Ubwali Literary Magazine

Ubwali, Zambia’s newest literary magazine, launches

Ubwali, a new literary magazine founded by Mubanga Kalimamukwento, Mbozi Haimbe, and Fiske Nyirongo, launched on Saturday, February 24, 2024.

Zambia is the home of great writers like Ellen Banda-Aaku, Namwali Serpell, Mubanga Kalimamukwento, Natasha Omokhodion-Kalulu Banda, Dambisa Moyo, Kafula Mwila, Mbozi Haimbe among many others. It is also the home of literary awards like the Kalemba Short Story Prize and the Tell Your Own Story Awards.

On Saturday, the Southern African country added a new product to its burgeoning arts space; the Ubwali Literary Magazine. Its tagline is “stories that nourish us” which works quite well as “Ubwali” is a thick porridge made of mealie meal in the Bemba community (in other communities’ similar dishes are called ugali, sadza, nsima, pap, et al).  It was founded by Mubanga Kalimamukwento, Mbozi Haimbe, and Fiske Nyirongo with support from players in literary communities on the continent and the diaspora and describes itself thus;

Zambian storytelling, like our cooking, is very straightforward: each dish has a list of trusted ingredients, and the method of preparation is tried and tested. Ubwali, our staple, is cooked over high heat with just two ingredients––mealie meal and water, one pot, one cooking stick and a little bit of patience. Our food and stories are just as elegant, polished, and confident.

At Ubwali Literary Magazine, we want stories that are as sure as this Zambian favourite, stories that you can come to many times over and leave satiated yet knowing you will return again. We want poems that feel like an old friend telling us a new yet familiar story. We want essays that know where the perfect full stop is, how to leave us wondering what happened next, searching for this author’s new words. Give us photographs that capture the elegance of Zambia and the depths of her flavours.

The publication’s inaugural contributors of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction are Theresa Sylvester, Jacob M’Hango, Emily Pensulo, Mukandi Siame, Mali Kambandu, Gerry Sikazwe, Suwilanji Namusamba, and Cornelius Mwanza. Mubanga Kalimamukwento is the Editor-in-chief and Fiske Nyirongo and Mbozi Haimbe are co-editors.

The Hope Prize

Alongside the new magazine, the team has also introduced The Hope Prize which celebrates the best of Zambian prose and poetry. Only work by Zambian writers published in Ubwali Literary Magazine will be considered for the prize worth $500.

To read the newest writing from Zambia, please click here.

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Comments

One response to “Ubwali, Zambia’s newest literary magazine, launches”

  1. Abraham Malala avatar

    Great works rendered by Zambians, we are very thrilled to see you guys growing so big even outside the country. Show the world how capable we are as Zambians

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