Obligations to the Wounded: Mubanga Kalimamukwento

We sat down for a candid and vulnerable discussion on rebellion, compliance and the intricacies of language and place with Mubanga Kalimamukwento, author of the prize winning Obligations to the Wounded.

The collection transcends physical spaces and time with Mubanga navigating the interplay of memory and geographical place. Her stories, woven in rich narratives, explore the landscapes and lives of Zambian women. 

In an ode to a rich oratory history we explored literary devices and cultural references within her stories.Central to her collection is the theme of rebellious women—those who defy societal norms. Mubanga explores what it means to reimagine the futures of such women, asking readers to contemplate the costs of rebellion and compliance. 

Mubanga offers a unique narrative lens in her writing, showing a child's perspective. She draws on her own childhood experiences with grief and loss to blend childlike observation with adult articulation. In this juxtaposition, there is the contrast of the raw, unfiltered view of a child alongside the nuanced understanding of an adult.

In a wide ranging collection covering themes of identity, loss and becoming, Mubanga writes tenderly and vulnerably, often leaving the reader to ponder.

We sat down with to reflect on the meaning of community, obligation and writing in the in between spaces.