Of the many Malawian bloggers who have been active throughout 2009, a remarkable number of them have been posting works of art, especially poetry, short fiction, literary analysis, and pictures of paintings. Others have been focusing on the arts and entertainment in Malawi, more broadly. In this roundup we are looking at five blogs authored by individual Malawians as well as groups of Malawian bloggers, mostly concentrating on creative writing and other forms of art and entertainment. This is the first time we are featuring most of these bloggers on Global Voices. Blogger Patrick Achitabwino writes about many aspects of Malawian life, but three of his most recent posts discuss developments in Malawian writing. Through his recent posts, we learn that Mike Sambalikagwa Mvona, current president of the Malawi Writers Union, and a prolific writer in his own right, has published an 80-page document, “A Guide to Writers’ and Artists’ Contracts.” Mvona's guide is aimed at helping Malawian writers familiarize themselves with the book publishing process, especially on signing contracts. Achitabwino writes: By the time you will have finished reading this guide you will have been conversant with general publishing contract guidelines on illustrations and quotations; infringement of existing copyright, libel, and censorship laws; obligation to publish, advance payment and royalties; choice of law among many others. In another post, Achitabwino analyzes a short story that won first prize in the 2008 First Merchant Bank/Malawi Writers Union Literary Awards. The story is titled “Sins of Our Fathers,” by Chikumbutso Ndaferankhande, and has been included in a new anthology of Malawian short stories, titled The Bachelor of Chikanda, featuring young Malawian writers previously unpublished, as well as seasoned, published old hands. The new anthology is the subject of another of Achitabwino's posts. More literary news comes from a blog that was set up in June 2009, by a group of students at the University of Malawi's Chancellor College. Known as The Writers’ Workshop, the blog carries poems, short stories, and news about literary events at Chancellor College and across the country. The Chancellor College Writers’ Workshop dates back to the early days of the establishment of the University of Malawi in the mid-1960s. It has played a pioneering role in the literary history of Malawi, having been associated with Malawi's most important poets, novelists, playwrights and literary scholars. Through the blog we learn of the group's activities that involve lots of travel and outreach with other universities, secondary schools, groups and associations across the country. The group has links with the recently established Catholic University of Malawi, the 12 year-old Mzuzu University, the Malawi Writers Union, the Book Publishers Association of Malawi, and various associations and secondary schools. They travel to other university campuses and secondary schools, as well as to publishing houses. They also host other writers’ groups at the Chancellor College campus. The most recent entry on the blog is a short profile of the group's member, Hardson Chamasowa Davie, a poet who writes in the local language Chichewa, and has been enjoying airtime on national radio stations where his new poetry album, titled “Ku Smongolia”, is being played. Also utilizing blogs to publish literary works is the Lilongwe Writers Circle, a group of Malawian writers residing in the city of Lilongwe. The groups meets once a month, and discusses the works of members. Their blog carries short fiction, poetry, literary commentary, short essays, and announcements. A poem titled “Space on Trip“, by Tendy Kay, posted in November, starts: The room spinning My temperature constricted in one valve about to POP! Eyes doubled in size Am sure I hit the light switch Was it off or on? . . . The most recent entry on the blog is an announcement by one of the members of a new online magazine called “Afrocentric,” to which we turn next. Afrocentric Magazine started out as a blog, with first entries appearing in August 2009. The initial entries sought to define and explain the term “Afrocentric,” depending on how each of the magazine's editorial team saw it. Nimbi Chiko wrote: The afrocentric discourse attempts to shift, construct, critique and challenge the way of knowing or discerning knowledge from an epistemology endangered within a European cultural mind set to an African one, whites think blacks are of no value and it makes me sad that’s why I would rather embrace where I come from. The term afrocentric makes me feel safe and accepted in society. A 2008 edition of the magazine is available for free download, as is a short promotional video.