The ⁸Li(n,γ)⁹Li reaction plays an important role in both the r-process nucleosynthesis and the inhomogeneous big bang models. Its direct capture rates can be extracted from the ⁸Li(d,p)⁹Li reaction, indirectly. We have measured the angular distribution of the ⁸Li(d,p)⁹Li{sub g.s.} reaction at E{sub c.m.} = 7.8 in inverse kinematics using coincidence detection of ⁹Li and the recoil proton, for the first time. Based on distorted wave Born approximation (DWBA) analysis, the ⁸Li(d,p)⁹Li{sub g.s.} cross section was determined to be 7.9 {+-} 2.0 mb. The single particle spectroscopic factor S{sub 1,3/2} for the ground state of ⁹Li=⁸Lixn was derived to be 0.68{+-}0.14, and then used to calculate the direct capture cross sections for the ⁸Li(n,γ)⁹Li{sub g.s.} reaction at energies of astrophysical interest. The astrophysical ⁸Li(n,γ)⁹Li{sub g.s.} reaction rate for the direct capture was found to be 3970{+-}950 cm³ mole⁻¹ s⁻¹ at Tâ=1. This presents the first experimental constraint for the ⁸Li(n,γ)⁹Li reaction rates of astrophysical relevance.