Mubanga Kalimamukwento

Mubanga Kalimamukwento is the author of The Shipikisha Club (Dzanc, 2026), Obligations to the Wounded (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2024), Another Mother Does Not Come When Yours Dies (Wayfarer, 2025), unmarked graves (Tusculum, 2022), and The Mourning Bird (Jacana, 2019). 

Tell us about the featured book. What is it about, and why did you choose to write it? 

Another Mother Does Not Come When Yours Dies is a collection of poems and essays, most of them being autobiographical and connected to the titular essay, which is spread into five parts across the book. I didn’t so much decide to write it as it felt like something in my psyche that needed to be freed. I felt so much relief when I was done, when it found a home and was published.

Tell us a little about your writing process. What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book? What is the most difficult part of your artistic process? 

Like my short story collection, Obligations to the Wounded, I didn’t realise I was writing this book until it was done. A lot of the research was in revisiting my memory of the years immediately preceding and those following the death of my mother, and how that shaped my relationship with self, mothering, and other women in my family. There were some moments when I had to step back and re-examine those recollections by talking to other people in my life who were there as well, and that was sometimes challenging because it often showed me how unreliable our own memories can be. There is no exact amount of time I spend “researching” per se; it depends on the piece itself. Some pieces, like Another Mother Does Not Come When Yours Dies, took what felt like forever to reach completion, while others, like Tuked In, came to me complete..  

Are there any writers or authors who have influenced your writing? 

With this collection specifically, I think I was emboldened by my mentor and friend, Sheila O’Connor’s work with form in Evidence of V. She also happens to be one of my favorite writers.

Has a library or librarian impacted your life or your writing life?   

The libraries in Minnesota have been such a welcoming space. Something I didn’t really have growing up. I often go there to do non-writing work, mainly because I prefer to write at home or outside, but their presence has been wonderful for me and my family. We spend a lot of time there on weekends, and my kids are the incredible readers they are because of the accessibility we have through the library system. 

When you’re not writing, what do you like to do in your spare time?

Lately, I really enjoy running outside. I get my best writing ideas mid-run, and that makes me forget any physical discomfort I might be experiencing, so I can just focus on running back home to pen the idea.. 

Favorite place to go to in Minnesota (i.e., restaurant, park, museum, etc.)?

I haven’t been in a while, but I still really love writing at Minnehaha Falls. Although it’s a much smaller waterfall than the one Zambia is famous for, the Mosi-Oa-Tunya, the sound of the water against the rock takes me back to something familiar, and relaxes me. 

Do you have a website or social media channels (X, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) where readers can learn more about your work? 

Mubanga's Website

I don’t have personal social media accounts, but I am honored to be the Editor-in-Chief of Ubwali Literary Magazine, a Zambian magazine that sometimes shares my work on its Facebook, X, and Instagram.