Zimbabwean literary maverick Mbizo Chirasha in a candid writers’ talk with Malawian, American-based poet, writer, storyteller and academic Caroline Kautsire

MC: Who is Caroline Kautsire and how long have you been writing?
Caroline Kautsire: I was born and raised in Malawi, Africa. I moved to Boston, Massachusetts, when I was 17 years old. I am an English Professor at Bunker Hill Community College, a twice-published author, a mentor at Brown University, and a Philanthropist. I’ve been writing professionally since I was in graduate school at Brown. I was 20 years old. 

MC: How do you define or describe literary culture and writing culture?
Caroline Kautsire: Literary culture is the way people love, share, read, and talk about books and stories that help us understand life, feelings, and the world over many years. Writing culture is the everyday world of people who keep practicing the skill of writing well — they rewrite many times, care deeply about good sentences, learn from other writers, and make time to write honestly every day.

MC: What led you to get into the book, literary, creative, artistic and writing industry?
Caroline Kautsire: I took a trip to Malawi at 27 years old after living in America for many years. I started writing about my experiences in Malawi—how some Malawians accepted my diaspora identity and how others alienated me because of it. This led to a blog on Facebook, where I shared my experiences, and people encouraged me to write a book to help others who were struggling with identity. So I started writing books!

MC: Were you introduced to books, religion, culture and music somehow as you grow?
Caroline Kautsire: I was introduced to books at my high school, Kamuzu Academy. My parents, Ben and Lillian Kautsire, introduced me to Catholicism and then I found my own spiritual path which includes a lot of meditation, prayer and intention-setting. When I was young, I didn’t understand Malawian culture but I’ve grown to love it and respect it. My parents introduced me to all kinds of music: Paul Simon, Tchaikovsky, The Beatles and various Malawian tunes. I’m very versatile.

MC: Who are your best writers, authors or novelists in Africa and the world?
Caroline Kautsire: I enjoy authors like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie from Nigeria. Trevor Noah from South Africa. On a global level, I enjoy authors like Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, William Shakespeare, Elizabeth Gilbert and many more. 

MC:  Do you think the African populace shaped your artistic prowess and creative dexterity?
Caroline Kautsire: Yes, the African populace—and specifically the cultural world of Malawi—profoundly shaped my artistic prowess and creative dexterity. Growing up there until I was seventeen, I was steeped in its traditions, gender expectations, and societal norms that demanded passivity from women, and that constant tension between those Malawian expectations and the Western influences I later encountered became the heartbeat of my memoirs, What Kind of Girl? and Some Kind of Girl.

MC: How do you manage your writing career, family, professional daily work and creativity?
Caroline Kautsire: My professional life has been very eventful. I not only teach English literature and composition, but I also run poetry series for different non-profit and government organizations. As an author, I am always invited to many events to give talks that inspire others or I am asked to recite my poetry if it fits the theme of the event. My family and friends have really supported my work. It’s one thing to write a book and give it to the world, but their feedback is important. It is part of what creates one’s success. As for my family, I want to build a Kautsire legacy, something that outlives me, and my family has been behind the scenes encouraging me to press on with this dream.

MC:  Do you think Africa is still carrying the torch as a peaceful continent, give us your opinion as a writer?
Caroline Kautsire: I think Africa still shines as a peaceful continent in many places, where people live together kindly and solve problems through talking and respect. But in some areas of Africa, wars and fighting make it hard to see that peace, so we need more fairness and good leaders to help the whole continent stay calm and bright.

MC:  How many books have you written so far, tell us more about the journey and your experiences?
Caroline Kautsire: So far, I have written and published two books—my first memoir, What Kind of Girl?, which came out in 2020, and my second, Some Kind of Girl, released on December 16, 2022. The journey has been transformative and deeply personal: growing up in Malawi, I struggled with writing and was far from an A-student, grappling with cultural expectations of what a girl should be while dreaming of something more, influenced by American media. Moving to the United States at 17 opened new worlds but also brought fresh challenges—navigating immigration, identity, racism, and the gap between the America I imagined and the reality I lived. I started as someone who hated writing, improved through college at places like Emerson, faced rejection and self-doubt, but persisted until I found my voice in memoir. Publishing that first book felt like a dream realized, inspired partly by reading works like Trevor Noah's; the second poured out years of introspection, vulnerability, and courage, exploring the anxieties of chasing the American Dream while holding onto my Malawian roots. Releasing them brought anxiety over exposing my raw truths, yet also immense relief and connection—seeing them in bookstores, sharing them during book tours in Malawi, donating copies, and sparking conversations about identity and belonging has made every struggle worthwhile, turning my pain into purpose and my story into a bridge for others. I'm currently working on a third, but these two remain my proudest children, born from resilience and a refusal to stay silent.

MC: Have you won awards, accolades , prizes  and fellowships through writing?
Caroline Kautsire: I am yet to win awards for writing. I did, however, recently win my first DASH award for my stage acting in Boston. 

MC: What’s your favorite diet, food or dish, explain why that becomes your favorite?
Caroline Kautsire: I love Nigerian Fufu and Okra stew or Egusi stew. This food is easily found where I live in Boston, and I love it because it reminds me of Nsima (our staple food in my country, Malawi), which I grew up eating and enjoying. 

Caroline Kautsire is originally from Malawi, Africa, and now lives in Weymouth, Massachusetts. She is an English professor at Bunker Hill Community College and the author of the books, What Kind of Girl? and Some Kind of Girl. She is a mentor at Brown University for the Women’s Launch Pad program, the Founder and President of the Caroline Kautsire Scholarship Program, and a keynote speaker in Boston. Professor Kautsire has been featured on WCVB Chronicle, CBS Boston, GBH, The Boston Globe and The Patriot Ledger as a notable writer in the Boston area.