RIGHT TO SPEAK POETS CATALOGUE

 (Pics feature those in the catalogue: Right: Khwezi Becke)

 

Right to Speak Poets Catalogue: Promoting South African Poets to International Markets

The Goethe-Institut in South Africa, in partnership with Hear My Voice NPO, the UKZN Centre for Creative Arts, the General Representation of Flanders, Wallonie-Bruxelles International and Institut Francais Afrique du Sud are proud and excited to launch The Right to Speak South African Poets Catalogue aimed at promoting a specially curated list of young and thriving South African poets to international markets including Europe.

(Left: Kwena Peu)

The Right to Speak Poets Catalogue, as one of the main outputs of the Right To Speak international exchange programme, profiles 20 prolific youth page and stage poets from the length and breadth of South Africa. 

Highlighting emerging poets who are ready for international stages, the beautifully designed catalogue is aimed at small and large poetry and literature platforms around the world and provides an easy guide for programmers and promoters interested in booking and showcasing South African spoken word talent.

 “As proud partners of the Right to Speak project, we are encouraged by initiatives like the Right To Speak Poets Catalogue, which opens up avenues for poets and organisations looking to broaden their knowledge, networks and skills to create decent work and economic growth,” says Dr Asma Diakité, Head of Cultural Programmes at the Goethe-Institut South Africa.

(Right: Luleka)

 “This catalogue maps an amazing range of South African poets who courageously offer new hope, vision and direction to the challenges of our century while trying to find their feet and livelihood in the local and global markets”, adds Ishmael Sibiya, Executive Director at Hear My Voice NPO.

 The coveted list of poets featured in the catalogue was jointly curated by the UKZN Centre for Creative Arts and the Hear My Voice NPO and features a medley of bubbling-under and ‘ready to soar’ talent, including Modise Sekgothe, Xabiso Vili, Hope Netshivhambe, Busisiwe Mahlangu, Christie van Zyl, Thando Fuze and Mbali Malimela, to name a few.

 

(Left: Mbali)

 The South African Poets Catalogue is available as a free digital download and can be viewed or downloaded here: https://bit.ly/R2SCatalogue 

 Right to Speak is an international exchange programme by the Goethe-Institut South Africa in partnership with Hear My Voice, the UKZN Centre For Creative Arts, the General Representation of Flanders, Wallonie-Bruxelles International and Institut Francais Afrique du Sud. 

It is a collaborative project that uses spoken word to engage youth voices in Africa and Europe around human rights and social justice issues. The Right to Speak project runs from March to October 2022 and leverages the power of the digital sphere to create spaces that enable young poets across oceans to speak, learn and grow together while supporting and building capacity for local organizations for sustained impact. 

Right to Speak is a project funded by European Spaces of Culture, which aims to test and implement innovative models of collaboration in culture between European actors – EUNIC members and EU Delegations – and local partners in non-EU countries, delivering the EU strategic approach to international cultural relations.

For more information about the Right to Speak project and our various activities, visit the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/RightToSpeakExchange/