Do You Know Legson Kayira?

We did not. We were introduced to the saga of this amazing man by a librarian at Skagit Valley College. His story is remarkable and, unfortunately, not part of our book. To begin with, we did not have a photograph, but we didn’t put much effort into finding one because there is no way in the world we could have done justice to his story in a mere caption.

A quick Google search will lead to the article “Legson Kayira, the first Malawian novelist, has died”, he recently passed away at the age of 70. But being a famous novelist isn’t the best part of his story. No the best part was his struggle to reach the United States. He worked and walked his way 2500 miles across Africa, from his native village of Mpale in Nyasaland (now Mawali).

In October of 1958, Kayira set out on foot with only the clothes on his back, a few handfuls of flour, a Bible and a copy of “Pilgrim’s Progress”. By January 1960, he had reached Kampala, Uganda. There he learned about an “American free library” (the United States Information Service). He went there almost daily and one day discovered a directory of American colleges and universities. Opening the book at random, the first name that caught his eye was Skagit Valley College. He airmailed a letter of application to the junior college, hoping for the best. “I had no idea where the state of Washington was,” he said, “but I said to myself, ‘If this college does not answer, I shall try another.’” Two weeks later he got a response. Not only was he admitted, but he was also eligible for a scholarship and the college would help find him a job.

Unfortunately there was still the matter of getting to the United States. He would also have to secures a passport and visas—a difficult task for a boy who did not have any official papers. Luckily he was aided by a former mission teacher and obtained a Nyasaland passport before continuing his journey on September 1, 1960. On September 26, 1960, he walked into the U.S. embassy in Khartoum, Sudan and applied for a visa. The U.S. Vice-Counsel, Emmett M. Coxson explained that U.S. law required foreign students to have either financial means or sponsors. He wrote to Skagit Valley College:

“Mr. Kayira is walking and hitchhiking from his home to the college—approximately halfway around the world. So far he has traveled about 2500 miles, and he appears undaunted by the prospect that his journey has barely begun. My first reaction was that I should tell him to go back home. After seeing what he has done, however, my conscience will not allow me to drop the affair without first satisfying myself that there is indeed no hope.”

The community of Mount Vernon rallied. Students and townspeople raised funds (eventually $1700) to bring Kayira to the United States. William and Martha Atwood of Mount Vernon airmailed an invitation for Kayira to live in their home as long as he studied at Skagit. On December 20, 1960, he arrived at the Skagit Valley College campus.

Initially he majored in physics, but switched to political science, earning his associates degree from Skagit Valley College in 1963. From there he went on to get a B.A. in political science from the University of Washington in 1965. Then he went to England on a two-year scholarship for graduate studies at St. Catherine’s College of Cambridge University. Kayira wrote several novels, but one of his best-selling works was his 1965 autobiography, “I Will Try”.