Literature in Malawi is predominantly oral, though a written literary canon is developing. Proverbs, as in many other African nations, are widely known and quoted: an exchange of proverbs conveys not only a pithy piece of advice, but also demonstrates the speaker’s wit. Some of the most common Malawian proverbs are:
- Kabanga mwala. (“Things are not always what they appear”—literally, “The tortoise looks like a stone.”)
- Chibanga mwala tsosenga nyala. (“A rolling stone gathers no moss.”)
- Mutu imodzi tsosenga denga. (“Two heads are better than one”—literally, “One head cannot support a roof.”)
Plays are another oral format that is widely enjoyed. A few itinerant companies travel from village to village in Malawi performing a repertoire of slapstick comedy and morality plays; the dialogue is largely extemporaneous based on stock characters and situations, and adjusted to reflect and pass judgment on events of the day. Also, a few written plays have been published and become widely known, chief among these being The Rainmaker by Steve Chimombo. While the play, a retelling of a hero story from the Chewa tribe, is not performed in many villages, it is taught in the secondary school curriculum along with a selection of Malawian poetry and short stories.
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