Malawi seems to be heading in the right direction in its creative writing renaissance as it has, since 2019, had four representatives in the International Writing Programme (IWP) Fall Residency which is held at annually at the University of Iowa in United States of America (USA).
The writers that have made the grade are Shadreck Chikoti (2019), Muthi Nhlema (2021) and Wesley Macheso (2023), with Smith Likongwe getting a slot this year.
The four have followed in the footsteps of the late Edison Mpina (1982), Professor Steve Chimombo (1983) and Steve Sharra ( 1997).
Nhlema yesterday said Malawi is getting international recognition with its positive trends in IWP.
“Most people have been saying that creative writing is dead but with such trends, should we say that creative writing is dead? Is this a writing renaissance? Or should we go ahead to say there is huge progress on the global scene but there is lack of support or investment to grow on the local scene?” questioned the brains behind Mombera Rising.
He said he benefitted a lot through his participation in the programme.
“I have been writing but my participation in the IWP made me gain a lot and that pushed me to work on projects such as Mombera Rising,” Nhlema said.
He dared the country to invest enough in creative writing, saying this would help produce positive results at both the local and international front.
The IWP is the oldest and largest multinational writing residency in the world.
With a tradition of excellence that has continued over five decades, the IWP annually brings outstanding authors from every continent to the University of Iowa in USA, an American research institution internationally renowned for its writing programmes.
Likongwe, a veteran playwright and University of Malawi (Unima) drama and theatre studies lecturer, has since left for the programme, which started on September 1 and ends on November 17.
The dramatist, whose publications include Kamuzu Banda and Other Plays (2019), Living Playscripts: A Trilogy (2018) and Prose, Poetry and Drama: A Malawian Anthology (2023), is among the 32 selected writers from different countries.
The other writers in the 2024 Fall Residency are Karoline Kamel from Egypt, Nurit Kasztelan from Argentina, Tabish Khair from Denmark and Daryl Li from Singapore.
Likongwe said recently that he was honoured to be part of the programme, describing it as important for Malawi “because it registers itself as one African country that has writers that can be counted on the world stage in spite of the inadequate presence regarding publications”.
“I feel priviledged to hoist the Malawi flag at this prestigious writers’ residency because it is a literary communion of the highest order in the world,” the veteran dramatist said.
He revealed that he had a writing project up his sleeves.
Sharra said that it is remarkable that four Malawian writers have been selected in the last five years.
“Malawian writing is experiencing a renaissance, and it is happening in the English language as well as in Chichewa. We just witnessed the first ever Malawian writing residency at the University of Malawi. This is an important milestone, which will likely spur more interest and better quality in Malawian writing,” he said.
The University of Iowa is home to the Iowa Writers’ Workshop (IWW), which goes back to 1936.
In 2008, Unesco designated Iowa City, home to the IWP and IWW, as a City of Literature.
The US Department of State is a major source of support for the programme.
Since 1967, over 1,600 writers from more than 160 countries have been in residence at the University of Iowa in United States of America.
