Trending: Creative Commentary

Good Tanzanian political fiction is in short supply, for the same reason that fiction is in short supply in Tanzania. We are only just beginning to unfurl our intellectual wings and get into the swing of a creative culture that goes beyond the oral forms. It is a large gap to fill and I won't even pretend that I have my finger on the pulse here- I can't remember the last time this crazy city life actually let me finish a book. However two really excellent developments have come about recently:

First is this bitingly sharp satirical Tanzanian news blog: My Tanzanian News. At the moment the team behind this brilliance is keeping a low profile but hopefully they will come out of hiding. In the meantime I really hope this is not a short-lived affair because they know exactly where to stick the knife in while keeping things light. That is a skill I seriously admire.

And secondly, Vijana FM have introduced a story-chain titled 'Beyond The Global Eye.' In brief, it is a fictional story that provides a platform to discuss international media, investigative journalism, social and political issues and globalization with an international cast of characters and a Tanzanian recurrent theme. I haven't come across anything like this before and as a true believer in the power of fiction to tell truths I am very excited about the experiment. So far only two authors have contributed but it is open to submissions from the public. To date there are three episodes with two more in the works. I strongly advise you check it out- current affairs are discussed in a most thinly veiled manner and the characters are engaging.