Malawi Writers Union (Mawu) has said that it is committed to delivering a process and outcome of its short story competition which it introduced early this year.
The competition, whose deadline for receiving entries was May 2025, was expected to announce the shortlist in June with the award ceremony scheduled for last month. But nothing fruitful has come out to this far forcing some writers across the country to query the delay in awarding the winners.
But Mawu spokersperson Chifuniro Banda writing on his Facebook page said the writers body fully understands the concerns regarding the progress of the short story competition and that they were sorting things out.
He admitted that at planning stage, Mawu set dates for receiving entries, shortlisting and the award giving ceremony but pointed out the timelines were based on assumptions made earlier in the year and also aimed to accommodate other scheduled Mawu activities before the year ends.
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“We received an overwhelming number of entries. Our esteemed judges- who are independent from both Mawu board of directors and executive committee – have diligently reviewed all submissions. We believe that this thorough and independent process ensures that selection is made purely on merit,” Banda said. He said they were confident that the final list will reflect this.
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“While the judges, like the board and the executive committee, are aware of the initially communicated timelines, we have collectively agreed that quality must take precedence over pressure. The integrity of the process is a priority and we are committed to uphold,” the Mawu spokesperson said.
He clarified that Mawu operates through distinct roles and responsibilities across its structures and that they would wait for appropriate moment to release a comprehensive and unified update. On the way forward, Banda said Mawu recognises the significance of the competition and the anticipation it has created among writers.
“We are equally committed to delivering a process and outcome that we can all be proud of. In addition, this is just one of the many initiatives we are working on and we encourage writers to look forward to more engaging and empowering activities throughout the year and beyond,” he said.
Banda said his office will keep on giving updates to the writers on the competition further for continued patience until proper information is ready for the public.
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The competition open to Malawian writers living in Malawi and in the diaspora, comprises two categories – one for secondary school students and another open to all Malawian writers. Running under the theme ‘AI and Mental Health,’ the competition will see the winner walk away with K1 million whereas the second and third runner ups will pocket K750,000 and K350,000 respectively. In the secondary school category, the winner will receive K300,000 whereas the second and third runners up will walk away with K200,000 and K100,000 respectively.
Five shortlisted entries will be selected from this category from a long-list of 10 and that the winning stories will be included in an anthology. Mawu President Shadreck Chikoti said during the introduction that the short story competition has been organised with an aim of promoting writing and reading.
“We are trying to spark conversations through this platform,” he told The Daily Times in April this year. Mawu has in the past years been running the Mawu/FCB Short Story competition but has not been active in recent years.
