By Chipangano Andisen

Blantyre, June 26, MANA: Poets and literary artists in Malawi have been encouraged to take advantage of existing government funding opportunities available within the creative sector, even though there are currently no dedicated funding mechanisms specifically designed for poetry.

Speaking to Malawi News Agency on Wednesday, Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture Public Relations Officer, Macmillan Mwale, said poets remain eligible for support through a number of government initiatives targeting creative practitioners.

He said these include the Copyright Fund Grant Facility, the Youth Innovation Fund, the Universal Access Fund, and the proposed Constituency Sports and Creative Arts Development Fund.
Mwale added that poets also benefit from policy guidance, technical support and advisory services provided through the Department of Arts.

“There are currently no support mechanisms specifically dedicated to poetry. However, poets can benefit from the same opportunities available to practitioners across all creative disciplines,” he said.

He said the Poetry Association of Malawi was among beneficiaries of the most recent Copyright Fund grant cycle, through which it received support for the construction of a perimeter fence at its premises.

Mwale described poetry as an important component of Malawi’s creative and cultural industry, noting that it contributes to artistic expression, education, storytelling and public awareness on social and development issues.

President of the Poetry Association of Malawi, Robert Chiwamba, said poetry has recorded notable growth in recent years, supported by increased visibility through social media platforms, radio and television programmes, newspapers and arts festivals.

“Most poets are on social media and some have built large followings. Almost every radio station has a poetry programme, television stations feature poetry and festivals have poetry sections,” he said.

Despite this progress, Chiwamba said many poets continue to face challenges in generating income from their work following the decline of CD sales and the rise of free digital content consumption.

He said some poets are still struggling to adapt to new technologies and monetise their work on digital platforms, although others have started earning revenue through platforms such as YouTube and Spotify.

However, Chiwamba welcomed the increasing involvement of companies and organisations that hire poets for corporate and community events, saying such opportunities are helping sustain the sector.

He also noted that ongoing discussions around Meta’s monetisation programme have raised hopes among poets and other creators that social media platforms could offer additional sustainable income streams if effectively utilised.