Okomaatani Malunga hails Malawi radios for promoting poetry

Malawi’s celebrated poet Benedicto Okomaatani Malunga has hailed radio stations in the country for promoting poetry in 2014, saying this has also helped many upcoming poets to expose their talents.

Speaking in an interview with Nyasa Times,  Malunga said in the past years the industry has had no outlets compared to the current status where booming broadcasting houses are opening up for poets.

“In the couple of years when most of us were beginning to write, we never had outlets and I must commend media houses, most especially radio stations for creating poetry programmes. This is very encouraging to writers,” said Malunga.

He, however, asked radio stations to go through the poems before airing them, saying this will help in giving out quality.

“Beyond creating outlets they should also have producers that understand what creativity is, what craftsmanship is, so that even as they choose what to air they should be guided by quality.”

He continued: “The more we listen to quality poetry the more we will have more examples that others can emulate and start writing quality poems.”

One of the renowned poets, Robert Chiwamba observed that poetry is losing quality as people are writing without following principles of poetry.

Chiwamba also thanked the public for supporting the industry last year.

Some of the radio stations which adopted poetry programmes are Channel for All Nations (CAN), JOY Radio, Galaxy FM, Matindi FM, Ufulu FM, Maziko Radio, and Nkhoma FM among others.

The poetry industry has rapidly grown with new faces like Samuel Joseph, Patwel Phiri, Humble C, Mlakatuli Nankhoma, Luckier Chikopa, Padiwa Kasho and Raphael Sitima.