Brave young men and women, Mzuzu in July is a plateau city of serene green...
This is an unpublished poem by Prof Lupenga Mphande, an associate Prof at Ohio State University and a renowned Malawian author. The poem talks about July 20, 2011, the Mzuzu massacres.
Let me start by thanking Isaac and his team for honouring me with the noble task of introducing the book, "Into College with All Bad Luck". This task should be undertaken by a living god of literature, yet it has fallen to me as a budding writer.
As a young author who recently launched his book, What You See at Sunrise, I understand the significance of this moment. At my book launch, I had towering gods of Malawian literature including Prof Lupenga Mphande, Dr Ken Lipenga, and Prof Paul Tiyambe Zeleza Manda.
Malawian Literature and Publishing
The first book I read was Nthondo by Samuel J. Nthara, published in 1933. The second was Sikusinja ndi Gwenembe by John W. Gwenge, published in 1969. These works precede us and remind us that writing is both ordinary and extraordinary.
Today, self-publishing sounds more lucrative, but authors and publishers must work together. The Malawi Writers Union has a duty to support creative writing and literature. We must confront the impending death of Malawian literature by producing good, well-edited works.
Book Review
I have had the privilege of reading Isaac's novel. Through fictional characters that exist as students during the 2011 strikes, Isaac re-contextualizes details and crafts a thrilling fictional tale. His style of writing is simple, making it a good read for both avid readers and laymen.
It touches on police brutality, student life on campus including love and student politics told in a comical and intriguing manner. The way he describes religious faith and its consequences is both funny and educative.
It is my humble duty to introduce to Malawi and the world, the book "Into College with All Bad Luck" by Mr Isaac Pakulantanda. Congratulations Isaac!