Ekari Writes

In November I got together with a few writerly friends to read short samples of the fiction we had written  at Jacaranda Cultural Centre in Mandala, the last neighbourhood before getting into the busiest part of town . I thought it would be a chill evening with a couple of Blantyre's book fans... what I did not expect was a full house, intense enthusiasm and excitement, and a sparked hunger for more! No fewer than 3 unrelated people asked me when the next event would be, while budding writers and avid audience members filled up the attendance sheet. Turns out Blantyre needs stories...  So, as promised, we got back to the drawing board and schemed and planned until we could plan and scheme no more... We have settled on the evening of the 19th of January 2018 for the next session, and aim to host it every month on a Friday. For writers who are interested in attending the next or future events, please send your submissions to ekarimbvundula@gmail.com ...

"Undying Love" Artwork by Olisa Onwualu So, a second story of mine has been selected for publication on Omenana, my favourite Nigerian speculative fiction online magazine! Titled "Undying Love", it tells the tale of two young lovers based in Johannesburg who find themselves affronted by a unique trial... a malevolent spirit possesses him, and becomes a direct threat to her safety. Omenana hires their own artist to read through submissions and create an image that the artist believes best fits each story. I am extremely happy with this artwork, and how the artist interpreted the pivotal scene of the story. It enhances the story for the reader, helping the visualisation of the story in the theatre of the mind... Or maybe you can decide for yourself on Omenana.com . Enjoy, share, review! UPDATE: If you would like to read a quick paragraph review before digging into it, see this one by Charles Payseur: Quick Sips - Omenana #10 -------- Like my stories?...

I've been collecting a stack of fiction that centrally features black characters, so after spinning around with my eyes closed and picking one at random, I started with reading  Amber and the Hidden City .  The book is a fantasy adventure story by  African-American  author Milton J. Davis, centered around the titular character. Amber is a 13 year old African-American girl who discovers that her grandmother is actually from the mystical city of Marai, which is magically hidden in the Sahara. Amber has inherited her grandmother's talents as a seer, and is urgently needed to guide the elders of Marai to who the next leader will be. The only problem is, she has no idea that the city is real, and the knowledge turns her whole world view upside down... She embarks on a dangerous trek across the world with her grandmother, to Paris, Senegal, Timbuktu, and finally Marai - all the while pursued by the minions of a power-hungry Marai elitist with his eye on the ...

Something important happened when the Black Panther poster and subsequent trailer dropped (an unorthodox 8 months before the movie release date). The film was already greatly anticipated by comic book movie fans since the character's introduction in Captain America: Civil War, but the trailer for the 2018 solo film propelled it to new heights  I have felt from the moment Marvel's character Black Panther appeared in Civil War, that this was going to be something different, something special. Every now and then, a piece of art in the form of cinema changes movies, and even culture itself, forever.  I'm not saying Black Panther's solo movie will do that, but there are some aspects that it has already begun to affect in various degrees: 1. People call him the "First" Black Superhero Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther Now, many will dispute this and bring up Blade as the truly first black superhero. While he was iconic in his own right, the Da...

The Writer 2016 competition was honestly one of the best experiences in my writing career so far. It transformed me by challenging what I mistakenly thought was the limit of my writing capabilities. Despite many self-doubts, I did it! I wrote 4 stories, given only a week to complete each one, and built up the discipline needed to finish any of my writing projects faster.  Since the competition, many of you were bold enough to touch base and ask me for help in your own writing. This woke me up to the fact that despite popular belief, many of us are writing fiction, right here in Malawi, but without proper guidance, discipline, and publishing opportunities, many of our stories stay parked on our desktops, or worse, get stuck in our heads. Thus, the Creative Writing Workshop was born.  If you are a struggling writer, I am ready to meet with you to teach what I have learnt about finishing and polishing a short story. We will cover the subject over 2 days, providing opportun...