Lyric Poetry: a Conversation with Anna Zgambo

Anna Zgambo is pursuing a PhD in literature at the University of Zambia with a focus on lyric poetry. She serves as a poetry reader at Harbor Review Magazine and Fahmidan Journal while reading prose at CRAFT Literary. Anna is a Mawazo Fellow and Idembeka Creative Writing Fellow. Her most recent poems appear in Ubwali Literary Magazine, The Journal of African Youth Literature, Up the Staircase Quarterly, The Weganda Review, Midway Journal, Bluestem Magazine, and elsewhere. Read Anna's poems here: www.annazgambo.com/poems

Q: What does conducting research in poetry involve and why did you settle on lyric poetry in particular?

A.Z: Research is about following your passion and calling. My PhD topic focuses on lyric theory because I am passionate about poetry.

Q: During a workshop at the University of Nairobi, you described lyric poetry as acts of prayers. Are there more ways African societies unknowingly rely on poetry in their daily lives?

A.Z: Yes, poetry is everywhere in our world. I encounter lyric all the time. Pay attention, and you will meet lyric wherever you are. Lyric poetry is mainstream.

Q: Absence and loss. Do these two aspects define your poetry?

A.Z: Absence and loss define the lyric mode. By definition, a lyric addresses someone or something that is absent. I started writing lyric poetry with intention in 2024 when I began my PhD in Literature. I am trying to master lyric. I conduct lyric research and apply my findings in the poems that I write.

Q: How can budding African Poets study and understand African Poetry enough to produce new work?

A.Z: It's all about reading. Please read African literary magazines. I recommend Lolwe, Ubwali Literary Magazine, The Weganda Review, The Journal of African Youth Literature, and Isele. Read the poems that these magazines publish.

Q: Was this your first cross continental research and what are your insights on such a form of learning?

A.Z: The Mawazo Institute, a Kenyan organization, supports and funds my poetry research. Thanks to the Mawazo Fellowship, I am able to take my PhD research beyond Zambia. I live and study in Lusaka, but I have access to international networks because Mawazo supports my growth. I encourage more literature students to apply for the Mawazo Fellowship. Please follow Mawazo on all platforms.

Q: You're Zambian and Qwani is Kenyan, are we at par or seeking each other? Is African literature seeking cohesion across different directions?

A.Z: Zambians love and respect Kenyan literature. We recognize that Kenya has an advanced literary industry. That is why I have visited Kenya three times in one year.

My first visit to Kenya was in May 2025, and I used that opportunity to buy poetry books in the CBD. My second trip to Kenya was in September 2025 when I attended the Macondo Literary Festival.

In May 2026, I travelled to Kenya to participate in the Nairobi Litfest and it was worth the effort. At the Nairobi Litfest, I learnt that mythology is vital in poetry. I didn't appreciate this before, but now I can see that my favourite poets retell mythology in their poems. You will see more mythology in my poems now that I have been exposed to knowledge. I love learning and improving.