Mubanga Kalimamukwento

Set in Zambia during the turbulent 1990s, The Mourning Bird follows eleven-year-old Chimuka and her younger brother, Ali, whose lives are shattered by a series of family tragedies. After their father dies and their mother’s struggle to keep the family together ends in further heartbreak, the siblings are left facing an uncertain future. Rejected by their abusive extended family, they escape to the streets of Lusaka, where survival means navigating poverty, violence, drugs, and police brutality. As Chimuka grows into adolescence, she confronts the limited choices available to vulnerable girls in a society where poverty and gender inequality expose them to exploitation. Meanwhile, Ali becomes increasingly entangled in crime and addiction. Their struggle unfolds against a backdrop of political instability, economic decline, and the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS on Zambian families. Unflinching yet deeply compassionate, Kalimamukwento’s debut novel examines childhood, grief, and resilience while revealing the hidden suffering of those living on the margins of society. It is both an intimate story of two siblings fighting to survive and a portrait of a nation grappling with profound social upheaval.

In Obligations to the Wounded, Mubanga Kalimamukwento presents a collection of interconnected stories exploring the burdens, expectations, and contradictions that shape the lives of Zambian women and girls. Spanning different generations and geographical settings, the stories portray women negotiating the demands of family, religion, tradition, and community while struggling to preserve their individuality. Through formally inventive storytelling, Kalimamukwento explores subjects including intimate partner violence, migration, racial discrimination, the loss of language, sexuality, and the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters. Her characters inhabit worlds where inherited customs can offer a sense of belonging while simultaneously restricting personal freedom. Some seek escape; others attempt to reconcile their desires with the obligations imposed upon them. Moving between personal experiences and broader social questions, the collection examines what women owe their families and communities—and what they owe themselves. Kalimamukwento combines emotional sensitivity with sharp social observation, revealing how pain can be passed between generations but also how solidarity and self-determination can create possibilities for change. The result is a nuanced portrait of contemporary Zambian womanhood, including the experiences of Zambian women living abroad.