In the back garden of a suburban home in Harare, Zimbabwe, a small publishing company has been quietly shaping the literary landscape of the country for the past 25 years. Weaver Press, founded by editor Irene Staunton and her husband Murray McCartney in 1998, has worked with more than 200 fiction and nonfiction writers, many of whom have gained international recognition and awards.
Weaver Press’s name was inspired by the weaver bird, whose intricate nests adorn the trees around the couple’s home. The name also reflects the company’s mission to weave together diverse voices and perspectives from Zimbabwe, a country that has faced political and economic turmoil since its independence in 1980.
“We focused on literary fiction and academic nonfiction and in doing so, we tried to put Zimbabwe on the map – not because we’ve published hundreds of books, but because we presented a complex picture of Zimbabwe that may otherwise not have existed to the outside world,” McCartney says.
Truth-telling Fiction
One of the hallmarks of Weaver Press’s fiction is its commitment to truth-telling, even when dealing with sensitive or controversial topics such as the civil war, the genocide, the land reform, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Staunton, who worked with the publisher John Calder in London in the late 1970s, says that fiction is an important form of social history that can challenge dominant narratives and offer multiple perspectives.
“Fiction is an important form of truth-telling, because a good writer will look at a situation from many different points of view – you don’t want the social history of a country to come out of a single narrative,” she says.
Some of the most acclaimed fiction writers that Weaver Press has published include Yvonne Vera, whose novel The Stone Virgins won the Macmillan prize for African adult fiction in 2002; NoViolet Bulawayo, whose debut novel We Need New Names was shortlisted for the Booker prize in 2013; and Glory, whose novel of the same name was shortlisted for the Booker prize in 2022.
Oral Histories and Academic Works
Besides fiction, Weaver Press has also published oral histories of marginalized women and children, such as Mothers of the Revolution, a collection of interviews with rural women who were left behind during the liberation war, and A Tragedy of Lives, a collection of interviews with female prisoners. Staunton says that these works are valuable sources of information and insight that are often overlooked or ignored by official records.
Weaver Press has also published academic works on various aspects of Zimbabwean society, culture, politics, and economy, such as Zimbabwe’s Land Reform: Myths and Realities, Reclaiming the Soil: The New Black Farm Owners in Zimbabwe, and Zimbabwe’s Migrants and South Africa’s Border Farms: The Roots of Impermanence. These works aim to provide rigorous and evidence-based analysis of the complex and dynamic realities of Zimbabwe.
Challenges and Hopes
According to a report by New Zimbabwe, publishing in Zimbabwe has not been easy, especially in the face of economic hardship, political instability, and censorship. Staunton and McCartney say that they have faced challenges such as printing costs, distribution difficulties, piracy, and lack of funding. They have also had to deal with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has disrupted the book industry and the reading culture.
However, they remain hopeful and optimistic about the future of Weaver Press and Zimbabwean literature. They say that they have been encouraged by the support and appreciation of their readers, writers, and partners, both locally and internationally. They also say that they have been inspired by the resilience and creativity of the Zimbabwean people, who have continued to produce and consume literature despite the challenges.
“Weaver Press has always been at the center of Zimbabwe’s literary scene ever since its inception,” Bulawayo says. “In terms of contribution, Weaver is essential, an institution.”
Weaver Press’s 25th anniversary is a testament to the power of independent publishing and the resilience of Zimbabwean literature. Through its commitment to truth-telling, diversity, and excellence, Weaver Press has enriched the literary landscape of Zimbabwe and beyond, and has given voice to the silenced and marginalized.
