South African Poetry

Poet and storyteller Siphokazi Jonas explores identity, lineage and resilience in her debut collection, blending folklore and feminism for a new generation

Your essential dose of art and culture

From eSwatini to Johannesburg, poets are finding new voices through travel, collaboration and the transformative power of cultural exchange

The recognition garnered by young poets’ collections should make the publishing industry reflect on the state of South Africans’ poetic landscape

Stephen Watson’s death has robbed South African literature of a prodigious talent.

According to the festival organisers it will feature a poet of "high excellence who reflects Dennis’s passion for human rights and integrity".

Allan Kolski Horwitz explains independently minded publishing collective Botsotso, while Darryl Accone applauds Colleen Higgs’s award-winning work.

Percy Zvomuya meets an artist who is championing women in the arts.

As the classic form of the elegy shows, memory can be especially potent when allowed to coalesce around the loss of a loved one.

Shaun de Waal samples the works of three South African poets as they get out of town.

An excitement among audiences about local themes is giving impetus to a vital writing culture, writes Gabeba Baderoon.