NoViolet Bulawayo in conversation with Drew Shaw at hometown book launch, 17 September 2013

A recollection of events of 2013, with photographs, video and voice recording - compiled by Drew Shaw

On a balmy night in September, excitement at the National Gallery of Art in Bulawayo was palpable as crowds gathered for the biggest literary event in years. Hundreds turned out to witness the homecoming of NoViolet Bulawayo (thirteen years pursuing a literary career in the United States) and for the long-awaited launch of We Need New Names, her debut novel which had just been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. 

Below is a video clip which captures some of the atmosphere.

I had the honour of interviewing NoViolet about her long-awaited homecoming, her experience of exile, and the themes, characters and issues of her shortlisted novel. We Need New Names follows Darling, its child narrator, from a shanty town in an unnamed country in turmoil in Africa, to a vastly different life in America. What follows is a recording of our conversation at the National Gallery on 17 September 2013.