Draft:Jill Baker (author)

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Jill Baker (Author) OAM
Born	Jill Hammond Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia
Occupation	Author Journalist Broadcaster Activist political advisor
Language	English, Sindebele
Citizenship	Australian
Alma mater	Guildhall School of Music
Genre	Historical fiction, Biograpy
Notable works	Beloved African, The Zambezi Trilogy
Notable awards	Order of Australia Medal
Spouse	Tony Baker (1964-1974) ​ ​ (divorced)​ John Lambert (1982-2008) ​ ​ (died)​ Ray Elford (2012) ​ (present)​
Children	Nicola
Parents	John and Nancy Hammond
Website
jillbakerauthor.com

Jill Baker born 5th December 1940 is a Rhodesian/Australian writer. She has written two books, the first, Beloved African, a biography of her father's life; and the second, the first part of The Zambezi Trilogy, The Horns. Parts 2 and 3 are in progress.

Biography

Baker was the daughter of John Hammond, MA Cantab, headmaster of two of the first African Government schools in Southern Rhodesia Mzingwane in Matabeleland and Goromonzi in Mashonaland - and Nancy Sugden, LRAM, graduate of the Royal Academy of Music London.

Among her childhood friends were three amaNdebele boys Dumiso Dabengwa, Ernest Bulle and Prune Madeya, whose life paths form the basis of the future Zambezi Trilogy.

Radio and TV

Baker worked from 1967 to 1980 as a freelance journalist, TV newsreader, current affairs anchor, and host of classical music and documentary programmes at Rhodesia Television (RTV) and The Rhodesian Broadcasting Corporation, (RBC)and then until 1983 for the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation. During this time she worked with a team from the BBC putting forward proposals for a new youth music station. This was approved and Baker worked in a training, management and broadcasting role for Radio III introducing new young Black and White presenters, to the new Zimbabwe.

Co-Ord-A-Nation

Baker founded Co-Ord-A-Nation in 1976, providing training and support for women, as well as running Forces Canteens.

The Zimbabwe connection

Working with the Australian Department of Immigration, Baker and a team of volunteers helping to resettle black and white Zimbabweans into new homes and jobs.

For her work in resettling those families largely into farming areas, she was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 2005.

Authorship

Baker's first book - Beloved African, is a biography of her father John Hammond's life as headmaster in the early days of African Education, at Tjolotjo, Mzingwane and Goromonzi Schools, from 1936 to 1965.

Beloved African was launched at the Adelaide Writers' Week in February 2000, published by Covos Day in South Africa, Australia, and the UK.. As the original hard cover and paperback copies are no longer available, the book is available on Amazon as an e-book and as of August 2023, as a paperback.

THE ZAMBEZI TRILOGY Reunion in 2010 with childhood friend, Dumiso Dabengwa, who had become Intelligence Supremo and Commander of the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army, ZIPRA resulted in the publication on Amazon, of the first book of the Trilogy "The Horns" .

Book 1: The Horns

The Horns covers the period from the establishment of Matabeleland in 1840 by King Mzilikazi to Rhodesia's declaration of Independence from Britain in 1965. On September 14th, 2018, it was launched at the Bulawayo Theatre in Zimbabwe, by Dr Dumiso Dabengwa.Subsequent book tours were arranged to South Africa and Australia. The Horns was first published by Amazon in 2019 with further publications in Johannesburg and Australia. <

Book 2:

This book continues the story from 1966 to TLancaster House in 1979. It will be launched in London in 2024.

Book 3:

The final book of The Zambezi Trilogy starts with the inauguration of Prime Minister Robert Mugabe in 1980 and will be co-authored by an African journalist.

Appointment as a Special Envoy

Baker has been appointed a Special Envoy to the Matebele Royal Family, The House of Khumalo.Through video logs on her YouTube channel @JillBakerZim she has been talking about the Matabele stories she grew up with. These have become a useful resource to young Matabele children as their history is no longer taught at schools in Zimbabwe.