17th International Poetry Africa Festival

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Organised by UKZN’s Centre for Creative Arts, the 17^th International Poetry Africa festival - presented in partnership with the City of Durban and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture – is taking place from 14-19 October.  The Festival is a critical platform for self-expression offering a space for cultural exchange in the city of Durban.

The Festival’s line-up features a ground-breaking poetry project – a 12-track recorded album titled Insurrections – featuring poets and ethnomusicologists from India and South Africa. The project sees the rich sounds of the Indian music tradition blend with African instruments accompanying radical poetry from both continents. 

In keeping with the musical theme of this year’s edition, the festival features five poets who also work as recording musicians.

Returning to the Poetry Africa stage, respected Soweto-born Dub-Poet and Writer, Lesego Rampolokeng, will deliver an infectious brand of poetry influenced by Black Consciousness and rooted in the experience of people on the margins. Also from Soweto, Khulile Nxumalo presents works from his first title: Ten flapping elbows, mama, and his latest collection, fhedzi, published by Die Hard Press.

Nigerian-born poet Kole Odutola will read his latest work at the festival. Odutola teaches at the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at the University of Florida and has published extensively both in academia and literature. Another participant with a background in teaching languages is Kobus Moolman, based at UKZN. Moolman’s latest collection Left Over is currently enjoying rave reviews in the press and his performance will allow an eager Durban audience a chance to celebrate his works.

Johannesburg-based performer and Slam Poet Mandi Poefficient Vundla forms part of the Word n Sound collective and is featured on the online and print publications of Poetry Potion. Crowned Queen of the Word and Sound Mic in 2012, she has graced numerous poetry stages including Arts Alive and the Jozi Book Fair.

Another young female voice featured in the line-up is Sanelisiwe Ntuli, a Wordsmith from Hammersdale who writes and performs in isiZulu. Also writing in isiZulu is Professor Langalibalele F. Mathenjwa, a published writer of isiZulu poetry, novels, short stories and folklore.

Four poets from the Irish poetry collective O’Bheal will present their work at the festival. This contingent consists of Paul Casey, Afric McGinchey, Billy Ramsel and American-born Raven. Completing the international line-up will be Ian Kamau (Canada), Barnabe Laye (Benin) and Raphael d’Abdon (Italy/ South Africa).

Kamau is a Writer, Visual Artist, hip hop and spoken word artist from Toronto, whose discography lists five collections, including the popular album One Day Soon (2011). He presented additional workshops in advance of the festival. A poet and novelist, Laye has published a dozen books and is the recipient of the Nelligan Prize. His most recent work is titled Poems in Absent, a long wait (2010).

D’Abdon is an Italian Scholar, Writer, Editor and Translator and a Post-doctoral Fellow in the English Studies Department at UNISA. As an Editor, D’Abdon recently published Marikana - A Moment in Time, as well as an anthology of poetry about the massacre and his own collection, Sunnyside Nightwalk.

The Festival’s community outreach programme will see poets visit more than 20 community centres, campuses and tertiary education departments in Durban and beyond. In addition, participating poets will visit 20 schools to discuss reading, writing and the performance aspects of poetry.

For more details about this year’s Poetry Africa, visit www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or call (031) 260 2506. 

-          Melissa Mungroo