Story Club continues to engage different international players in its different projects and this weekend it will host literary sessions in Lilongwe to feature among others Stephanie Bosch Santana from USA.
Founder of Story Club, Shadreck Chikoti, confirmed the development yesterday saying they would want to help uplift writing in the country hence hosting more international sessions.
Chikoti, who with the Story Club recently launched an anthology titled Imagine Africa 500 featuring writers from Africa including some from Malawi, said Santana arrived in the country on Tuesday.
According to Chikoti, Santana is a professor of African literature at Michigan University.
“We are pleased to have her for our literary sessions. As Story Club all we want is for our writers to grow and we want Malawi to be on the same page with the international platform,” said Chikoti.
He said Santana is a huge promoter of African literature and is well connected with the African literary scene.
He also said that apart from hosting Santana, they also have another literary session on July 7 featuring international literary session with Zukiswa Wanner and James Murua.
“Zukiswa is a well known African writer. She was last year’s judge of Etisalat Literary Prize and she was shortlisted for the Commonwealth short story prize,” said Chikoti.
He also said Zukiswa is part of the African 38 writer and that she is of South Africa and Zimbabwean roots while Murua is from Kenya.
Meanwhile Chikoti, who is the Malawi Writers Union (Mawu) vice president, has also revealed that he will not contest for any position during the annual general meeting(AGM) scheduled for July 8 in Liwonde.
Top on the agenda of the AGM are the elections of the national executive to serve the next four years.
“I will not stand for any position in Mawu. You may wish to know that there will be elections during the AGM. I want to give a chance to others. I don’t want to be associated with the notion of clinging to power,” he said.
Chikoti said he wants to have more time to write but also at the same time drive the Story Club.
“I have the Story Club to run and many have asked me to stand but my hands are full. I just wish those contesting all the best,” said the Peer Gynt Award recipient.
Current President Sambalikagwa Mvona has since said he will stand again.
Apart from the position of president, the other positions up for grabs during the elections are vice, secretary, treasurer and publicity secretary.
The AGM will also elect chairpersons for the Budding, Women and Religious Writers’ Desk.
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