Recollections and Reflections

The British Journey of One Former African Priest

This book is an autobiographical account by Athanasio Dzadagu, a former Zimbabwean Catholic priest, outlining and reflecting on the experiences he had in Britain during the period from 1996-2014. While indeed the book is largely about the author’s own experiences as an immigrant, an African and a Zimbabwean, in many ways it is also a reflection on the experiences of Zimbabweans in Britain. These include the challenge of being far away from home, the initial shock of finding their good English not understood, experiences while undertaking further studies, the challenge of an environment characterised by persistent negative headlines about Zimbabwe and its president, Robert Mugabe and the challenge of British social and cultural values. The book also opens the reader’s eyes to how, having come to Britain hoping to return to Zimbabwe as a high-flying academic, to teach in the Major Seminary or any one of Zimbabwe’s universities, Fr Dzadagu instead ended up leaving priesthood.