Formerly known as the English Department, the Department of Literary Studies is one of the oldest departments in the University of Malawi. First established in 1965, the department has given birth to, or contributed to the staff complement of, a number of departments within what was formerly called the Faculty of Humanities. The Department of Literary Studies offers training in the critical reading and critiquing of a wide range of literatures, oral and written, from all over the world; the critique of film, particularly cinematographic practices from within the African continent as well as popular cultures across the continent. The department also offers creative writing courses that impart students with critical and creative skills. The department is committed to developing critical thinking, creativity and communication skills among its students as these are part of the 21st century skills that are essential for one to succeed in their career paths in the modern age. The department is also committed to promoting the production and research into Malawian literatures, both oral and written.

Over the years, the department has offered quality training that has seen many of its graduates excel in teaching, journalism, marketing and public relations, among other professions. Because of this high-quality training, nationally, graduates of the Literary Studies Department are some of the most sought-after, in both the public and private sectors, as employers are guaranteed of the graduates’ professionalism, integrity, and creative and critical thinking.

The department has a wide variety of modules on offer to undergraduate students. It is also the only academic institution in Malawi that currently offers postgraduate degrees in Literary Studies. It has two postgraduate programmes namely Master of Arts in Literature and PhD in Literature. Since multidisciplinarity is at the core of Literary Studies, the department plans to introduce more programmes that are interdisciplinary by partnering with other departments to offer joint postgraduate and undergraduate programmes.

The Department of Literary Studies also takes pride in the number of highly qualified staff as well as its impressive research profile. Out of a staff profile of eleven, nine have PhDs and two are studying towards attaining their doctoral degrees. These highly qualified members of staff ensure that there is quality teaching and research which is abreast with the current trends in literary studies across the globe. The department currently has one Professor, four Associate Professors, two Senior Lecturers and four Lecturers. As evident in their research profile, the staff represent a variety of research specializations, which ensure a good representation of traditional or conventional literary practices, paired with the more trendsetting areas of research that currently obtain in literary studies.