The Language I Cannot Speak
Zimbabwean storytellers Tariro Takavarasha and Kayssie Kandiwa will present The Language I Cannot Speak as part of their Compass strand with the International Literature Festival Dublin. Supported by Axis Ballymun the performance will take place virtually on 23rd October.
The Language I Cannot Speak captures the culture of Shona storytelling with a cross-genre performance of storytelling, poetry and interview, that experiments with traditional forms of literature, interweaving stories of family, home, African pride, immigrant pain, the power of language and stories, unreliable transport, bossy aunties, crazy uncles and dressing appropriately for the weather.
Zimbabwean storytellers Tariro Takavarasha and Kayssie Kandiwa met at Poetry Ireland when Kayssie performed a poem about her grandmother in Shona, a language Tariro does not speak. Because she was never taught it. Each has a piece of the puzzle of what it is to be Zimbabwean and from the diaspora.
Their experiences, though varying and deeply rooted, unite to paint a picture that says as much about beautiful and complex intergenerational relationships, as it does about the lasting and current effects of immigration, colonialism, multiculturalism and growing up into a proud black woman in the western world today.
Kayssie Kandiwa was born in Zimbabwe and moved to Ireland at the age of ten. Her work is influenced by blending her Zimbabwean cultural heritage and her Irish upbringing and intertwines Southern-African myths and local languages and forms. She featured in Dedalus Press Writing Home: The ‘New Irish’ Poets Anthology, and was selected for Poetry Ireland’s Versify 2019.
Tariro Takavarasha has performed at queer cabaret nights SpiceBag, GlitterHole and Black Jam as well as fundraising events Dubh and The Scratch. Her work has been publicly displayed in Dublin and Paris as part of the Dublin Fringe Fest 2020. Her work focuses on themes of race, family, mental health, love and friendship often through a rap-inspired style.
The International Literature Festival Dublin annually gathers the finest writers in the world to debate, provoke, delight and enthral. Attracting visitors from around the world, it is a destination for those who wish to celebrate the very best of Irish and international talent. With readings, discussions, debates, workshops, performance and screenings, the festival creates a hotbed of ideas. Whether it’s the mix of poets, writers of fiction and non-fiction, lyricists, playwrights and screenwriters, The International Literature Festival Dublin brings new faces and house-hold names together in ways that surprise and inspire. The 2020 festival runs online from 22nd to the 28th October. For full event info and bookings, visit ilfdublin.com
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