Zimbabwean Writer Angeline Dimingo Earns Continental Recognition in African Anthology

Zimbabwean writer and actor Angeline Dimingo has earned continental recognition after her essay was selected for the Narratives Against Poverty in Africa anthology (image source)

GWERU — Zimbabwean writer and film actor Angeline Dimingo has received continental recognition after her work was selected for the Narratives Against Poverty in Africa anthology, a pan-African literary project that uses storytelling to confront poverty and social inequality.

The anthology, produced by the African Narrative Writing Hub, was officially launched in Gweru at a ceremony attended by writers, academics and cultural practitioners from across the region. Dimingo’s essay, Hope in the Desert, was selected for inclusion in the 2025 edition, marking a significant milestone in her literary career.

The project falls under the broader African Writing Programme, an initiative aimed at amplifying African voices while addressing structural challenges such as poverty, inequality and political instability through literature. During the launch, organisers also announced the winners of the 2025 African Literary Prizes.

The prose award went to Moira Rakotomalala of Madagascar for Under the Silence of Gold. Kenya’s Dolphine Anyango won the poetry category with Lost and Not Found, while Zambia’s Grace Kakoma claimed the essay prize for Beyond the Brain: Narratives of Poverty, Pain and Possibility in African Education.

Beyond the prize-winning entries, the anthology features several notable works, including Dimingo’s Hope in the Desert, which offers a reflective exploration of resilience and human endurance within the African context. Other contributions include Burden of Stolen Survival by Tanzania’s Aneth Marembo and Litany for the Body That Remembers by Benedict Hangiriza, also from Tanzania.

Organisers said the anthology seeks to move beyond narrow portrayals of Africa defined solely by conflict and deprivation, instead highlighting narratives of resilience, creativity and cultural depth. With the publication now in circulation, distribution is targeting institutions such as universities, embassies, government departments, humanitarian organisations and cultural bodies across the continent.

The selection process was overseen by adjudicators Thando Kuhle Sibanda, a poet, and writer Chenai Dunduru, with a foreword by Midlands State University academic Simbarashe Chitima. The final shortlist was drawn from more than 1,000 submissions from across Africa. Zimbabwean contributors received institutional support from the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe and the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture.