Mwinji Siame is one of six Zambian writers shortlisted for the 2025 Ubwali Hope Prize, presented by Ubwali Literary Magazine in partnership with Shenandoah. The winner, who will be announced in a few days, will receive $500 and be featured in the fall issue of Shenandoah.
Mwinji was shortlisted for her short story, “Hometown Glory”, published in Issue 3 of Ubwali Literary Magazine. The story can be read here.
Below is our “Quick Seven Questions” interview with Mwinji Siame.
Enjoy!
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Q1 – Who is Mwinji Siame?
I am a creative human. Some things I attempt and others she does with varying degrees of competence.
Q2 – What is the inspiration behind “Hometown Glory”?
My inspiration was really just trying to cobble together observations about relationships, society and even the environment. So I guess I love or am passionate about the environment and I am a romantic and this story was me blending those things.
Q3 – What hopes did you have for the story when you were submitting it to Ubwali Literary Magazine?
I had zero hopes. Certainly not being shortlisted for anything. Someone said oh submit and I was like okay, what’s in my in progress folder. Then the editors took a chance on me. I write fiction to de-stress. But I am glad people enjoyed reading it. Which was also why I do submit my work. I do want to be read but I am not one to start a blog or maintain a social media account due to my schedule these days. So let someone else handle that. Let me just write.
Q4 – What does ending up on the Hope Prize shortlist mean to you?
I have not been shortlisted for anything in my life except job opportunities and then maybe in high school. So I was shocked. I think it’s nice to know someone enjoyed my work that much that they’d vouch for it in this way. It’s also nice to be part of like a community or cohort of writers who have been nominated.
Q5 – What would winning mean to you?
If I won I think it would add extra icing to the cake of what I enjoy doing. Basically validating the lavish amounts of time I spend day dreaming and making up fake scenarios even as an adult.
Q6 – How has this changed, inspired, motivated, or improved you, the writer?
I don’t think it’s changed my writing or anything at all as far as that is concerned, except maybe knowing there’s people I can connect with who are also writers. Maybe that will take my writing to new places aesthetically.
Q7 – What future plans do you have for your writing?
I think I want to just keep submitting and being read and have more fun.
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Mwinji Siame is an artist, essayist, and fiction writer. Her work has appeared in Minola Review, Feminist Food Journal, and Art Dusseldorf, among others. When she is not reading, writing, or editing, she enjoys being outside in nature and playing guitar. She is shortlisted for the 2025 Ubwali Hope Prize.
Ibrahim Babátúndé Ibrahim
Ibrahim is a Nigerian writer and editor currently based in the UK. He has won the Creative Future Writers’ Awards, the Quramo Writers' Prize, and received support from the Jessica George Bursary. His work has been selected for Best Small Fictions anthology, and has been a finalist for Faber Children's FAB Prize, Miles Morland Writing Scholarship, a Masters Review anthology prize, and twice for Moon City Short Fiction Award. He has also been longlisted for Commonwealth Short Story Prize, Laura Kinsella Fellowship, and Dzanc Diverse Voices Prize. He has multiple nominations for both the Pushcart Prize and the Best of the Net. Among other things, he is currently the Editor of JAY Lit. He’s @heemthewriter on Twitter and Facebook, and @writtenbyheem on Instagram and Threads. More about Ibrahim can be found at www.heemthewriter.com
