Behind the Façade and Other Stories

In this collection of taut stories, David Chasumba tells it like it is, with delicate tales about foibles of modern life in the city and countryside. Anything can happen when congregants get involved in incongruous but steamy love affairs. Anything can be used as a weapon when a man does not fancy his soon to be son-in-law. Any feelings come to the fore when a black girl thinks she is too dark-skinned. Anything goes when racist traffic police meets a cheeky, wide-eyed migrant driver on the wide highways of Europe. Out of this writer's pen emerges new problems and new solutions. 

~Memory Chirere, University of Zimbabwe: NAMA winner (2024) for Outstanding Poetry Book, Shamhu yeZera Renyu



David Chasumba is an award-winning Zimbabwean Author and Poet. His debut short story collection, The Mad Man on First Street and Other Short Stories, won a National Arts Merit Award in 2023 for Outstanding First Creative Published Work, in Zimbabwe. 

His short story, Crossing the Rubicon, was longlisted for the Fish Publishing Short Story Competition (2013-14). He has published short stories and poems with Kalahari Review. He has also published poems in British Haiku Society anthology (2023), and Ipikai Poetry Journal (2022-23).

His short stories have been published in five anthologies:

Zimbolicious 8: anthology of Zimbabwean literature and Arts (2023)

A Bundle of Joy and Other Short Stories from Africa (2014)

Momaya Short Story Review: (Treasure) (2015)

Small Worlds anthology (2014)

Reflections anthology (2015)