Poetry Africa 2021 starts tomorrow

The 2021 edition of Poetry Africa, an international poetry festival hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts in the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa, starts October 11.  With the theme: Unmute: Power to the Poet, the festival aims for the audience to remain inspired by the voices of the poets.  Poetry Africa was first […]

The 2021 edition of Poetry Africa, an international poetry festival hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts in the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa, starts October 11. 

With the theme: Unmute: Power to the Poet, the festival aims for the audience to remain inspired by the voices of the poets. 

Poetry Africa was first hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts in the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 1996. It has hosted some of the biggest names in poetry, like Werewere Liking; Chris Abani; Didier Awadi; Gabeba Baderoon; Dennis Brutus; Kwame Dawe;, Stanley Onjezani Kenani; Gcina Mhlophe; Lesego Rampolokeng and Benjamin Zephaniah.

“Our 25th anniversary is a significant milestone. It provides us with a vital opportunity to reflect and celebrate the festival’s legacy, but it also allows us to critically reflect on our society and the movement for social change. We salute and honour all the poets who have walked this road with us, and who, over the last 25 years, have given us the words to express feelings, share experiences, address issues of poverty, social injustice, struggles and survival. This year’s festival recognises the power of the poet,” Curator Siphindile Hlongwa shared.

As part of the 25th anniversary celebrations, the organisers are launching an anthology, a journal and documentary during the festival. The anthology, titled #Hashtag Poetry, is a collection that aims to remind the reader that poets and wordsmiths may seek social justice in hashtags and slogans, but it is all of us who are called to reap the harvest in action and with deeds. 

Gboyega Odubanjo and Olumide Popoola are among participants at the event.