UNIMA Literary Studies Department Holds Creative Writing Masterclass

In the domain of Malawian writing, the University of Malawi has always stood out as being one of the major influences. Many of the country's writers have been nurtured in various ways by the University. In that regard, the institution has striven to ensure that the training continues year after year. This year, the Department of Literary Studies organised a Masterclass in Creative Writing from 11th to 14th August, 2025. 

Over the four days, the department, represented by Dr Wesley Macheso (Head of Department), Professor Ken Junior Lipenga and Dr Tanaka Chidora, engaged participants in theoretical and practical sessions on the writing of fiction, poetry and non-fiction. Participants sampled work from existing writers, and also had the opportunity to draft and showcase their own work. The sessions covered a variety of topics such as story plotting, character development, poetic language, creative non-fiction techniques, and the importance of cultural context in writing. 

Speaking during the function, Dr Macheso emphasized the need for writers to aim for a global audience. “Malawi has lost its visibility on the global literary scene,” he said. “But through workshops such as these, we hope to help restore that presence. One of the strategies used during our sessions was peer-review, through which writers can sharpen each other’s skills.” 

Participants shared the enthusiasm. Mr. Jeromy Chatama stated that despite the period being very short, he still learned a lot, especially through the interaction with other writers. Another of the participants, Ms. Aminah Milanzi, observed that the workshop boosted her confidence in creative writing. Another Zomba-based writer, Mr Emmanuel Chikuse, pointed out that he appreciated the teaching methodology of the sessions, which focused on practical work. “Personally, this workshop has given me three short story ideas and three poems which would not have been there otherwise,” he said.

The workshop ended with the presentation of certificates of attendance to the participants.