original poet. His poems have been described as ‘visceral, sharp-witted, linguistically playful, and uncompromising in their anarchic aesthetic and intensity.’
Zhuwao didn’t go far with his education and was a self-taught writer who read voraciously. He was widely published in South African literary magazines such as Bliksem, Contrast, New Coin and Staffrider. His collection, Sunrise Poison, was published in 2018 by Deep South in South Africa, twenty-one years after his death.
As Ipikai and The Zimbabwe Poets Society, we relate to Zhuwao’s youth and the reality of unseen and unrecognized talent around us. We commit to championing poets, young and old, new and established. The Phillip Zhuwao Poetry Prize is one way of doing this." ( https://ipikai.org/submit/ )
To conclude this article, I'd like to share the links to the previous 2 journals that you can read, while we wait for the 3rd issue to be published in December. Click on the image below to read some of the amazing poetry that has been published so far. Don't forget to share the links with other poetry lovers, & follow Ipikai Poetry Journal on socials ( @ipikaipoetry on Instagram and Twitter, and Facebook ). Stay blessed fam.
