Former Cop Publishes 300 Shona, Ndebele Books Written by Budding Authors Supplies Library of Congress, Seeks Funds to Stay Open

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe - A former police press officer in Bulawayo has spent 15 years self-funding the publication of more than 300 books in Shona and Ndebele, warning the titles will vanish if his one-man press closes and is therefore seeking urgent funding. Daimon Phiri, 52, a former assistant inspector with the Zimbabwe Republic Police Press and Public Relations unit, founded Tepp Publishers in 2010. He has used his salary to edit, typeset and print original works in Zimbabwe’s two main indigenous languages, operating without government grants, donors or sponsors. “The Literature Bureau was shut down,” Phiri said. “In Harare there are 50 publishers printing English books. In Bulawayo, there is me, one press, and 300 Shona and Ndebele titles that refuse to die.” With the state-run Literature Bureau closed and piracy reducing sales, Phiri said Tepp Publishers is the only press consistently producing new Shona and Ndebele literature. If it closes, he said, all 300 titles would go out of print. “A language without new books is a museum language,” Phiri said. “If children only read Shakespeare and never read Edhibeni about King Mzilikazi, that is cultural suicide.” Phiri cited international and local impact from his work. The Library of Congress in Washington purchases 12 copies of every Tepp title longer than 100 pages. Last month, a Grade 7 pupil in Plumtree cried while reading Bernard Dima Ndlovu’s “Edhibeni,” telling Phiri, “Sir, I didn’t know Ndebele kings were so brave. Thank you for printing this.” Phiri delivers books directly to rural schools in Inyathi, Zvishavane and Plumtree using vehicles from TEPP Driving School, a business he also runs. He said major Harare bookshops do not service those areas. He is appealing for $5,000 to print five new Shona and Ndebele novels for 10,000 students this year. He said $5 covers 10 books. “I cannot carry this burden alone for another 15 years,” Phiri said. He pledged to post weekly photos and videos of books printed and schools receiving them. Donations can be sent via EcoCash to 0772981339 or WhatsApp +263 713 888 279. Phiri said donors in the U.K., U.S. and Canada can message him for Ko-fi or PayPal details. “Dambudzo Marechera said, ‘I am not an African writer. I am a writer,’” Phiri said. “I say: ‘I am not just a publisher. I am a guard.’ Someone must guard the door so Shona and Ndebele can walk through. Publish or perish. We choose publish.”