NoViolet Bulawayo Books

When we first arrive in Jidada, the air itself trembles with fear and reverence. The citizens—animals of every kind—live under Old Horse’s dictatorial rule, and his presence dominates every thought, every gathering, every word spoken in public. His face looms on buildings, his slogans echo on the ra...

From Glory

Old Horse’s downfall begins almost imperceptibly. The whispers swell. The loyalty of his closest allies wavers. Marvellous, his fierce and ambitious wife, tries desperately to hold on to their power as though love itself could cement a regime. Political loyalty fractures under the weight of greed an...

From Glory

In Paradise, the children live among contradictions. The name sounds heavenly, but the place itself is anything but. It is a crude settlement built from scraps after the government destroyed their real homes. Through Darling and her friends—Bastard, Chipo, Godknows, Sbho, and Stina—I wanted to show ...

From We Need New Names

Darling’s visit to Budapest, her former neighborhood, is a moment of awakening. Budapest represents an inverted world—the one she once belonged to but can no longer touch. Moving between Paradise and Budapest exposes the chasm that political violence has carved in her life. In Budapest, she sees wal...

From We Need New Names