(Zimbabwe, 1962) graduated from the University of Zimbabwe and is a honorary fellow at the University of Iowa. In 1989 he published his first collection of poems Rukuvhute, which in 1990 received an honourable mention at the Noma Awards. His other collections of poems are Champupuri (1994) and Hakurarwi, We Shall not Sleep (1998). He is known as one of the most talented performing poets and storytellers of Zimbabwe. Further more he has also written several children's books. Chirikure Chirikure reads his poetry in Shona and English and most of the time performs together with his band DeteMbira. Backed by this group he made the CD Napukeni. He has worked as a publisher for quite some time and is now a consultant in Harare. Chirikure Chirikure assists in the editing of the Zimbabwean part of the Poetry International Web.
WIN 2004

(1956) works since 1990 for the international editorial of the De Volkskrant newspaper, specialising in Africa. He studied history in Amsterdam and Dar es salaam. In 1980 he visited Zimbabwe for the first time - a few months after the independence - and wrote about that for the Groene Amsterdammer. He returned regularly between 1987 and 1998. He wrote the book De trots van Afrika (The pride of Africa)(1998), about twenty years of journalistic travels in Africa. It touches on such things as high ideals that became more and more overwhelmed by violence, unsuccesful development models and failing aid. But also the writers and poets, who still believe in the pride of Africa.