First Capital Bank (formerly First Merchant Bank) sponsored the MAWU awards ceremony in an annual short story competition, in which monetary prizes are presented to encourage creative writing among budding writers. Since 2008, writers submit their short stories to the Malawi Writers Union (MAWU) Secretariat, and a panel of judges picks the winning stories. In 2014, 13 writers were rewarded at the event which took place at the new First Capital Bank Training Centre. Awards were presented by the Minister of Information, Tourism and Culture, the Hon Kondwani Nankhumwa. In 2015, the awards will include a women’s category to encourage female writers.