Mombera Rising
This podcast is a series of discussions about ”Mombera Rising,” an anthology of speculative eco-fiction short stories detailing a few possible futures for the Ngoni community of Northern Malawi. Over 5 episodes, the authors, Muthi Nhlema and Ekari Mbvundula Chirombo, discuss their writing process, the limits of decolonialism, and the experience of engaging with sustainability science through fiction. Hosted by Liam Carpenter-Urquhart and inspired by research supported by Oppenheimer Generations and FORMAS.
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Episodes
Friday Apr 19, 2024
Friday Apr 19, 2024
Discussing the story creation process, the inspiration for each story, and the role of nature futures in the story.
Download the book on the FEfA project page! Find Ekari on facebook or on her website. Find Muthi on Twitter @MuthiNhlema or on LinkedIn
Monday Apr 08, 2024
Monday Apr 08, 2024
Discussing the Nature Futures Framework, its contributions to the writing process, and finding balance between science and storytelling
Download the book on the FEfA project page! Find Ekari on facebook or on her website. Find Muthi on Twitter @MuthiNhlema or on LinkedIn
Monday Apr 01, 2024
Monday Apr 01, 2024
Discussing the community forecasting process by which the writers deconstructed ‘modernity’ to imagine an Ngoni future.
Download the book on the FEfA project page! Find Ekari on facebook or on her website. Find Muthi on Twitter @MuthiNhlema or on LinkedIn
Monday Mar 18, 2024
Monday Mar 18, 2024
Balancing cultural sensitivity and literary freedom, when Africans write about another African culture they don’t belong to.
Download the book on the FEfA project page! Find Ekari on facebook or on her website. Find Muthi on Twitter @MuthiNhlema or on LinkedIn
Monday Mar 11, 2024
Monday Mar 11, 2024
Learn about how the writers' personal identities and backgrounds impact their writing styles and story choices.
Download the book on the FEfA project page! Find Ekari on facebook or on her website. Find Muthi on Twitter @MuthiNhlema or on LinkedIn
Discussing futures for Mombera Kingdom
The three science-fiction stories in this anthology paint a vivid picture of a future Malawi, offering new perspectives on what's possible for nature, people and society. Inspired by ideas that emerged from collaborative discussions with the Ngoni community of Northern Malawi, Mombera Rising explores how traditional knowledge might be carried into a resilient future based firmly in Ngoni culture. The results are complex, compelling, and a great resource for everyone from practitioners in decolonial futures to readers encountering African eco-fiction for the first time.
Find more info about the book at the Future Ecosystems for Africa website.
Authors: Muthi Nhlema and Ekari Mbvundula Chirombo
Editors: Laura Pereira, Liam Carpenter-Urquhart, and Maganizo Kruger Nyasulu
Art by: Simon Banda II