Diaspora Dreams

"Chatora gives us an honest account of the migrant's experiences in a world that seeks to silence him. Diaspora Dreams is simultaneously suffocating and isolating. Battle after battle, the reader is constantly thrown into the unforgiving world of a black man in a white man's world." - Tariro Ndoro, Author Agringada: Like a Gringa, Like a Foreigner. Diaspora Dreams is Andrew Chatora's debut novella. It details the life and struggles of Kundai Mafirakureva, a Zimbabwean immigrant living in the United Kingdom. When Kundai departs a failing Zimbabwe for the greener pastures of England, he is convinced that his luck will immediately change. Yet what he finds in the UK convinces him that all that glitters is not always gold. Chatora takes us on a journey that acquaints us with Thames Valley, where Kundai must negotiate his place and his voice in a world where African men are not welcome. Set against the backdrop of petty classroom squabbles that constantly remind Kundai of his lower status as an immigrant, Diaspora Dreams exposes the tensions of working in the diaspora. The pressures of Britain also bear down on Kundai's family and relationships, threatening, in the words of du Bois, to "tear his soul asunder."

Biographies & Memoirs

Chatora, Andrew

Community & Culture

Kharis Publishing, an imprint of Kharis Media LLC

"Chatora gives us an honest account of the migrant's experiences in a world that seeks to silence him. Diaspora Dreams is simultaneously suffocating and isolating. Battle after battle, the reader is constantly thrown into the unforgiving world of a black man in a white man's world." - Tariro Ndoro, Author Agringada: Like a Gringa, Like a ForeignerDiaspora Dreams is Andrew Chatora's debut novella. It details the life and struggles of Kundai Mafirakureva, a Zimbabwean immigrant living in the United Kingdom. When Kundai departs a failing Zimbabwe for the greener pastures of England, he is convinced that his luck will immediately change. Yet what he finds in the UK convinces him that all that glitters is not always gold.Chatora takes us on a journey that acquaints us with Thames Valley, where Kundai must negotiate his place and his voice in a world where African men are not welcome. Set against the backdrop of petty classroom squabbles that constantly remind Kundai of his lower status as an immigrant, Diaspora Dreams exposes the tensions of working in the diaspora. The pressures of Britain also bear down on Kundai's family and relationships, threatening, in the words of du Bois, to "tear his soul asunder."

Religion & Spirituality

Kharis Publishing

“Where The Heart Is offers a nuanced view of one family’s struggle to negotiate cold Britannia as they face dicey neighbourhoods, sketchy liaisons, and perennial ill-fate. Chatora’s diaspora is not the glorified El Dorado; it is an honest place of grit and survival. A stellar contribution.”\n– Tariro Ndoro, Author Agringada: Like a Gringa, Like a Foreigner\nFor migrant Fari Mupawaenda, life cannot be complete without quitting the back breaking struggle for survival in the UK and returning to the laid-back streets of a warm Harare… but does it make sense for him to want to return to the periphery once more? The man who returns, why does he return? To what does he return? 
His wife, a zealous cosmopolitan, the daughter, a conflicted bed-hopping undergraduate, and the son, a budding homosexual, will not follow Fari in his trip to what they see as the back of beyond. They have decided to invest fully where they are. 
Fari’s reverse trip is a story about the human body, a tight memory test and a duel between geography and anticipation… 
Masterful in style and form, the narratives in Andrew Chatora’s Where the Heart Is are intensely provocative. 
-Memory Chirere- University of Zimbabwe\nWhat others say about this book: 
Masterful in style and form, the narratives in Andrew Chatora’s Where the Heart Is are intensely provocative. 
-Memory Chirere, University of Zimbabwe\nWhere the Heart Is, is a compelling story told against the backdrop of Brexit era Britain, where it is becoming increasingly difficult to live as an immigrant. 
- (This is Africa)\nA masterful exploration of what living in post-Brexit Britain is like through the perspectives of immigrants. Offers unvarnished insights. 
-Stan Onai Mushava – Author, Poet\nThrough an expertly woven tour de force, criss-crossing the streets of Harare, London, and Bangkok, Chatora’s characters seamlessly forge their own stories and identities in a poignant, immersive way which will enthral you. 
-Gift Mheta, Durban University, South Africa\nBeautifully written and evocative, Where the Heart Is shines an illuminating light into diverse migrant experiences as they struggle to forge ties and make sense of their lived experiences. 
-Malvern Mukudu, Author, Rhodes University, South Africa\nWhere the Heart Is offers an unforgettable tableau of the struggles so endured by many immigrants. 
-Tichaona Chinzowu, Westminster University, UK\nAbout the Author: 
Andrew Chatora writes novels and short stories and hails from Zimbabwe. He received an MA in Media, Culture and Communication from UCL. His writing explores multifarious themes of belonging, identity politics, citizenship and nationhood issues. Where the Heart Is, is his second novel following his highly successful debut novella: Diaspora Dreams. Andrew is principally interested in the global politics of inequality which he interrogates through his writing. When he is not writing, he is working on his PhD thesis on Digital Piracy, with Birmingham City University’s School of Media and English

WHERE THE HEART IS

Inside Harare Alcatraz and Other Short Stories

Literature & Fiction

United States

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Chatora, Andrew. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Chatora, Andrew