The Tribe Without Heroes - a Zimbabwean author explores the pain and promise of exile

Zimbabwean-born author, journalist, and teacher Wonder Guchu has launched his highly anticipated new book, The Tribe Without Heroes, which explores migration, identity, exile and belonging among Zimbabweans living away from home.

Guchu, who describes himself as a teacher, journalist, researcher and avid reader, started writing the book in 2003 while living in North London. He says the experience of migration provided much of the inspiration.

“The loneliness, the back-breaking shifts, the long hours, the pain of missing home, and the anger of finding myself in the situation inspired me to write about it,” he told tjil.

The book draws heavily from his own experiences while also reflecting the lives of Zimbabweans in the diaspora. His personal journey, he says, made it easier to capture the emotions associated with leaving home.

At the heart of the book is the complicated relationship between migration and identity. Being away from home, he explains, comes at great personal cost: missing family, maintaining two homes and becoming detached from developments in one's country.

“Time eats away some elements of self. Language, for example, is the most affected.”

Now living in Windhoek, Guchu says Namibia also plays a significant role in the book.

“Half of the book is about life in Namibia from the view of a foreigner. Of course, there are times when being here feels like home," he said.

Ultimately, he hopes the book reminds readers that distance does not erase one's connection to home.

“They must understand that no matter what happens, the home country still calls.”

Asked what makes The Tribe Without Heroes different from his previous works and what the book means to him personally, Guchu said: "This book is very personal because it has elements of my life. There are people I know, places I have been and the life I have lived."

Guchu has more than 30 years of experience in newspapers, radio, television and digital media. He has authored six books.