Damage
The Personal Costs of Political Change in Zimbabwe
Every country has a national history, one that is taught to children in schools. It represents a coherent portrayal of preceding centuries gilded by national pride and self-righteousness. Such histories leave traces on our consciousness and help to make nations what they are. Damage: The Personal Costs of Political Change presents us with thirty personal histories that raise questions about the nature of commitment to a Zimbabwean identity. The contributors share a passion for making a difference and a sense of personal responsibility for the future of their country; this is what made each of them a victim of persecution. Becoming a victim too often implies losing one's identity though the loss of possessions, community and human rights. These stories cast a telling light on a critical period of Zimbabwe's history; we hope that their publication will also enable the contributors to find renewed strength and purpose.
ISBN 9781904855897 | 542 pages | 229 x 152 mm | 2009 | Weaver Press, Zimbabwe | Paperback
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Reviews
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"Damage is an invaluable resource, not only because it once again reveals the lengths to which a Party will go to remain in power but also because it offers a fascinating perspective on the country through many different histories. The testimonies published here make this a very important book."
- Stephen Chan, Professor of International Relations at the School of Oriental and African Studies
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"Damage is a powerful act of witnessing that will, I hope, command a wide audience."
- Jocelyn Alexander, Professor of Commonwealth Studies, University of Oxford
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"Story after story provides a testament to not being able to kill people’s spirit, no matter how much you abuse them."
- Peter Orner, editor of Underground America: Narratives of Undocumented Lives (2007)
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"This is an amazing collection of personal testimonies to the violence of recent political development in Zimbabwe and to the courage of Zimbabweans and the force of strivings for democracy."
- Preben Kaarsholm, editor of Violence, Political Culture and Development in Africa (2006)
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"I found these personal stories harrowing. The torture and brutality that their tellers endured is beyond comprehension. But always their spirit was indestructible, their commitment to creating a better world unshakeable.This I found admirable and uplifting."
- Chiedza Musengezi, editor of Tragedy of Lives: Women in Prison in Zimbabwe (2003)
About the Editor
- Irene Staunton
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Irene Staunton began work in publishing in London with John Calder publishers in the 1970s. Returning to Zimbabwe after its independence, she was an editor at the Government Curriculum Development Unit. In 1987, she co-established Baobab Books, which rapidly acquired a reputation as an exciting literary publisher. In 1999, she left Baobab to co-found Weaver Press. She was also a long-standing editor of the Heinemann African Writers Series.
