An Interview that Never Appeared

Firstly, I want your brief background

I am former secondary school teacher of English and History. However, I also worked for some years as News Reader, Editor and Producer for the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation where I was also involved in Writers Corner, a programme that analyses literature mostly by Malawian writers.

Currently, I work for University of Malawi, Chancellor College Publications, as Publishing Editor/Coordinator. However, there I also teach students Desktop Publishing on part-time basis as a Demonstrator.

Where were you born? When were you born? Where do you come from?

I was born on 14th May, 1970, at Pirimiti Mission Hospital in the Jali area of Zomba. However, my mother came from South Africa, but my father was Yao from Namikango, in the same Jali area of Zomba. In Malawi, my mother first settled at Nchoka Village in the Area of Senior Chief Ndindi in Salima, and that’s what I call my mother’s home here in Malawi.

Perhaps I should put this on record: as a result of my being born on 14th May, my parents gave me an almost impossible yardstick in the person of Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda, the country’s first Head of State, that man of letters. They kept telling me to work hard and be like Kamuzu who was celebrating his birthday on 14th May.

Married or single?

I’m married and my wife comes from Ekwendeni, Mzimba. Our family has five children, three boys and two girls. My wife is technically a nurse though currently she is in final year at College of Medicine, doing MBBS (now a holder of MBBS).

Where did you do your education? Primary, secondary and tertiary?

I did primary school at Zomba CCAP Primary School in Zomba, from 1977 to 1987 (repeating standard 6, where I took home position 98 in a packed class of 98 learners, and of course, standard 8). I was selected to Masongola Secondary School also in Zomba for secondary education. From there I was selected to Chancellor College of the University of Malawi for a degree programme in education (B Ed).

I have a Master in Intellectual Property from Africa University (Zimbabwe) in conjunction with African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation and the UN-agency World Intellectual Property Organisation. I have just clocked a year in a two-year diploma course at the School of Law, Chancellor College (now a holder of Diploma in Law). Perhaps, I should also mention that I have attended other courses besides, for example, Public Administration (a holder of Master of Public Administration and Management, now a Ph D student in the same programme) and Journalism.

How did you find yourself in the world of writing? Who inspired you?

I was inspired to write by Professor Steve Chimombo. For your information, I grew up in a village which bordered Chancellor College. We used to call it Biyandiye (a corruption of B and E.A.), a village dissolved in September 1982 because Dr Banda had wanted to turn it into a cultural village (and of course, because it "harboured thieves who were preying on university students"). Because of this proximity, I knew Steve Chimombo from my early years there. Although I had this desire to write like Steve, it was Professor Al Mtenje who set it a-motion when, one day in class, he said, “When you’re done with College and you don’t write out there, don’t claim you were my students.” In other words, he was saying you can’t claim to be educated if you don’t have anything to show for your school in terms of creativity (humanities) or of patent if you’re in sciences.

How many books have you written so far? Where do you see yourself in the world of writing in the next five years?

I have written over ten works of English as a subject, and all are for the secondary school level. I have edited one tertiary work, and I also have a published compilation of my short stories.

Currently, I have a finished manuscript, in form of novel and it bears the title ‘Unfinished Business’. However, I also have a finished autobiography though I intend to publish it when I hit fifty or thereabout.

You have been a judge in so many competitions in the country, do you think we are making progress as a country in the world of writing?

I have heard people say we are not making progress in the writing frontier as a country. I beg to differ. What is our yardstick on that front?

There are very good writers in Malawi. I know some fine writers such as Steve Chimombo, DD Phiri, James Ng’ombe, Max Iphani, Zondiwe Mbano, Wisdom Nkhoma, Dale Mthatiwa, Ben Malunga, Hoffman Aipira, Alfred Msadala, Albert Harawa, Temwani Mgunda, Khalipwina Mpina, Lawrence Kadzitche, Nancy Phiri, Mike Mvona, who, if given a surefire publishing outlet and under a powerful editorship, can produce winning works. I know Malawians who are publishing with Publishers from as far as the US, and to say we’re not making progress shows me we are deprived of some information about brilliant men and women who are making themselves a name out there.

One thing people don’t understand is that all powerful writers were made by powerful editors. I often say people such as Achebe were lucky in that their works were handled by master editors. In Malawi, you handle everything alone because professional editors charge exorbitantly. When judging these writers, judge them with that understanding. Moreover, when defining good works, whose taste do you use?

What would you be your advice to the budding writers?

I hate this term ‘budding writer’. It segregates. It shows others masters, others servants. One can start and make a breakthrough straight away. That’s what happened with Chinua Achebe and Ngugi wa Thiong’o. Anyway, my advice to the ‘budding writer’ is: writing never lies. No matter how long it takes, if you are persistent, you are bound to dine with the great.

What do you to do when free?

When free I like to think or watch brutal military films; from these I find the other side of man.

And your favourite meal?

Nsima crushed in fresh milk, eating using dessert spoon. I was introduced this by my mother when I was young and it’s the best meal you can place on my dinner or lunch table.

General comment on life?

One can be the best writer but when one is weak on the moral front, chances are slim for him or her to harvest his or her talent especially in the advent of HIV and AIDS. The danger with fame or popularity is that you make friends with people of different motives. But I think the best defense is for writers to also be GOD-fearing. As a person, yes, one might fail and even fall terribly, but one must never forget the name of GOD.

Any other comments you can make as regards writing?

The world we live in has suddenly turned a credential society where certificates matter so much. But for me, if you do not have a written work to show for your school, I will have doubts to endorse you in my category of educated people. The reason is: the certificate gives you the credential status, but it is the writing that proffers authority.

Lastly, although writing can go with a little school, it works better with a lot of school, and by school, I mean reading as though if you didn’t you’d be killed.