Cassava Republic boards Mudzingwa's 'dizzying' train journey debut

Cassava Republic has acquired Avenues by Train, the "immersive, gritty" debut novel by Zimbabwean writer Farai Mudzingwa.

The novel traces the story of Jedza, a down and-out electrician coming of age in a newly independent Zimbabwe. Haunted by a childhood train accident and convinced that spiritual forces are ruling his life, Jedza leaves his small town of Miner’s Drift for bustling Harare, but soon discovers that he cannot escape the ghosts of his past so easily.

Layla Mohamed acquired world English language rights from Emma Shercliff at Laxfield Literary Associates for the novel. Publication is slated for spring 2023. Translation and screen rights will be handled by the Blake Friedmann Literary Agency, in association with Laxfield Literary Associates.

“Written with a brash confidence that belies its status as a debut, Avenues by Train is a dizzying, immersive story that captures you with its opening line and doesn’t let you go," Mohamed said. "Farai explores important themes including colonialism, sex-work and PTSD with wit and whimsy to create a novel that feels fresh and exciting. I am thrilled to have acquired and be introducing this dazzling new voice to the world.”

Mudzingwa said: “Avenues by Train has been revealing itself through me for the past 5 years. I’m thrilled that Layla Mohamed and Cassava Republic “see” the story and have given it a home. I’m forever indebted to my agent Emma Shercliff for her tireless work and absolute belief in the book.”

Shercliff added: “Farai is a major new talent. The playful, intertextual nature of the narrative, juxtaposed with fast-paced, gritty satire, recalls for me the best of hard-hitting contemporary writers such as Alain Mabanckou and Fiston Mwanza Mujila. I’m delighted that Farai is in such capable and creative hands at Cassava Republic.”