#AUEU25-EU in Malawi Hosts ‘Malawi Youth Voices Poetry Slam’

Seven young poets and spoken word artists composed original poems especially for the occasion, exploring youth aspirations for the African Union, its partnership with the European Union and the future of Malawi in relation to both. They reflected on AU-EU Summit themes such as peace, security, prosperity, and multilateralism through spoken word. 

A panel of judges, including EU Ambassador Daniel Aristi Gaztelumendi, and Q Malewezi, a Malawian artist and poet, scored the poets on the way they had incorporated the brief, on their delivery, cadence, their stage presence, and their use of poetic figures and techniques. 

Three poets were singled out, and eventually, Watipaso, aka ‘the Married Poet’, was declared the winner with 27 out of 30 points. 

EU in Malawi

The EU Delegation partnered with Kweza Arts in organising this special event. The aims of the poetry slam were to provide a creative platform for youth to express perspectives on the AU-EU shared themes, to amplify Malawian youth voices in the context of Africa–Europe dialogue, to raise awareness of the Africa–Europe partnership among young Malawians in an inclusive, accessible, and engaging way, and to celebrate youth talent and cultural expression, promoting poetry and spoken-word as an artform.

The event was attended by a cross section of Malawian audiences, including government officials, leaders of civil society organisation and the youth themselves. It was an opportunity for expression, dialogue, and reflection – bringing the AU-EU Summit to citizens’ conversations! 

Below is the winning poem by Watipaso