Khitchini Hub at City Centre in Lilongwe is on March 7 set to host a book festival to celebrate and promote the reading culture.
Organised by Books and More, a bookshop located at City Centre, the event seeks to promote the reading culture in Malawi and will be spiced up by activities such as arts and crafts, music, open mic for poetry and spoken word, games and children’s activities.
In an interview, Books and More bookshop assistant Cephas Chiyabwe said the event, rolled out in 2025, will bring together readers and book lovers from across the country.
“We invite book sellers to mount their stalls at the event. They will connect with hundreds of literature lovers in a vibrant marketplace,” he said.
Chiyabwe bemoaned the decline of reading culture of hard copy books in the country and attributed it to factors such as digital distractions from smartphones and social media, economic hardships that make books seem like non-essential purchases and limited access to libraries and bookstores in many communities.
“In addition to this, we have an education system that emphasises reading mainly for examinations rather than pleasure and knowledge, lack of strong reading role models at home and language barriers that reduce engagement with available materials,” he said.
Chiyabwe said book lovers’ market events are, therefore, important because they rebuild reading communities, improve access to affordable books, promote local authors, inspire young readers and reposition reading as a social, enjoyable and empowering habits essential for personal development and national intellectual growth.
In a separate interview, one of the writers in the country, Chifuniro Banda has applauded Books and More for organising the event.
“This is a welcome move, especially to writers and authors in Lilongwe. It’s an opportunity for them to be known and to let the book lovers in the city know about them, what they write and where to access the books,” he said.
