Natasha Omokhodion and Mulenga Kapwepwe had a chat on their new titles in Lusaka, Zambia on August 15, 2024. Natasha Omokhodion’s new novel is Even if the Stars Should Fall and Mulenga Kapwepwe’s is Perfect Marriage.
Natasha Omokhodion first came to the attention of the African literary community when her manuscript No Be From Hia was a Graywolf Africa Press finalist in 2019. It followed Zambian-Nigerian and Zambian-Jamaican Maggie Ayomide and Bupe Kombe in their search for identity, love and acceptance from London to Lusaka to Lagos in order to save their family. It was published in Zambia and then went on to markets in South Africa, Canada, and the US.
The latest book from the Zambian is Even if the Stars Should Fall which has the following blurb;
Mid 1950’s. Northern Rhodesia. Angie is devoted to Prophetess Alice Lenshina. She dreams of a country where women take their rightful place as leaders. A world where everyone is treated fairly. Luka, her husband, fights for equality and justice in a segregated society. His love for Angie is rivalled only by her daughter’s. But the colony churns in turbulent times. A Federation between Rhodesia and Nyasaland has formed, and the African majority fear apartheid from the South will grip them. Forever. Will Angie and Luka’s love survive the struggle? Even if the Stars Should Fall is an intimate portrait of a family from an era since erased. A story about the triumph of great love when caught in the crossfire of religion and politics, colonisation and freedom.
Mulenga Kapwepwe is a distinguished Zambian author and social activist who has garnered widespread recognition for her remarkable contributions to the field of women’s history, having co-founded the Zambian Women’s History Museum. Her newest book Perfect Marriage comes with the following blurb;
Dr Bwalya Katanshi and Dr Musonda Katongo are Zambian academics working in America. After meeting and falling in love, they decide to tie the knot. Neuroscientist Bwalya returns to Zambia ahead of Musonda, a mechanical engineer, to finalise their wedding arrangements. But the harmony is shattered when Musonda arrives. He is less than enthusiastic about embracing tradition and especially travelling to the village for their marriage rites and ceremonies. This reluctance strains their relationship and creates tension between the lovers, their future in-laws, and the entire village, jeopardizing the couple’s future happiness. Rich with captivating depictions of Zambia’s natural and cultural heritage, Perfect Marriage offers profound lessons and insights into the interconnectedness of human beings with their environment, with God, and with love-all shown through the lens of Bemba beliefs and practices.
Lusaka residents were treated to readings and a conversation between the two writers at The Space, on August 15. Those who attended got to engage with the two leading Zambian writers and after the conversation had their books signed and selfies.
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