BY AGATHA CHUMA MOST women hardly tell their stories, and some of those who do sometimes open up through the pen.
Local author Sympathy “Mangwenya” Sibanda created a group, Women Writers Network Support last year to bring women into the same space to share experiences through literature.
Women Writers Network Support is a group of women from all walks of life and from different countries worldwide.
Members of Women Writers Network Support are drawn from different sectors that include politics, media and marketing among others and their goal is to support, help, share and comfort each other.
With the help of seasoned authors, Women Writers Network Support recently produced its first anthology titled Seasons that carry 18 captivating stories from women across the globe.
In an interview with NewsDay Life & Style, Sibanda said the anthology was an encouragement to other people to speak about disturbing situations in their lives.
“As the founder of the group, I believe in writing therapy. I understand what a lot of women go through when they are confined to their homes,” she said.
“Through writing and sharing experiences with others, it helps one to see that what they are experiencing was probably experienced by others out there, hence there is nothing new on this earth.”
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The anthology, produced through the assistance of industry gurus, was written by 15 women.
“This book is probably the first for the authors who contributed to it by literally ‘bleeding on paper’ discussing different various themes. The aim is for everyone who reads the book to find healing, entertainment and hope for a better future,” she explained.
All the 18 stories carry a strong message with different themes.
“One of the stories in the anthology, which is so encouraging, is Give Me a Moment by Sunshine Zhou. It captures a heart-rending story of a woman who has been in an abusive relationship for many years. “The woman in the story pleaded for help, in vain. Left with no choice, she began to normalise her situation to her detriment. To stay or leave is the big question in the story. We are thankful to a lot of people who volunteered to help us during the production of our anthology.”
- Follow Agatha on Twitter @AgathaChuma
