Ekari chirombo: author, publisher, creative director

Ekari Chirombo was fortunate to grow up in a household filled with books.

She also attended schools with extensive libraries, igniting her love for reading.

This passion naturally evolved into a love for writing and for Ekari, writing is as natural as breathing.

She is an accomplished author and publisher, serving as creative director and editor of Story Ink Africa, an organisation she founded.

Her fist poem, The Rainforest, was published when she was 7 years old.

Ekari’s mission is to revive interest in storytelling in Malawi and beyond, fostering a sustainable platform for aspiring young writers to thrive.

She explained: “Although I’ve always been passionate about storytelling, I noticed a lack of interest in reading for pleasure among many Malawians. That’s why I felt compelled to establish Story Ink Africa in 2017, a platform where aspiring writers could connect.”

Among their accomplishments is hosting of about 40 writers in Lilongwe and Blantyre.

They also secured funding to support their expansion.

Ekari recounted an encounter with a writer who had nearly given up on writing until discovering Story Ink Africa, which renewed his passion after realising there was a community that cared about his work.

She had to restructure the organisation due to Covid-19 lockdowns, transitioning to an online platform and rebranding as Story Ink Africa Writing Services.

Currently, it provides editing services for curriculum vitaes, book manuscripts, dissertations and more.

The author noted the positive aspect of this transition, highlighting their ability to serve clients across the globe.

On a personal note, the shift allowed Ekari to sustain the organisation while relocating to join her husband in Zimbabwe and becoming a mother.

She mentioned plans to revive the events aspect, but timing is crucial as it requires considerable creative energy.

“For now, my focus is on sustaining it by offering writing and editing services for those who aim to make an impact with their writing, whether academically, professionally or creatively,” she said.

Ekari explains that despite studying something else at university, literature remains an integral part for her.

She attempted to abandon writing to pursue her chosen career path, but she nearly fell into depression.

“It was then I realised writing would always be a part of me, whether part-time or otherwise. So, I began taking my writing more seriously, starting with short stories— from my very first, The Elephant in the Room to my most critically acclaimed, Montague’s Last, recognised by several international publications and reviewers.”

“My next venture is into writing longer works and I’m eagerly anticipating the release of my first full-length novel.”

She also talks about her upcoming digital anthology titled Mombera Rising, co-authored with Muthi Nhlema.

It is a story about the Ngoni Chronicles of nature futures from Malawi.

She was invited by Nhlema to join a writing project coordinated by two universities; the University of Stockholm in Sweden and the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa.

They explored the relationship between indigenous communities and ecological sustainability.

Ekari said:”As part of this research, we were asked to document the perspectives of the people we studied using the framework ‘How do you imagine your future to look like?’ But instead of just writing essays, they wanted us to use our imagination as science fiction writers to create visions of the future on their behalf.”

The duo conducted workshops, interviews and studied information about the Ngoni people, combined it with their imagination to create Mombera Rising.

Ekari said readers should expect   to learn a lot about the Ngoni culture.

She added that there are three stories in the anthology, taking place in chronological order with a timeline guide included to follow the sequence of events.

However, each story can be read as a standalone tale.

Her advice to aspiring writers, especially women is to read in their area of interest and beyond

“Stay curious about your surroundings, experiences and figure out how to replicate them with words. Read about the craft of writing, how to write sentences, chapters and characters.

“Read about how to revise your novel, get it edited professionally if you can. Get feedback from readers, other writers and if you are lucky, meet one you admire,” she said

Ekari has drawn inspiration and and mentorship from both male and female writers.

“The most important thing for me is that your story is written from a place of passion and authenticity,” she adds

She recently became one of the recipients of the Kekere Storytellers Fund to support the completion of her novel.

The award funds storytellers who shape a new and positive image of Africa with their writing.

“I also won second place in a competition called The Writer in 2016, run by The Naked Convos, a Nigerian blog which unfortunately seems no longer active.

“I was the only Malawian out of 12 finalists, the other 11 were Nigerians. Winning the competition was what initially put me on the map in the writing world— whether I was ready for it or not,” she said.

Ekari has written over 15 short stories for personal projects, magazines and publications.

She has authored two books; Montague’s Last available on Amazon and Mombera Kingdom, set for release on March 8 this year.

Born in Lilongwe to parents who were IT and engineering professionals, Ekari grew up with her twin sister and younger brother.

Her late father, Richard Mbvundula, came from Phalombe, while her mother, Thandikile Mbvundula, is from Likoma.

She studied Environmental Sciences at the University of Cape Town where she met a young Zimbabwean who later become her husband.

Ekari moved to Zimbabwe three years ago and started a family.

When asked about her free time, she mentioned that with a toddler, free time feels like a myth. However, she pushes herself to carve out time to work on passion projects like her novel.

She love to travel and incorporate them into her stories.

She sees stories as a fantastic way to promote tourism, especially showcasing the beautiful locations in Malawi and Africa.