The popular annual Poetry Africa Festival hosted by the
University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts (CCA), takes place in
Durban from October 15 to 20, 2018.
Celebrating its 22nd anniversary, the festival, which is
supported through principal funding from the eThekwini Municipality, features a
host of local and international poets, at various venues and schools around
Durban, with Opening Night and evening sessions at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre.
(Miriam Cano)
With praise poetry as the main focus this year, the
extensive week-long programme features performances, readings and book-launches
with a dynamic array of poets every evening. The festival also includes the
popular Durban Slam Jam Competition and the festival finale, featuring all the
poets in the festival. The daytime programme includes seminars, workshops,
poetry competitions, open mic opportunities, campus invasions and school
visits.
“Our line-up this year features a diversity of poets with a
range of voices,” explains curator Siphindile Hlongwa of the CCA. “Throughout
the five-day event we not only celebrate the voices of our spoken word - and
praise poets - but also the voices of women. Considering the global focus on
gender-based abuse and violence, we are mindful to bring voices from across the
world who are able to articulate the plight of victims.”
(Upile Chisala)
Some 21 poets will participate in this year’s festival, from
around the globe.
International guests include Miriam Cano, a Catalan writer,
journalist and publisher from Barcelona, Spain; Malawian story teller and
author of two poetry collections Upile Chisala; Motswana poet and artist and
arts administrator TJ Dema; Antiguan-Canadian poet, performer, producer, arts
educator and director of The Banff Centre Spoken Word Program, Tanya Evanson;
Philip Meersman, from Belgium a multilingual poet and performer, American
Daniel Summerhill, a poet and performing artist; Palestinian Rafeef Ziadah, a
poet and human rights activist, and Daucourt Severine from France who is
invested in diverse domains such as translating, music and theatre.
(Taras Malkovych)
From the Ukraine comes Myroslav Laiuk, a poet and novelist
whose work has been translated into German, English, Spanish, Bulgarian, Czech,
Polish, Azerbaijani, Russian, Lithuanian and American languages; and Taras
Malkovych a poet and translator who has translated and published an anthology
of modern Irish poetry in his native language.
South Africans on the billing include celebrated
award-winning writer, presenter, actress and activist , Lebo Mashile; King
Goodwill Zwelithini’s praise singer, BM Mdletshe, legendary and much-loved
author, poet, playwright, director, performer and storyteller, Gcina Mhlophe;
freelance journalist, dramatist, communication specialist and literary critic,
Sandile Ngidi; self-taught writer Phelelani Makhanya who has a published poetry
collection; spoken word artist, scriptwriter and actor and published poet,
Vuyelwa Maluleke; Mak Manaka who holds a Masters Degree in Creative Writing
from Rhodes University and has recorded an album of his work; Nkateko Masinga,
an author, publisher, spoken word artist and theatre actress; Mphutlane Wa
Bofelo, a poet, essayist, cultural worker and social critic; Matete Motsoaledi
a writer, photographer, editor and administrator, and Emmah Mabye who had her
first poetry collection launched at the 21st Poetry Africa Festival.
In an endeavour to encourage and promote praise poetry, the
festival will host a week-long workshop led by Zulu history custodian and
praise poet for King Goodwill Zwelithini, BM Mdletshe.
‘It is our hope that this will be the beginning of many more
workshops that celebrate our cultural heritage not only of the Zulu people, but
of Africa as a whole,” explains Hlongwa. “The bigger picture is to eventually
open this up to cater for the various African languages across the continent.”
The full programme for Poetry Africa can be viewed on the
website www.cca.ukzn.ac.za Tickets R60 (R40 pensioners and students) booked through
Computicket.
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