Mukuka Chipanta

Mukuka Chipanta is a Zambian aerospace engineer and author based in Maryland where he lives with his wife and daughter. Five Nights Before the Summit is Chipanta's second published novel. His debut novel, A Casualty of Power, published in 2016 by Weaver Press, received critical acclaim for its depiction of the cultural tensions between Chinese immigrants and the indigenous workers in the Zambian copper mines. The book was awarded Best First Book and Gold for General College Level Book at the 2017 Classic American Literary Awards in South Dakota, USA and longlisted for the 9Mobile (formerly Etisalat) award for African Literature in 2018.

Chipanta has an Engineering degree from the University of Manchester, UK as well as a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Connecticut, USA and the University of Hull, UK. He works as a manager of programmes in the aerospace industry to develop cutting edge technology for commercial and military aircraft. One of his proudest professional achievements is having played an integral role in designing the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Chipanta has contributed short stories to PM World, OZY Magazine and Kalahari Review and has had stories featured in several anthologies including The Gods Who Send Us Gifts - an anthology marking the 55th Anniversary of the famous Makerere Conference on African Literature, published in 2017. In 2019 Chipanta launched Kutika! Modern African Stories, a literary podcast showcasing a collection of his short stories in audio form.