Tsitsi Dangarembga Seeks Legal Representation in Dispute with Ayebia Clarke Publishing Over Rights to Her Novels

Tsitsi Dangarembga is seeking public support in her legal dispute with Ayebia Clarke Publishing in the UK. She is seeking pro bono representation in the country. Dangarembga suggests that it is “over rights to my work.” The Zimbabwean novelist and filmmaker is the author of the classic Nervous Conditions and its sequel The Book of Not, and her most recent novel This Mournable Body was published by Graywolf Press in 2018.

Ayebia Clarke Publishing, founded in 2003 by the Ghanaian-born publisher Becky Nana Ayebia Clarke and her husband David, markets books by African and Caribbean writers. Among the books are Dangarembga’s first two, the Ama Ata Aidoo-edited anthology African Love Stories, and the Ivor Agyeman-Duah-edited anthology The Gods Who Send Us Gifts. For her services to publishing, its founder was awarded an Honorary MBE in 2011.

See Dangarembga’s tweet below.

https://twitter.com/efie41209591/status/1227487428019212288?s=19

Dangarembga mentioned Journal of African Cultural Studies in her tweet, to which the publication replied. Other people have been responsive as well.

Dear @suchitrav do you have any recommendations for UK legal folk?

— Bhakti Shringarpure (@bhakti_shringa) February 12, 2020

Thank you very mich Nicole Palmer. I appreciate your engagement. I am wotking away from the office. I will engage when I return. Meanwhile I will follow you.

— Tsitsi Dangarembga (@efie41209591) February 12, 2020

I will pass on your details to one practising friend I know. She is based in London but will see if she responds by lunchtime.

— studymore nyahunzvi (@hunzvi4) February 12, 2020