The Warm Heart Poetry Festival will make its first appearance this Sunday at Blantyre Cultural Centre.
This is another platform that is set to give poets a chance to showcase their talents as the year 2017 nears its end.
According to one of the organisers, poet Sylvester Kalizangoma, this is an annual event that will be taking place in July.
The festival comes to the limelight after Poetry Association of Malawi (Pam), which is the mother body of poets, failed to hold its Land of Poets Festival in July.
Pam has since welcomed The Warm Heart Poetry Festival, saying it is another initiative that is going to offer poets a chance to shine with their poems but also generate income.
However, the poetry body said it will be discussing with the organisers on some aspects of the festival.
“We didn’t hold the Land of Poets Festival this year because of inadequate resources but it will come back next year. We are just concerned that our colleagues have also targeted July for their festival and yet we also hold it ours in July,” Chisomo Mdallah, Pam President, said.
He said they will be engaging their counterparts on the issue.
“It’s good that we have another festival and it is healthy for the poetry industry. We will be there to give them the much needed support,” Mdallah, popularly known as Nyamalikiti Nthiwatiwa, said.
Kalizang’oma indicated that they were holding the festival with the blessings of Pam and that everything is in order.
“The festival is a gathering of poets, creators, innovators and other artists from both local and the diaspora. All these will meet and perform in an interesting environment aimed at creating and promoting a distinct culture for global recognition,” Kalizang’oma said.
He said that the main objectives of the festival are to promote patriotism and allegiance to “our cultural values, symbols, pride and unearth hidden talents”.
“Honestly, art and poetry are the main vehicles of communication and, so, without these, no government or society can make progress. So, we call upon different stakeholders to support us,” he said.
Some of the poets set to perform at the festival are Alfred Msadala, Norman Nyirenda, Luckier Chikopa Babangoni Chisale, Hoffman Aipira, Yankho Seunda, Michael Benjala, Raphael Sitima and Madalitso Nyambo.
Kalizang’oma will also perform during the festival as well as Wamtali Savala Gogoda, Ian Tambala, Samuel Joseph, Esnart Tambala and Frank Naligonje.
Agorosso and Nyerere Masalimo will spice up the festival with music vibes.
The festival is sponsored by Bayete Naturals.
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