Meet Tyrone Takawira

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tyrone Takawira a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tyrone, thank you so much for making time for us today. We can’t wait to dive into your story and the lessons you’ve learned along the way, but maybe we can start with something foundational to your success. How have you gone about developing your ability to communicate effectively?

I’ve always had a strange fascination with words; how this construction of letters can make you think, feel and imagine. I grew up extremely introverted and spent much of my childhood buried in books. Here, I read and studied many of the classics – from George Orwell to Stephen King – completely in awe of the mastery these authors possessed. I developed a love for writing and explored various forms such as poetry, short stories, fiction and non-fiction – searching for the secret to timeless writing. With enough iteration and practice, I found my own voice, not only as a writer, but a storyteller. Performing on Spoken Word stages and joining Toastmasters elevated my fluency, and it felt like finding my voice…within my voice. It’s a journey I am immensely grateful for, and I look forward to what the future holds.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am an award-winning writer with a decade of writing experience. I am an alumnus of the prestigious Mandela Washington Fellowship (Class of 2023), wherein I studied Civic Engagement at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. In 2020, I was declared the Global and Anglophone Winner of the Wole Soyinka Essay Competition, wherein I came first out of over 2000 writers from different parts of the world. The winning essay, “I am, Because You Are”, is a non-fiction piece that urged for unity, more so given the arrival of the COVID-19 virus. I have also been shortlisted in some key international competitions e.g. George Floyd Short Competition (for “A Letter From The Grave” – a creative fiction depiction of George Floyd’s death, and an important commentary on the systematic prejudice that gave rise to the Black Lives Matter Movement) and Bergen LitFest Competition (for “Pieces”, a non-fiction essay on the importance of human interconnectedness, especially in the light of our cultural and historical differences).

I have also self-published a short collection of poetry on Amazon, called “His words. His empire. His reign”, and my work features in numerous anthologies and magazines, including but not limited to, Black Lives’ Anthology (Nottingham Writers Studio), Brittle Paper, Global Commons Issue (Fall 2022), Eboquills and The Kalahari Review.

My work explores numerous societal concepts – namely systematic oppression, governance, identity (particularly African identity), Afrofuturism, trauma, gender-based violence and abuse. I am inspired by the concept of ‘leading through words’ – and seek to provide important commentaries on issues that many are often silent about. I am also excited about connecting with diverse audiences – and how writing can bring people and communities closer together.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The three biggest qualities that have made the biggest difference for me are:
1. Commitment to the craft
Sometimes showing up as consistently as often as you can to work on your craft is more than enough. The draft doesn’t have to be perfect. The flow doesn’t have to be impressive. The sentences don’t always have to make sense. But if you can find it within yourself to put words on paper – you are making immense progress. There is so much power in showing up. In dedicating yourself to a lifetime of improvement.

2. Constantly learning
To always be in a constant state of learning is the greatest thing one can do. Not only do you expose yourself to different artists and creatives, but your own writing improves. And slowly, you begin to realize that life itself is the greatest teacher. How you can learn a lot about writing without even writing. How photography can teach you about color. How dance can teach you about rhythm. Everything and anything can teach you a lot about writing. So always be a student, not only of your craft, but of life.

3. Putting yourself out there

This would have to be one of the hardest lessons I have had to learn. As writers and storytellers, we tend to believe that our skill and gift will speak for itself, and rightfully so. However, and especially in a world with so many happenings and documentation, you must try to put yourself out there. You must market yourself, the same way you would market any product or service. You must believe that you are good enough to be read. To be published. To be seen. Because chances are, you are. And what good is denying the world of your brilliance?

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?

Read a lot. Write a lot. And travel the world with those closest to me.

Knowing that my time is limited, I’d spend much of it creating (or at least trying to create) timeless work. Something that can last long after I am gone. There’s so much beauty in knowing that I am leaving parts of myself in this world. I have also found that travelling extensively is one of the best ways to improve your writing. I enjoy the novelty of foreign places, culture and dialect. The exploration of worlds different than your own – and how that adds color to your write and your own life. Of course, there is no better way to travel the world than with those closest to you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.clippings.me/users/tytakawira
• Instagram: @iiam.greatness
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyrone-takawira/