“The insight and delight that Andrew’s words give is different and indispensable in an earth grown factious…” – Stan Galloway, Professor of English, Bridgewater College, Virginia, USA
Andrew Manyika is a comedian and award-winning poet and writer from Zimbabwe.Combining wit, wordplay and an infectious sense of humour, he brings a unique approach to stand-up comedy and performance poetry. Twin vehicles through which he queries the world we live in and pokes fun at our shared quirks.
Andrew established his career in Johannesburg, SA, where in 2010 he won the University of Johannesburg International Students Poetry Competition. In 2011 he then won his first slam – the Drama For Life Poetry Slam, and has followed this up with appearances at national and international festivals including the WordNSound Festival (2011-2015); and the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) 2014. At HIFA he made his Zimbabwean comedy debut with a sold-out run, whilst simultaneously performing at HIFA’s Hivos Poetry Corner.
In 2013 Andrew hosted the WordNSound International Poetry Festival, where he was nominated in the prestigious WordNSound Awards (Best Showcase; Perfect Poem). 2015 saw him host the Shoko Festival Comedy Night, and become anthologised in “Home is Where the Mic Is” a collection of African poetry published in SA.
February of 2016 saw him debut his one-man show “Love & Laughter” to positive reception, and in 2017 he had his maiden American tour at the BackDoor Comedy Club (Dallas, Tx); The Bridgewater International Poetry Festival 2017; and Furious Flower Poetry Centre (the first Zimbabwean to appear at these venues).
With his star steadily on the rise, join Andrew on his quest to conquer all things Spoken Word in his country and continent.