AFRICAN FOCUS IN COLUMBIA

A contingent of African poets and musicians will be attending South America’s legendary XXI International Poetry Festival in Medellín, Columbia.

This has been facilitated by Poetry Africa and the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal).

With 1992 Nobel Prize for Literature Derek Walcott attending, alongside a significant delegation of African poets and singers, the XXI International Poetry Festival of Medellín, convened and organized by the Prometeo poetry magazine sees the participation of over 90 poets from 50 countries worldwide. This year’s focus is Africa.

The Festival runs from July 2 to 9 and will include 164 free events for the general public.

Under the leadership of Peter Rorvik of Poetry Africa which is based at the Centre for Creative Arts, UKZN, the African delegation will include well-known Durban names Pitika Ntuli and Iain “Ewok” Robinson. The rest of the delegation comprises popular singers Madosini Latozi Mpahleni, Chiwoniso Maraire and Tania Tomé (Mozambique), and poets Werewere Liking (Cameroon), Haji Gora Haji (Zanzibar), Shailja Patel (Kenya), Antonio Gonçalves (Angola), Lebogang Mashile, and Rachid Boudjedra (Algeria). The attendance of musician Pedro Espi-Sanchis (South Africa-Spain) has also been confirmed.

It is expected that this meeting of creative minds will give rise to the bases for the creation of a World Network of Poetry Projects and Festivals. More information at www.festivaldepoesiademedellin.org/pub.php/en/Intro/index.htm