The city of Mutare has made a resounding mark at the first-ever Zimbabwean Writer’s Retreat, currently underway in Harare. Organised by Almasi Collaborative Arts in partnership with New York’s prestigious The Public Theater, the retreat has brought together five gifted playwrights for an intensive two-week residential workshop designed to cultivate and elevate their craft. Among these selected few are two exceptional talents from Mutare – Amanda Ranganawa and Kingsley Chinhanu – whose inclusion signals a strong and welcome representation of the Eastern Highlands city on Zimbabwe’s theatrical landscape.
Held from 31 March to 12 April 2025, the retreat offers a rare and invaluable opportunity: an uninterrupted stretch of time dedicated solely to the art of writing. Participants are immersed in a supportive and creatively charged environment where they are encouraged to take risks, expand their artistic horizons, and polish their existing works for potential international stages. For many, this is a transformative experience.
“Writing as a full-time job – it sounds very unrealistic in a place like Zimbabwe, doesn’t it?” said playwright Kingsley Chinhanu, the mind behind St Dominic’s Girls. “But Almasi has given me two weeks to do just that and nothing else. This writer’s retreat has enabled me to focus on my craft and work on my play without distractions and at my own pace. This is invaluable to me as a growing artist, and I can’t wait to see what I produce in this nurturing environment. I would like to thank Almasi for making a dream come true in the midst of a seemingly impossible time.”
Chinhanu’s reflections echo the core ethos of the retreat: to give space to Zimbabwean playwrights to dream, explore, and write boldly. That sentiment is also personified in Amanda Ranganawa, another Mutare-based creative who brings an impressive body of work to the table. A filmmaker, actress, and corporate model, Ranganawa holds an Honours degree in Theatre from the University of Zimbabwe and is the acclaimed writer of Kushata kweMoyo, a multi-award-winning film that aired on DStv’s Africa Magic. Her selection reinforces not only her own formidable talent but also highlights the vibrant artistic undercurrent that exists in smaller cities beyond the capital.
Executive Artistic Director of Almasi Collaborative Arts, Danai Gurira, expressed her deep excitement at witnessing Zimbabwean voices come to the fore. “The writer brings the indelible word to the world. It is with them that the story is born,” said Gurira. “As a playwright who has benefited tremendously from residential Writer’s Retreats in the US, I wanted to bring such an opportunity to Zimbabwean writers. The respite allows the space and time to give their gift the chance to reach the page, creating narratives that can benefit many others for generations to come.”
With vital backing from The Public Theater and its Artistic Director Oskar Eustis, the retreat stands as a bold affirmation of Zimbabwean talent and the global relevance of its storytelling. The dominant presence of Mutare voices among this year’s cohort only strengthens the case for a more decentralised, inclusive national arts scene, and offers encouragement to emerging writers across the country that remarkable things are indeed possible – even from seemingly unlikely places.
