CHRISTOPHER Mlalazi's recent achievement of getting a special mention at the Noma Awards for his first book Dancing with Life: Tales from the Township has shown the great potential in the talented writer. Noma Awards recognise outstanding books from Africa and select the best four out of hundreds of entries from various publishers on the continent.

Mlalazi got an honourary mention together with South Africa's Zubeida Jaffer who wrote Love in the Times of Treason and Sonia Chamkhi of Tunisia for the book Leila ou la Femme de L'aube.

The top award went to Nigerian writer Sefi Atta for her short story collection titled Lawless and Other Stories who pocketed US$10 000 for the achievement.

This was the third time for the Bulawayo based Mlalazi's book to get recognition following a local award at the National Arts Merit Awards (Nama) earlier this year and a nomination for the HFBC 10 South Africa Short Story Awards.

At Nama, Mlalazi got the Best First Published Creative Work award.

But he first tasted international glory when he was co-awarded with renowned playwright Raisedon Baya at the Oxfam-Novib Pen Freedom of Expression Award for their play Crocodile of the Zambezi.

The short stories in Dancing with Life: Tales from the Township are set in the high-density suburbs of Bulawayo and pursue the lighter tales and events of township life.

"It was a great honour to get a special mention at Noma," Mlalazi said last week.

"Although I did not win the top award, I am grateful for being recognised at such an important international level.

"This is my first book and I did not expect it to fare that well so I am very excited about the achievement.

"When my publisher (amaBooks) notified me that they had entered the book at Noma, I did not expect to win anything.

"It was great news when they told me about the recognition."

Mlalazi said winning a Nama award earlier this year had given him confidence but he never imagined scaling such heights with his first book.

He has published short stories in other collections in the United Kingdom and the US but Dancing with Life: Tales from the Township is his first complete collection.

The author has already published his second book, which is his first novel, titled Many Rivers with UK's Lion Press while another novel is likely to be out next year.

Mlalazi says writing has always been his passion.

"Writing does not pay in Zimbabwe," he said. "You must have passion for the art in order to be a writer.

"It is something that starts as a hobby and then grows into a profession.

"Of course, you may get income indirectly but the driving force is passion."

The 39-year-old writer says he was unsure of what he was writing at first but the recognition he got locally and internationally had breathed more confidence into his work.

"Writing is one thing you do alone and most of the times you are not sure whether you are doing the right thing or how the reader will respond to your work.

"It is only after someone recognises your work that you begin to gain confidence and more zeal to create.

"It is every writer's ambition to be read internationally and I am glad that dream has come true for me."

In addition to the awards, Mlalazi says he has attended a number of workshops internationally that have added much weight to his skill and creativity.

He said most of his stories are derived from everyday experiences and his interaction with people in the townships.

"I drink beer and I like hanging around at bottle stores.

"It is in such places that I observe events and hear stories that tease my imagination and creativity.

"My stories might not end up as replicas to the inspiring events but you can trace their origins.

"It is a mixture of reality and creativity," he said.

"I was just like any pupil who enjoyed writing but I never thought I would take the art professionally.

"After school, I did other formal jobs but did not drop my writing passion.

"It was only two years ago that I decided to leave everything and be a full-time author."

Before taking writing professionally, Mlalazi worked as a bursar at a primary school for 17 years.

His massage to aspiring and budding writers was: "Be committed and have passion for the art.

"Revise your work very well and be very patient with what ever you are doing.

"Do not think about the rewards but put your work first."

According to a statement from amaBooks, the judges at Noma Awards summed up Mlalazi's achievement as follows: "Writing in Zimbabwe seems to be on the upsurge.

"Mlalazi's collection of short stories is an important addition to the new writing from Zimbabwe concentrating on the social disintegration of the country.

"The stories stand out by being set in Bulawayo, drawing on the distinctive identity of a provincial city, its Ndebele culture and its marginal relation to the centre.

"The success of the stories lies in the experiences of ordinary people coping with violence, anger and angst, rather than any self-conscious sense of form."