Upile Chisala | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1994 (age 29–30) Malawi |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Education | University of Oxford New Mexico State University |
| Literary movement | instapoetry |
| Notable works | soft magic, nectar, a fire like you |
Upile Chisala (born 1994) is a poet from Malawi. She prefers the term "storyteller." She is considered an Instapoet.[1] She is often considered to belong to Malawi's third generation of writers.[2] She has won numerous awards, including Forbes Africa's 30 Under 30.[3]
Chisala was born in south-east Malawi in 1994,[4] and grew up in Zomba.[3] She began writing poetry at thirteen.[4]
At seventeen, Chisala moved to the United States, where she majored in sociology with minors in Women's Studies and Law & Society at New Mexico State University.[4][5] She began writing poetry at college to process experiences with racism.[5] She graduated in 2015, but struggled finding a steady job. Chisala continued to write poetry, and self-published her first book of poems, Soft Magic, which includes poems she wrote during college.[4][5] These poems reflected on her feeling like "an oddity."[4]
Chisala then attended the University of Oxford, where she enrolled for a Master's of Science in African studies.[3] She later moved to Johannesburg, South Africa.[4][6][7]
In 2017, Chisala published her second collection, Nectar, exploring her experience with depression and complicated relationship with her parents.[4][3] Following the book's success, Chisala signed a book deal with Andrews McMeel Publishing.[3] Andrews McMeel republished her first two books.[7] Her third collection is titled A Fire Like You.[4]
Chisala founded a mentorship program for writers in Johannesburg, Khala Series.[3]