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Tsitsi Dangarembga receives honorary PhD from Rhodes University
06 Apr 2025 at 16:10hrs | Views
Renowned Zimbabwean author, playwright, and filmmaker Tsitsi Dangarembga continues to rise as one of Africa's most celebrated literary icons, cementing her legacy with the conferment of an Honorary Doctor of Letters (DLitt) (honoris causa) by Rhodes University.
Widely recognised for her groundbreaking debut novel Nervous Conditions - the first English-language novel published by a Black Zimbabwean woman - Dangarembga has long stood at the forefront of African storytelling. Her latest recognition from Rhodes University pays tribute to her profound influence on literature, film, and social justice advocacy.
Rhodes University lauded Dangarembga for her "extraordinary impact across creative industries, education, and activism," acknowledging a career that blends art with fearless advocacy. In her address during the graduation ceremony, she reflected on the power of storytelling and called for ethical leadership to advance justice, democracy, and inclusivity.
A Voice for Africa
Dangarembga's literary journey began in earnest with Nervous Conditions (1988), a novel that delved deeply into identity, gender, and post-colonial complexities in Zimbabwe. The novel won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for the Africa Region in 1989 and was followed by The Book of Not (2006) and This Mournable Body (2018), the latter earning a Booker Prize shortlist in 2020.
Her influence extends beyond books. Dangarembga is a visionary filmmaker, having produced and directed critically acclaimed works such as Everyone's Child (1996), Kare Kare Zvako (2004), and I Want a Wedding Dress (2010). Her films, often centered on Zimbabwean women's experiences, have screened globally and are noted for their cultural depth and social insight.
An Advocate and Educator
A fierce champion of gender equality, freedom of expression, and African narratives, Dangarembga founded the Institute of Creative Arts for Progress in Africa (ICAPA) Trust in 2009. The NGO supports African creatives through training, funding, and platforms to share their stories - with a strong focus on women's voices. Through ICAPA, she also established the International Images Film Festival for Women in Zimbabwe, one of the few African festivals devoted to female-led storytelling.
Her current initiative, Creative Africa Storytelling for the Screen Incubator, seeks to empower a new generation of filmmakers across the continent by enhancing storytelling and ensuring economic sustainability in the creative sector.
Global Recognition
Dangarembga has taught film and literature at prestigious institutions including MIT, Northwestern University, and the University of Zurich. She has held fellowships at Harvard's Radcliffe Institute, Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study, and the Rockefeller Bellagio Centre. She was also the International Chair in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia from 2021 to 2022.
Her recent accolades include the 2024 Alice and Clifford Spendlove Prize in Social Justice, Diplomacy, and Tolerance, the 2023 PEN Catalan Free Voice Award, and the 2021 German Peace Prize. In 2022, she published Black and Female, a collection of essays exploring race, gender, and power in both African and global contexts.
A Life Rooted in Zimbabwe
Born in Mutoko, Zimbabwe, Dangarembga began her tertiary studies in medicine at Cambridge University before shifting paths to study psychology at the University of Zimbabwe. She later pursued film directing at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin, laying the foundation for her prolific creative career.
Despite global opportunities, she returned to Zimbabwe during its independence transition, driven by a desire to contribute to the nation's cultural and artistic identity. Her advocacy, however, has not come without cost - she has faced political and legal challenges due to her outspokenness on human rights and governance issues.
Yet through adversity, Dangarembga's voice has only grown stronger.
Her honorary doctorate from Rhodes University stands not only as recognition of a storied career, but also as a beacon for future African storytellers - a reminder that literature, film, and courage can change the world.
Widely recognised for her groundbreaking debut novel Nervous Conditions - the first English-language novel published by a Black Zimbabwean woman - Dangarembga has long stood at the forefront of African storytelling. Her latest recognition from Rhodes University pays tribute to her profound influence on literature, film, and social justice advocacy.
Rhodes University lauded Dangarembga for her "extraordinary impact across creative industries, education, and activism," acknowledging a career that blends art with fearless advocacy. In her address during the graduation ceremony, she reflected on the power of storytelling and called for ethical leadership to advance justice, democracy, and inclusivity.
A Voice for Africa
Dangarembga's literary journey began in earnest with Nervous Conditions (1988), a novel that delved deeply into identity, gender, and post-colonial complexities in Zimbabwe. The novel won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for the Africa Region in 1989 and was followed by The Book of Not (2006) and This Mournable Body (2018), the latter earning a Booker Prize shortlist in 2020.
Her influence extends beyond books. Dangarembga is a visionary filmmaker, having produced and directed critically acclaimed works such as Everyone's Child (1996), Kare Kare Zvako (2004), and I Want a Wedding Dress (2010). Her films, often centered on Zimbabwean women's experiences, have screened globally and are noted for their cultural depth and social insight.
An Advocate and Educator
A fierce champion of gender equality, freedom of expression, and African narratives, Dangarembga founded the Institute of Creative Arts for Progress in Africa (ICAPA) Trust in 2009. The NGO supports African creatives through training, funding, and platforms to share their stories - with a strong focus on women's voices. Through ICAPA, she also established the International Images Film Festival for Women in Zimbabwe, one of the few African festivals devoted to female-led storytelling.
Global Recognition
Dangarembga has taught film and literature at prestigious institutions including MIT, Northwestern University, and the University of Zurich. She has held fellowships at Harvard's Radcliffe Institute, Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study, and the Rockefeller Bellagio Centre. She was also the International Chair in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia from 2021 to 2022.
Her recent accolades include the 2024 Alice and Clifford Spendlove Prize in Social Justice, Diplomacy, and Tolerance, the 2023 PEN Catalan Free Voice Award, and the 2021 German Peace Prize. In 2022, she published Black and Female, a collection of essays exploring race, gender, and power in both African and global contexts.
A Life Rooted in Zimbabwe
Born in Mutoko, Zimbabwe, Dangarembga began her tertiary studies in medicine at Cambridge University before shifting paths to study psychology at the University of Zimbabwe. She later pursued film directing at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin, laying the foundation for her prolific creative career.
Despite global opportunities, she returned to Zimbabwe during its independence transition, driven by a desire to contribute to the nation's cultural and artistic identity. Her advocacy, however, has not come without cost - she has faced political and legal challenges due to her outspokenness on human rights and governance issues.
Yet through adversity, Dangarembga's voice has only grown stronger.
Her honorary doctorate from Rhodes University stands not only as recognition of a storied career, but also as a beacon for future African storytellers - a reminder that literature, film, and courage can change the world.
Source - online
