Ivor W. Hartmann

Dear Readers

2009-10-08T16:40:00.001+02:00

Welcome to my cyberhome!

Here you will find four main links above that will give you access to my autobiography - About, online fiction works - Fiction, online non-fiction works - Non-Fiction, and Visual Artistry - Visual Art.

Below this you will see short posts of my recent works, news, updates, etc. and I have also listed in the sidebar, several links that head towards various external sites where I am present and selected sites/blogs I follow.

You can can follow my progress and be updated though the Follow Widget or by subscribing to my Feeds.

Thank you for your sojourn,

Ivor W. Hartmann.

New book Cover - Amelias Inheritance by Sarudzai Mubvakure

2009-10-08T16:00:00.000+02:00

Just finished a new book cover design - Amelias Inheritance by Sarudzai Mubvakure - to be published soon by The Lion Press.

Intwasa Arts Festival KoBulawayo 2009

2009-10-05T15:22:00.006+02:00

It was my privilege to be invited to participate in the literary section of this years Intwasa Arts Festival in KoBulawayo.

The theme for this, the 5th year of the festival, was "Uni5ying" coined by my friend, author and organiser of the lit section Chris Mlalazi. Running from the 23rd-26th of September the fest was jam packed with events encompassing Literary, Film, Theatre, Dance, Music and Visual Arts, and brought in such names as Ignatius Mabasa, Zukiswa Wanner, Daysahead, Phefumula Arts, Kwabatsha Dance Co. Babmbelela Arts Ensemble, Black Umfolosi and Jahunda Arts Ensamble, to name a few.

For my part I held two workshops focusing on The Online World/Online Publishing and how it affects today's African writer. Both were well received and sparked much interest from the attendee's and covered several areas including:

It’s all about International Exposure, Once you work is online its kiss it goodbye, International Publishers are looking for Online Active Writers, How Search works and Why it’s so important, What Online Social Platforms are worth the effort, Consistency Rules all Online Popularity Growth, and lastly, Why Digital Books are the Future (not present).

All in all Intwasa Arts Festival Ko Bulawayo 2009 was an amazing experience, my profound thanks go to Nicholas Moyo and Chris Mlalazi for inviting me and making the fest a roaring success with their consummate planning and organisation. And also to my literary partner in crime at the fest, Zukiswa Wanner, who showed this first-timer how it's done.

Inside the Caves of Rotten Teeth - A Review by Ivor W. Hartmann at AfricanWriter.com

2009-10-04T14:30:00.002+02:00

...There is a wonderful quality to Barrett’s style of writing evident in From Caves of Rotten Teeth, from vivid descriptions and dialogue, to heart wrenching circumstance and fiendish plots. It is I feel written with a bold and noble spirit, one that shines to illuminate the good, bad, beautiful, grotesque, brave, cowardly, happy and insane. In this Barrett almost leaves no stone unturned, no matter what may crawl out into the light... Full Review at African Writer

Zimbabwe calling me home

2009-08-17T19:00:00.002+02:00

Just booked my tickets, Zim here I come in Sept :) Will be in Harare and then Bulawayo as I have been invited to attend and give a talk at the 2009 INTWASA Arts Festival. Will also be organising a StoryTime Authors meeting for those in Harare, and then Bulawayo too during the festival with the help of Chris Mlalazi.

Sarudzai Mubvakure takes a look at Chrome Rain

2009-07-12T16:00:00.003+02:00

Sarudzai Mubvakure author of A Disappointing Truth, recently took a look at Chrome Rain and was kind enough to write a bit about it at her review blog, Sarudzai Mubvakure's Book Reviews.

The Chrome Rain Series

2009-07-02T15:52:00.006+02:00

I have been working on a story called Chrome Rain (amongst many other things:) and started releasing it in serial form at my Facebook Fan Page, so four episodes down and I reckoned it was time to share the series (well the link to the series) here as well. The fan page is open to all the web so you don't need to be a member of facebook to see the page, or read the story. I am releasing weekly episodes of Chrome Rain there and hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I do writing it.

Convention Of Those Wounded In Love From Paulo Coelho's blog

2009-06-17T03:00:00.002+02:00

I was looking to have something (legal:) from Mr. Coelho up on my blog here in honour of the honour he has given me. And this is just perfect!

The Last Wave featured at Quasar Dragon

2009-06-10T20:55:00.006+02:00

The Last Wave featured at QuasarDragon, (which is) Finding great free, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, other cool items, with occasional comments and reviews by your semi-humble webmaster (Dave Tackett).

Thanks Dave!

Paulo Coelho publishes Chrome Rain extract on his Blog

2009-06-08T16:23:00.005+02:00

A short while back Mr. Paulo Coelho started a new section in his blog called Your Story in my Blog. He invited anyone to submit a story as long as it had a max 250 word count. At the time (and still) I was working on a new story called Chrome Rain. The debut scene of one of my main characters struck me as perhaps eligible (in word count and content). So I made a few tweaks and sent it in.

Today, I received a congratulatory email from Paula Braconnot, who works with Mr. Coelho on his blog and "...He really liked your story and therefore we shall be publishing it in his blog today." And so it has come to pass that an extract of Chrome Rain has been published at Mr. Coelho's Blog. (read it here: Your Story in my Blog : Chrome Rain by Ivor W. Hartmann) I am so very honoured that a writer I admire and respect as much as Mr. Coelho, has taken me into his virtual home and let me leave a presence. Thank You Mr. Coelho!

I just previous to this also started releasing a bit of Chrome Rain at my Facebook Fan page, so if you would like to read more, I'll see you there.

Mr. Goop well recieved

2009-05-02T20:10:00.002+02:00

Well, so far Mr. Goop seems to have been well received in general, and even sparked some blog-ranging discussions:

A post by Lauri Kubuitsile (one of my fellow Baobab Prize winners) at Thoughts From Botswana about African Fiction and Mr. Goop. Thanks Lauri!

Zimbabwean Science Fiction

I am one of the people who shouts the most about the heavy burden African writers have had to carry. They are only expected to put pen to paper if the result is literary, political and serious. So African Sue Townsends had to move on and become accountants or garbage collectors. African Barbara Cartlands became doctors or house maids. Popular fiction just wasn't for Africa- they said. Writers here needed to address African conditions and to the international world Africans don't laugh... Full Post

A post by Emmanuel Sigauke at Wealth of Ideas, which starts where Lauri Kubuitsile left off (in a way) about African Genre Fiction. I say bring on the Horror Emmanuel :) and thanks for the mention.

What's My Slice of African Genre Fiction?

In July, 2008, I blogged about the importance of genre expansion in African Fiction, branching off into sci-fi/fantasy, romance, horror, and other neglected genres. Around the same time I discovered there were African writers doing this already,from the detective fiction guru Alexander McCall Smith of the now popularised The Number 1 Lady Detective series on HBO... Full Post

Also had my first Official press release as a writer from The Zimbabwean, which is a great article by Beaven Tapureta, despite the title, about The Baoabab Prize, Mr. Goop and I. Thanks Beaven!

The Zimbabwean

Like many other Zimbabwean writers living abroad, economically exiled despite the love of their home country, Ivor W. Hartmann made Zimbabwe proud when he won the prestigious, inaugural 2008 Baobab Prize. In his acceptance letter, writer Hartmann said, “It is with profound sense of great honour that I accept The Baobab Prize and my proud privilege as a Zimbabwean writer to have entered and participated in this much needed stimulus to African writing.”... Full Post

The Award winning Mr. Goop Published in African Writing #7

2009-04-28T18:14:00.006+02:00

I am happy to announce that Mr. Goop, which won The Baobaob Prize in March 2009, has been published in the prestigious literary magazine, African Writing, issue seven. It is now available to read for the first time at the AW Magazine Online home... Full Story

The Last Wave by Ivor W. Hartmann

2009-04-22T03:30:00.000+02:00

'My name is Hamadziripi, the last of Homo sapiens sapiens, the last of the modern human species, as once we called ourselves. Even as I speak the Delphi are coming, they have my trail, and it won’t be long now. But perhaps in between postponing the inevitable I can broadcast this record, of the final days of man. To you who hear these words no matter how or who, I congratulate you. You have succeeded thus far, where we failed. To you I give this message of warning. Recognise the whole survives because of each part. Life, and that’s all biological life as we humans knew it, for we never managed to physically reach further, than our planets single moon. Life has long term plans. To late did we learn... Full Story

Review of The Night Watch at SWI

2009-03-30T23:52:00.008+02:00

“Love is happiness, but only when you believe it will last forever. Even though every time it turns out to be a lie, it’s only faith that gives love its strength and its joy.”-Sergei Lukyanenko.

Like a gust of fresh cold winter’s air on a midsummer’s day Russian author Sergei Vasilievich Lukyanenko steps up and revitalises a favourite fantasy world; presenting an eternal struggle between good and evil in a new and blinding light. With not a damn cape, count or coffin to be seen in a modern vivid urban Russia, replete with echoes of communism and the impact of free trade and the Mafia. Lukyanenko pulls no punches and drags you mercilessly into a world of gritty realism where there is a price to be paid for every thought, word and deed. With no fanfare or velvet build up, the unseen world of Twilight, inhabited by dark ones and light ones or known collectively as “others” is revealed. Full Review

African Roar Anthology: Details, Guidelines and Voting

2009-03-25T02:00:00.000+02:00

African Roar is ST's first book anthology, in what is going to become an annual publication. For the debut, all works currently at ST and those published by the 20th of July, (which fit the anthology guidelines), are up for selection in the anthology. But as the sub-title says, this is an eclectic anthology and will only feature the absolute best of all the works at ST. In the next anthology it will be the best of that year.

African Roar will be edited by Emmanuel Sigauke and Ivor W. Hartmann, and published by The Lion Press.

Voting for the ST Stories

All stories listed in the poll above are eligible stories currently at ST. Please vote for stories you think should be included in African Roar. Whilst this will not be a final definitive poll, its results will be included as part of the selection process. You may select multiple entries. The poll will be updated with new entries as they occur... Read More

Mr. Goop Awarded The Baobab Prize!

2009-03-17T07:50:00.008+02:00

I am ecstatic to announce that my entry Mr. Goop, into The Baobab Prize in category B (works written for children aged 12-15) has won the award!

It was with profound sense of great honour that I accepted The Baobab Prize, and my proud privilege as a Zimbabwean writer to have entered and participated, in this much needed stimulus to African writing. It has long been a dream of mine to see African fiction in all genres become much more readily available. So when I came across TBP I saw friends who shared a similar dream for teenage fiction.

Mr. Goop is a speculative science-fiction teenage tale of the future. Set in Harare, Zimbabwe, it tells the story of a young boy called Tamuka Zimudzi living in an apocalyptic post-climate change world. A world that has lost a significant portion of its land mass to rising sea levels, where laboratory created humanoid life-forms are now slaves to humans, where people live in enormous sealed arcologies by necessity. Yet in this hard new world Tamuka lives with the same hopes, fears and dreams of any twelve year-old boy, and takes his first steps towards becoming an adult.

My esteemed thanks go out to all those involved in The Baobab Prize, from Deborah Ahenkorah the founder of the prize, to the judges and all those who submitted an entry. Awards like this specifically for African writers are few and far between, and do provide an extra and needed impetus towards seeing more published African authors in all genres.

I will do what I can to see that everyone gets to read Mr. Goop as soon as possible, hopefully offline and on.

Here is the complete list:

WINNERS THE BAOBAB PRIZE 2008

The Baobab Prize for a work of fiction aimed at readers aged 8-11 years : Lauri Kubuitsile, Botswana. Story: Lorato and her Wire Car

Shortlist for Stories for readers aged 8-11 years:

- Good in the World by Marion Drew, South Africa
- The Story of my Life by Fiona Moolla, South Africa
- Abena and the Corn Seed by Vivian Amanor, Ghana
- Live and Let Live by Jenny Robson, South Africa

The Baobab Prize for a work of fiction aimed at readers aged 12-15 years: Ivor W. Hartmann, Zimbabwe. Story: Mr. Goop.

Shortlist for Stories for readers aged 12-15 years:
- Birthday Wishes by Lauri Kubuitsile, Botswana
- This Ubuntu Thing by Jayne Bauling, South Africa
- Courage like a Lion by Jenny Robson, South Africa
- Whips, Tears and Blood by Mercy Adhiambo, Kenya

The Baobab Prize for a rising writer aged 18 years or younger: Aisha Kibwana, Kenya. Story: Strange Visitors that took her life away.

Shortlist for Rising writer Prize:
- Tortoise and the Thief by Michael Anim, Ghana.

Earth Rise nominated for UMA Award!

2009-03-15T09:10:00.001+02:00

I am happy to announce that Earth Rise has been nominated for The UMA Award in the Best Short Fiction category.

More formally known as the Annual Anthropomorphic Literature and Arts Award, the Ursa Major Award is presented annually for excellence in the furry arts. It is intended as Anthropomorphic Fandom's equivalent of the Hugo Award ® presented by the World Science Fiction Society, mystery fandom's Anthony Award, horror fandom's Bram Stoker Award, and so forth. Anyone may nominate and vote for candidates for the Awards. The UMA is a global public award and decided by the fans, not by a committee. You can Cast your Vote here.

Wish me luck for the finals :).

Interview at CwW about StoryTime

2009-03-01T05:40:00.003+02:00

Ivor W. Hartmann is a Zimbabwean writer, visual artist and literary activist. He is also editor-in-chief of StoryTime, an ezine that seeks to showcase new African writing. In this email interview, Hartmann talks about the ezine and about how it is being received by emerging African writers. What is StoryTime all about? To quote the StoryTime About page mission statement if I may, since I put the effort into re-writing it recently: "The StoryTime African New Fiction FreEzine is all about new African fiction reading and writing. For our readers we provide a free weekly ezine showcasing the works of some of the hottest new African fiction writers. For our writers we endeavour to find them, and then encourage free online fiction publication at ST, as a multi-purpose means to improve writing ability and their exposure."... Full Article

Fiction

2009-02-14T19:00:00.004+02:00

Mr. Goop by Ivor W. Hartmann

Mr. Goop, published in African Writing, issue seven. Now available to read for the first time at the AW Magazine Online home.

"Tamuka hated Mr. Goop; it wasn't as if it was really his anyway. He had the unfortunate distinction of being one of those kids. The ones with poor parents, who could not afford to buy their children Geneforms of their own. Just this morning before class, in the translucent, dome-sealed playground, Tamuka had yet again been a victim. Well, at least he had not been alone this time: two younger kids and their inherited family Geneforms had also endured the playground circle of laughter and cruel taunts..." Full Story

The Last Wave by Ivor W. Hartmann

Lost Love by Ivor W. Hartmann

It's that day of year again, when he always remembers, it was her, it was always her, since he was sixteen it was her. But life conspired to keep them always apart, and even the close friendship they once had faded away, driven into nothing by time, distance, and her other men's arms. She was a glorious butterfly whose wings unfolded too soon, for his inexperienced fumbling hands to behold and protect. No, her wings took her into hands that tried to crush in their haste to capture her virginal soul, and make it their slave. But he knew, he knew who she was, he saw, he saw who she was, that bright and blinding inner core, which no force on this earth could ever touch. Full Story

The Lottery by Ivor W. Hartmann #01

'What are we now? Can we really call ourselves human any more? What of our souls, heaven, and hell?' -Emergency Online Transference FAQ's. Israel Sabula was a newly transferred and he did not like it. He had awoken from death in this white chair, to this white room and its barren smooth lines. A far cry from the bubbling and whirring room of machines wired into his dying body, which saw his lonely departure from that mortal coil. There was an utter silence in the room and even though he continued breathing from habit, there was no breath, no air, no sound, not even a deafening silence from real world ear feedback. He snapped his fingers and heard the click and then that weird silence. Full Story

The Devil's Advocates by Ivor W. Hartmann

The contents (sealed after these words of introduction), have been painstakingly pieced together from ancient data records. These records handed down the ages as inert sacred relics of another era, were preserved somewhat unwittingly, yet propitiously, by our order. After recognising that the relics were, in fact, ancient data storage devices, it has taken us fifty long years to reconstruct the technology, necessary to access them. Whilst the records are severely damaged, I do believe there is enough surviving, coherent content, to discern the nature of the events described.' Full Story

The Land of Darkly: Act Five

Harabladi was woken by the gentle massaging motion of his new bed; it hummed and vibrated in delicious ripples up and down his body. Before he even opened his eyes, he smiled and thought this is the life, and went on to wonder when was the last time, before the gold coin, that he had actually been happy when he had first woken up. Perhaps it had been the first morning of his second marriage; which he remembered being just like the feeling he had now, barely awake with his eyes still closed. Excepting that last time, the feeling lasted only as long as he kept his eyes closed. Full Story

The Land of Darkly: Act Four

When Harabladi disembarked from the gondola that evening, well staggered whilst Hacktar kept him upright by holding the scruff of his jacket, he felt nothing. Well not nothing, his body screamed at him all manner of abuse and his brain felt like a large bowl of pulsing cold porridge, but he felt not the beady red eyes of Grom, not even the merest twinge. For a moment, he wondered if perhaps that last heavy blow his skull endured from Hacktar was the one that finally shook something loose, permanently. Then he felt that familiar twinge, not like Grom, no that had its own unique suicidal butterflys kind of twinge, but definitely someone with ill intent towards him. Unable to deal, as he could barely see blearily, with any one or thing right now he chose the safest course of action. Hacktar barely paused as he felt Harabladi go limp and quickly whipped him up onto his giant-tortoise large shoulder. Full Story

The Land of Darkly: Act Three

Mrs Perkins, and her husband, Mr Perkins-Fiddle, were lying, snoring, in the shade of a large oak tree. They were halfway between the city of Darkly, and the village of Krep, which lay nearly three leagues south of the south gate of the city. They were thus at the four-mile marker, which itself lay in the shade of the large oak tree, a fact that made giving directions a hit-and-miss affair, since four-mile-markers were all there were, and the marker itself was nearly invisible in the shade. Full Story

The Land of Darkly: Act Two

The prince, in the meantime, went to his chambers for a lie down to recover from his meeting with his mother. Gelmernia, his manservant and best friend, awaited him with a cup of tea, and a cup of something else that glowed blue and occasionally released a bubble into the air of the expansive suite, where it would drift until encountering something solid like a wall or a window. After etching away part of the wall or the window, the bubble would pop and release an extremely noxious smell into the air. Full Story

The Land of Darkly: Act One

The king was in his counting-house, counting out his money - well, he was watching Fittle, his oldest and most trusted servant, count out his money. And, to make things even clearer, they were only counting out the NEW money. The rest of the money had already been counted and stored on the shelves around them, which stretched into the darkness surrounding the King and Fittle where they sat at the counting table. They had encircled the counting tables with candles, lamps, and few roaring torches - ostensibly to see better, but really because, of all the rooms in the Royal Castle, this was the one the King liked the least. Full Story

The Blue Flower Mountain by Ivor W. Hartmann

The waning sunlight glimmered softly through tall ethereal gum trees that waved in zephyrs, crisp from snow capped mountains. A narrow red earth dirt strip road sliced languidly ahead into Fynbos foothills. A small blue sign fat nail hammered onto a termite mud encrusted crumbling pole, jutted out from the wild grasses roadside. Neatly painted in elegant white script it spelt out the name, 'Bloublommitijies Kloof', or Blue Flower Mountain. Full Story

Earth Rise by Ivor W. Hartmann

No matter how many times he prayed, pleaded, begged and screamed, Thomas Church could not die. Desperate scrabbling fingers and toes early measured his kingdom of darkness - a coffin of rough pine that needled deep before it wore smooth. He rubbed the silky wood, tracing the grain, and almost missed the agony of a sliver pierced between fingernail and flesh. Thomas had no awareness of time. Instead, he nurtured memories of light. A time before the six-walled kingdom that laid his body flat beneath the earth. Sometimes he laughed until the laughter took control and battered him against the silent boards. Full Story

About Ivor W. Hartmann

2009-02-10T04:30:00.006+02:00

Ivor W. Hartmann was born in the 70's the youngest of three siblings in the Sunshine City of Harare, Zimbabwe. Which of course meant he was a teen in the 80's and did indeed at some point, (during holidays home from the tragedy of boarding school) wear a pastel, sleeve-rolled jacket, when seriously getting down to Duran Duran. But when not being acutely embarrassed or embarrassing, he found some relief in the world of literature and penned his first short story at the age of fourteen.

The story was a rather gruesome, blood soaked tale about werewolves that scared the hell out of his demure English Literature teacher. So much so, that an immediate, rather gruelling, parent conference was called, to discuss the disturbing level of graphic detail. It was at that point he realised he might be on to something with this writing lark.

Four years later upon leaving high school, he was faced with a choice between becoming a fine artist or a writer. Though he showed promise in both fields (as a finalist in some national school competitions), ultimately financial restraints, youthful impetuousness, and the idea that one needed to live life before writing about it led him to fine art.

Fourteen years later, now armed with a broad range of experience stretching from Literature and Fine Art to Permaculture, Organic Farming, Computer Animation, Special Effects and Music Videos. In the dead of one cold winter's night, Ivor was struck by the realisation that it had been a long, long time since he had last written any prose, and surely, those years had been well lived. Well enough to reconsider what had always remained a deep urge just below the surface. Therefore, in that night, he sat down to tap out the dust, shake off the camping gear, and set out once more down the newly written road to the wilds of imagination country.

When he returned three days later he counted himself as wholly addicted to prose again, and all else seemed to pale by comparison into insignificance. With the Muses firmly camped-out and partying in his ear, he returned to writing. Beginning a journey that has led to:

Published Fiction and Non-Fiction works with various magazines such as African Writing, Something Wicked, Future Guide and Farafina, as well as numerous online magazines.

The StoryTime African New Fiction FreEzine which showcases weekly, some of the hottest new African fiction writers.

Behind the glare of print and screen, Ivor always has a novel on the go, and several short stories nosing around the world.

Awards and Nominations:

Earth Rise, a short story, was nominated in March 2009 for The Ursa Major Award.

Mr. Goop, a short story, was awarded The Baobab Prize in March 2009.