Durban will once more play host to a wide range of literary luminaries when the fourth annual Poetry Africa Festival, hosted by the University of Natal’s Centre for the Creative Arts, begins on Monday May 8 at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre. It runs until Saturday May 13. There are also additional events outside the theatre (see ”Poetry out and about” at left).
The festival will see some 20 local and international poets gather in a celebration of poetry each evening and presenting a selection of their work.
Visiting poets this year include:
l Britain’s Roger McGough and Benjamin Zephaniah (see main story);
l Hungarian poet P,ter K ntor, who has published nine books and who claims to try to ”avoid big words and pathetic gestures”;
l Swedish poet Thomas Tidholm, who has written many volumes of poetry, plays for stage, television, radio as well as children’s books;
l Susan Kiguli, lecturer in literature at Makerere University, Uganda;
l The highly acclaimed and much-loved Dutch writer of the psychedelic Beat generation, Simon Vinkenoog;
l Olga Sedakova, lecturer in the department of philosophy at Moscow University;
l Australian Philip Hammia, poet, sculptor and painter, who has published 14 books and had 23 solo exhibitions;
l Poet, composer and performing artist Francis Bebey, from the Cameroon – dubbed ”Africa’s most versatile musician”; he has had 12 books translated into six different languages;
l Prolific Lagos-based Nigerian poet, Toyin Adewale;
l Acclaimed Irish poet Desmond Egan, who has had 14 collections published to date;
l American ”poet laureate” and Pulitzer Prize-winner, Rita Dove.
There is also a large South African contingent including Zolani Mkiva, best known for his dynamic praise poetry; Gus Ferguson, the well-known Cape poet and publisher of poetry; Otis Finck, who started writing poetry while living among the homeless in Johannesburg’s inner city and now works for the South African Prisoners Organisation for Human Rights; Pitika Ntuli, poet, writer, academic and director of the Sankofa Centre for African Renaissance; well-loved Durban-based musician, poet, reggae DJ and Rastafarian Eric (Coolfire) Habebe; award-wining poet Kelwyn Sole; and former vice-president of the Congress of South African Writers, Lisa Combrinck, who is currently based in the communications unit of the president’s office in Pretoria.
West African musician and poet Lamine Kont, (Senegal), who delighted audiences with his poetry and kora music performances here last year, returns by popular demand.
Apart from visiting schools and tertiary institutions during the day, the poets will also present interactive performances, discussions and workshops at other public venues.
Tickets are available from the theatre each evening. For further information about the festival as well as the schools programme and workshops, call (031) 260- 2506.
GENERAL PRESS RELEASE
POETRY AFRICA 2000 FESTIVAL
Rastafarians, poet laureates and praise
poets in a gourmet feast of words
Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre. May 8 – 13
Durban,s literary world will once again
be able to feast on words at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre when the fourth annual Poetry Africa Festival hosted by the University,s Centre for Creative Arts begins on Monday, May 8 and runs until Saturday, May 13 at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre.
The festival sees 20 local and
international poets gather together in a celebration of poetry each evening from 7.30pm where they will present a selection of their work. Poets this year include, from the United Kingdom, legendary, award-winning poet Roger McGough and socially and politically active Rastafarian poet Benjamin Zepaniah kindly brought to the country by the British Council.
Others included in the festival are
noted Hungarian poet P,ter K ntor, who has published 9 books and who claims to try to ”avoid big words and pathetic gestures”, and has been awarded numerous prestigious Hungarian literary prizes; Thomas Tidholm the Swedish poet who has written many volumes of poetry, plays for stage, television, radio as well as children,s, books; lecturer in Literature at Makerere University, Uganda Susan Kiguli; highly-acclaimed and much-loved Dutch writer from the psychedelic Beat generation; Simon Vinkenoog, Olga Sedakova – lecturer in the department of Philosophy at Moscow University; Philip Hammial who lives in Australia, is a poet, sculptor and painter who has published some 14 books and had some 23 solo exhibitions; poet, composer and performing artist Francis Bebey from the Cameroon is dubbed ”Africa,s most versatile musician” and has had 12 books translated into six different languages; prolific and literary-active Lagos-based Nigerian poet, Toyin Adewale, acclaimed Irish poet Desmond Egan a full-time poet who has had 14 collections published to date; and American poet laureate and recipient of fifteen honorary doctorates and a Pulitzer Prize winner, Rita Dove who is Professor of English at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville
There is also a large South African
contingent including Zolani Mkiva, best known for his dynamic praise poetry ^ millions world wide know him best from his colourful performance at the inauguration of President Nelson Mandela; Gus Ferguson is a well-known Cape poet who has published over 100 collections of verse since 1990, Otis Finck, who started writing poetry whilst living amongst the homeless communities in Johannesburg,s inner city and now works for the South African Prisoners Organisation for Human Rights; Pitika Ntuli poet, writer and academic who is director of the Sankofa Centre for African Renaissance; well- loved Durban-based musician, poet, reggae DJ and Rastafarian Eric (Coolfire) Habebe; award-wining poet Kelwyn Sole; and former vice-president of the Congress of South African Writers Lisa Combrinck who currently is based in the Communication Unit of the President,s Office in Pretoria.
West African musician and poet Lamine
Kont, (Senegal), who delighted audiences with his poetry and kora music performances here last year, returns by popular demand to this year,s festival.
Apart from visiting schools and
tertiary institutions during the day, the poets will also present interactive performances, discussions and workshops at other public venues as follows:
May 9 at 12:15 ^ 1pm: Zolani Mkiva and
Benjamin Zephaniah perform at the
Student Union concourse, University of Natal.
May 10: 2-4pm: Workshop for new poets
at the BAT Centre chaired by
Zolani Mkiva, Lisa Combrinck, Toyin
Adewale and Thomas Tidholm
May 10 3-4.30pm Desmond Egan poetry
writing workshop in English
Department, Memorial Tower Building,
University of
Natal, Durban
May 11: 7-9pm: Philip Hammial, Susan
Kiguli and Kelwyn Sole
perform at the Tatham Arts Gallery,
Pietermaritzburg
May 12 : 10 ^ 12noon : Francis Bebey,
Rita Dove, P,ter K ntor and Olga
Sedakova at the NSA Gallery, Bulwer
Road for
informal readings and discussion
May 12 : 3 ^ 5.30pm: Open afternoon ^
opportunity for aspirant poets to
perform their work at the Elizabeth
Sneddon Theatre.
Chaired by Nise Malange.
Tickets are available from the
Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre each evening from May 8 ^ 13. For further information about the festival as well as the schools programme and workshops call 031-2602506.
-ends
Sharlene Versfeld
031-2029093
April 10, 2000