THE POET AS A MAKER

Hello there,

I am (ceteris paribus, as my old professor used to say) making my way through an MA in poetry at Lancaster University. It has me thinking about what kind of poet I have imagined myself to be - about language and interests, about the ways in which I (am) read in the world literally and figuratively. Lots to say here but lets save it for the classroom.

In his essay Blueprint for BreakBeat Writing (Poetry Magazine, April 2015), Nate Marshall argues for "Why hip-hop has everything to do with poetry"  and states that "We write to assert the existence of ourselves, to assert our right to our own lives and bodies. These considerations influence not only the subject matter but also the aesthetic approach to making poems". 

He lists a kind of 7 point manifesto of how this ideology is evinced in the work. You can find his essay online, I am invested in his idea/l/s especially his first which makes a wide space at the table for performance and video etc alongside the page. It is this point which for me underpins the rest... it demands what is live, present and (based on my personal experience) therefore what is likely responsive and inclusive and open-sourced. 

I'm undertaking an MA in part because I value rigour and structure. Perhaps I'm lazier than your fave but I have read more broadly and ...deeply since beginning this MA. Not just other folks work, though I had to look at theory much more than I otherwise would have, but my own. As someone with more than a decade's worth of performance history for various audiences in multiple continents/countries I know a thing or two about reader's (listener) response and many other critical thinking practices than I thought I would. With the fear of (academic) gods in me I underestimated the value of being a practicing poet. It is nice... productive... to be able to name all those working parts, to speak about them formally when required and to challenge the status quo when it doesn't fit my skin. To demand that the canon stretch outward and backwards and forward to acknowledge the masters I have chosen and who have in turn been through textual conversation with me. No one sanctions BS but they are open to the self in the work as long one 'privileges analysis, argument and example over mere assertion'. I've never been particularly overly emotional but it's a bit like learning a new language - entering the academy from the bottom up, all that consistency and clarity and such. Ain't nobody got time for run-on sentences in the 'room.  

I've a chapbook to my name Mandible (Slapering Hol Press, 2014)  courtesy of The African Poetry Book Fund. One of my friends called its voice 'completely unexpected' we talked about how much of a self confessed rambler I am and how that and my spoken word background led her to expect something else from the book. She loved it but wondered if I had 'left something of [my]self' out of it. That is reason number four that I am very glad I published that work. I am able to deal with my work far outside my body and its (actual) voice - or whatever other props I employ consciously or otherwise - because that distance has been very productive. And to retire some poems because there was the self imposed obligation that once I thought a poem was done I wanted to share it live, some over and over but once they were published I could free up that head space. I'm not making an argument for books as some sort of literary graveyard, that's just how my head works/ed at that point. In many ways the publishing was not an end in itself but a clear way for the work to live in different spaces.

I  began as, and still am, a spoken word poet in the sense that I love to read my work out loud and often write poems that would present themselves as ...unusual (depending who you ask) were they to be placed quietly on the page. That said, in hindsight, I don't like to hear my own voice. I suspect where we meant to, we would sound just as we imagine ourselves to on and off recordings but that's not been the case for me. It's easy enough to pseudo-distance myself mid performance/reading because I am engaging outwardly - I am invested in my listeners' experience not (primarily) my own. I'm notorious for slipping away if some recording of my voice starts to play because all I can do in that moment is be a critical listener - though it is I who am speaking, but like Marshall and his BreakBeat poets I very much "believe in the necessity for poems to live in multiple 
media (page, performance, video, audio, various multi-genre presentational forms)."

I've thus far recorded 2 CDs (including one with my band Sonic Slam Chorus) and been featured on others' projects, as well as on websites such as lyrikline where the work appears in English alongside its German translation. There's also a lot of unsanctioned material on the web - plenty to humble any ideas of self aggrandisement.

And I've shot two videos. Both Neon Poem and Dreams were filmed in Cambodia by the talented Masahiro Sugano (Studio Revolt). Neon Poem borrows its opening line from Amiri Baraka's controversial poem Black Art. Do take a look and listen.

Yours, as always.

WORD TO THE MOTHER

As I'd mentioned earlier and elsewhere on the blog, I've been looking forward to playing host to four Swedish poets for the last week. The main event happened last night and this is my week's recap.

All 8 participating poets recorded a couple of poems that we intend to share freely on the internet over the next couple of months

Lunch time at a local restaurant, I had mash and oxtail in a mini traditional cooking pot... yum

Laura Wilhborg performing for the students at Kgale High School

Students during a workshop and QnA session held at Maikano CJSS

Sam Kessel and Jorgen Gassilewski after a school workshop

A secret gig on the Friday where up to 40 local poets, show organizers and MCs were invited to share their work in a intimate session with venue details only being texted at the last minute. The local poets were each others entertainment and audience.

The Thapong Visual Arts Center has artist studios, this one houses various traditional instruments. The poets couldn't help but start a band

A visit to the botanical gardens yielded a few surprises including a plant named - in Setswana-  'a man does not wear clothes'

We took the poets on a tour of the city of Gaborone. This is the 3 Dikgosi monument in the Central Business District. That gold dome peeking from behind the diKgosi is the High Court of Botswana

Its a wrap!

FOUR BATSWANA POETS IN STOCKHOLM & UPPSALA

 Between October 1^st and 6^th 2013, four Batswana poets Barolong Seboni, TJ Dema, Moroka Moreri and Drea will perform in Stockholm and Uppsala, Sweden. The project is a collaboration between my organization Sauti Arts and Performance Management and the Sweden based Uppsala Stadsbibliotek (Central Library) and is financed by the Swedish Arts Council. Past projects for Sauti A&PM include hosting the Botswana leg of the Poetry Africa 2012 tour and recording 12 Batswana poets in English, Setswana and iKalanga on 1 CD. The dates for this poetry exchange are:

1.    (1^st October, 2013) In Stockholm the Batswana poets will read at a belated 47th Independence day celebration - Botswana celebrates gaining independence from her British Protectorate status on September 30, 1966- hosted by the Botswana Embassy in Sweden.

2.   Between October 2^nd - 6^th, 2013 the 4 poets will perform/read alongside their Swedish counterparts (Henry Bowers, Jorgen Gassilewski, Laura Wihlborg and Sam Kessel) as part of the Ordsprak Festival in Uppsala.

3.   Upon their return to Botswana the local poets will host their Swedish counterparts in Gaborone between 20-24th November 2013. They will participate in school workshops, public talks as well an evening of poetry. Further details will follow in the press closer to the event date.

Find poet’s biographies and photographs below.

Barolong Seboni was born in Kanye, Botswana in 1957. He did his MA in English Literature at University of Wisconsin, USA.  Seboni has published several works of poetry and has been translated into Italian, Spanish, Korean and Setswana. He has also published and edited multiple works as well as recited his poetry in Zimbabwe, Malawi, South Africa, India, England, Scotland, Ireland, Colombia and the USA.

He is co-founder of the University of Botswana Writers’ Workshop and the Writers’ Association of Botswana. He was poet-in-residence at the Scottish Poetry Library in 1993, and Visiting Writer of the University of Iowa's International Writers’ Program in 2003. Seboni is a Senior Lecturer in the English Department at the University of Botswana.

Drea is a Botswana-born poet residing in Brussels, Belgium. A systems auditor by profession who describes her life as the juggling of the tangible and intangible worlds.  In 2006 she was invited together with Johannesburg-based poet Kojo Baffoe to represent Africa in the 13 cities UK Slam Tour organized by Hammer & Tongue (Oxford,UK). During the tour she became the slam champion in Nottingham and Cambridge. 

She returned to the UK in June 2009 and 2010, this time as part of a memorable line-up at Glastonbury Festival. In the same year she also shared her words at Ordsprak – International Poetry Festival at Regina Theatre (Uppsala) and Stockholm City Theatre, Sweden. She has since taken her words from Berlin to Harare. Her album 1981 Was a Good Year, released in 2010 made her the first Motswana to commercially

release poetry on audio. She is currently working on a book of poems and music.

Moroka Moreri is a renowned Setswana oral poet who has penned several poetry books such as Motlhaolosa, Tshokele, Khuduela, Mmamowe, Sehutswelo and Thotse. His masterpiece Motlhaolosa was prescribed for junior schools and used in Cambridge examinations.

He is a translator and his past projects include translating a mathematics textbook for primary schools. Moreri is also a renowned cultural activist whose poems have been extensively used by musicians on collaborative ventures. 

pic:Petra Rolinec

TJ Dema is former chairperson of the Writers Association of Botswana and an Honorary Fellow in Writing of the University of Iowa -IWP. She was Botswana's representative to the London 2012 cultural Olympiad event - Poetry Parnassus. In the same year she was a recipient of a Vermont Studio Centre writers residency fellowship. She was a founding member of the Exoduslivepoetry! Collective.

She has performed widely and facilitated youth writing workshops across Europe, the USA and Southern Africa. Dema participated in Lancaster University's Crossing Borders program, mentored Botswana’s all female team of national champions for the Power in the Voice program and has been guest writer for the University of Warwick's International Gateway for Gifted Youth. Selections of her work have been translated into Chinese, Spanish, Arabic and German.  She is part of the concept band Sonic Slam Chorus.

I've been traveling quite a bit over the last five years and wanting to work on projects that would allow me to handpick other Batswana poets and tailor make a kind of this-is-Botswana-bevy to present to an international audience, while introducing Batswana to other world voices. Only good can come of  word-lovers meeting each other and sharing space. 
Barolong is a kind of bridge between his generation of poets and the post 2000 generation of Batswana voices. He is widely published which is actually quite unusual in Botswana as ours is arguably not a big print culture though there is always an open mic/spoken word session happening in some place or other in the city. Enter Drea, before she moved to Brussels its fair to say she and I were two of a small group of the post 2000 poets whose work was becoming quite familiar across the country as it certainly already was within poetry circles in the city. Now based in a mainly French speaking country she continues to work on her craft within this new geographical context. On this trip Moroka is the only one to write and recite in Setswana. I was especially eager to include him because he presents a different and lesser heard/seen face of poetry coming out of Botswana. He is also just generally amazing at honouring the traditional form/s of Setswana poetry and this created an opportunity for me to get a sample of his work translated into English for the first time. 
To create some sort of makeshift concept I perhaps should have led with this - Botswana has no arts council and the corporate social responsibility programs are often prohibitive and mainly interested in other, though not less worthy, fields such as children's care, education and sports. Accessing funding for art is always problematic and keeps most productions frozen at the level of high school drama showcase. We do have a department of Arts and Culture in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture but anyone who lives here will tell you that nothing is cheap (Botswana is actually quite expensive unless you are earning your income in one of the top 3 foreign currencies) and the amounts offered by the DAC although welcome will hardly change the local arts landscape anytime soon. 
Botswana is by far one of the most economically and politically stable countries not just on the continent but I might argue further afield and being classified as a middle income country I think adds to the perception that art and culture is a bona fide priority locally. There is in my opinion a lot of investment emotionally, financially and infrastructurally not so much. Quite  a number of international funders either explicitly exclude Botswana (or limit applications to developing countries only) from their funding lists or at the very list prioritise other African countries that are of 'special interest' i.e. war torn, recovering from political turmoil etc. To find teh silver lining here its an opportunity to work free from outside string-pulling and influence but the reality is it can be tough out /in here and the end game for  a lot of rising artists is to move to South Africa or Europe. 
Bookings can be quite sparse and this is not only financially troubling it is more importantly problematic for performance poets for whom working that performance muscle is essential to finding an authentic voice. With a mainly blank entertainment calendar the alternative is often for one to diarise attendance to beauty pageants because at least there is bound to be one of those every other month with a proper stage and one slot for a poet or singer between outfit changes. I'm only half joking, their is a concern about the quality versus the quantity of events as well. Half-hearted rant aside, I love my home and hopefully it will always be a base from which I can draw inspiration. Back to the project at hand, I was absolutely delighted when the Swedish Arts Council announced their decision to back this exchange. 
We hope to see you at one of our three stops, come and say hi. 

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS BOTSWANA AND SINGAPORE COLLABORATION

A former British colony that became an independent nation in the mid-1960s. A small country, which less-informed people might find hard to pinpoint on a map. A largely peaceful and prosperous state, in a region that has had its share of troubles. Mostly flat terrain. English is its lingua franca, but locals speak many different tongues amongst themselves.

This is Botswana. This is Singapore.

(Well not literally, but you get the idea)

One in Africa, one in Asia; yet the two countries share similar historical backgrounds and societal aspirations. In a landmark collaboration, editors TJ Deem, Wame Molefhe, Alvin Pang and Stephanie Ye are looking for new and original poetry and short fiction for a Botswana-Singapore anthology, with the theme and the title, “Skin”. The anthology is slated to be published by Singapore’s Math Paper Press in the first half of 2014.

A submission should follow these guidelines:

1. The theme is “skin”. Writers are free to interpret the theme as they wish.

2. Writers should either be citizens or residents of Botswana or Singapore. There are no age restrictions.

3. Both poetry and prose submissions are accepted. Submissions must be in English, and be between 2,000 and 5,000 words long.

- For poetry, each submission should consist of up to five poems.

- For prose, each submission should consist of one short story.

4. Multiple submissions are accepted, i.e. a writer can submit more than one poetry or prose submission, as well as submit both poetry and prose submissions.

5. Submissions should preferably refer to Botswana or/and Singapore in some way, in terms of setting, characters or concerns, though this is not a requirement.

6. Work previously published elsewhere, whether online or in print, is eligible. In the submission, writers must indicate clearly, at the top of the document, the publication/date in which the work first appeared, as well as vouch that all copyright permissions have been cleared.

7. Work previously published in another language is eligible. The writer should submit an English translation of the work while indicating clearly, at the top of the document, the publication/date in which the original work appeared.

8. The deadline for submissions is October 31, 2013.

- For poetry: Send your submission to skinanthologypoetry@gmail.com. Please include your name and contact details in the body of the e-mail, with the subject line “Botswana” or “Singapore”, depending on your country of origin. Submissions should be in the form of an MS Word document (.doc), using Times New Roman, font size 12.

- For prose: Send your submission to skinanthologyprose@gmail.com. Please include your name and contact details in the body of the e-mail, with the subject line “Botswana” or “Singapore”, depending on your country of origin. Submissions should be in the form of an MS Word document (.doc), using Times New Roman, font size 12.

9. Writers whose submissions are selected will each receive an honorarium of S$80 (estimated 540 pula). Each will also receive three contributor copies of the published anthology and a 40% author discount on further copies.

DREAMING OF THE TREE AND ITS FRUIT

Currently one of the writers in residence at the Vermont Studio Centre, I have been outside today whispering in artists' ears, soliciting their hands in a public art/live literature collaboration I hope to realise before leaving the States.

Because I like to read my poetry out loud it sometimes lends itself, to begin with submits really, to seemingly different forms within an interactive context. The truth is I love listening to music and poetry, and looking at some art (I have a decisively unsophisticated palate) and working with other artists provides an opportunity to do this while sharing some of my own craft. In the past I've collaborated to varying degrees with music producers (house/dance music), live bands (bluesy-jazz, nordic jazz, acoustic), dancers (interpretive dance with Battery Dance NYC, choreopoem for Aldo Brincat's President Concert piece) and of course when I've been felled by a bout of transitory bravery I've co-written with other poets whose work I enjoy.

Todays little clip is of Luis Bravo and I reading his poem 'Se mueven en su sitio' or something not unlike 'they move into/ in their places' in Iowa City recently. A bilingual (Spanish/English) poem with a fantastic translation by Laura Chalar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3kQBpQeI98

Hopefully the public art comes together and I can collaborate with and transform a particular tree I have my eye on. In the absence of a fairy godmother, wish me a broken limb and I shall do wonders.

IN IOWA

“If you want to be in the theater, you go to New York City. If you want to be in television or the movies, you go to Los Angeles. But if you want to be a writer, you come to Iowa City.”
University of Iowa President Sally Mason, welcome address to the 46th annual cohort of writers at the International Writing Program.

So I'm here, in Iowa City, a UNESCO designated city of literature. For the next ten or so weeks I'm participating in the 46th annual International Writing Program courtesy of the University of Iowa and the US Department of State via the lovely people at the US Embassy in Gaborone. There are about 29 or 30 writers from atleast 28 countries, everytime I count I get a different number. I could ask the IWP staff but where oh where is the fun in that? No doubt the fantastic team of coordinators and drivers, program directors and librarians - everyone in this town seems to be a graduate of a writing program - have lots of stuff to do between updating websites and keeping us all in check (Iowa has some pretty interesting laws, and writers, well we rather prefer to make up our own laws if any as we go along). At any rate a full list of participating (and currently behaving) writers as well as samples of their work can be found at http://iwp.uiowa.edu/residency.

So far I've had two readings including one at the Prairie Lights bookstore - gem of a place, do stop by if ever you are in Iowa city- as well as another night of literature in someone's backyard :) I'm told that was part of  a series of gatherings known as the Anthology Readings curated by former China Daily editor and all round talent Ariel Lewiton who read an excerpt from her Diamond City, alongside Kuwait's Taleb Al Refai (who added a healthy dose of gravitas to the day's event) and myself at the PL bookstore.

Today was/is Labour Day, one assumes this is the equivalent of May Day in Botswana and so I've been to Wilson's Orchard and not picked a single apple, and therefore have nothing to show for my sincere efforts at leisure except a Cheshire cat smile and a tummy full of apple turnover and cinnamon icecream. Earlier in the day, I hung out on Lake Macbride's beach pretending to read quietly as I engaged in a bit of anthropological reconnaissance on the species Homo-Americanus...after all if one is to do as the Romans do I suppose one must first know what it is the Romans do do - today it was a bit of eat, love, read, swim, not necessarily in that order and all a little too loud-thuastically and definitely a lot of play as well, methinks holidays are serious business here.

When do I write you ask? Well it is now 1119pm I will be in bed before midnight and will inexplicably wake around 430am (my body clock is ticking to its own unswayable rhythm) at which point I will stare at a blank sheet, most likely read Cyril Wong's Tilting our plates to catch the light before a word leaps at me from behind this half awake space.

I have missed many a breakfast this past week and eaten way too many dinners a day but this is what it is all about for me, a little space to test the silence, maybe snap a leash or two.

TJ Dema POETRY AFRICA TOUR

15th POETRY AFRICA - International Poetry FestivalA select group of 20 participants from 12 different countries make up the exciting line-up of the 15th Poetry Africa international poetry festival. Hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal) and made possible through core funding from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund and other valued partners, Poetry Africa runs in Durban from 17 to 21 October at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, with the festival finale at BAT Centre on 22 October. Poetry Africa touring programmes will also feature in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Johannesburg and Cape Town between 8 and 15 October.

The impressive diversity of the programmes will appeal to all poetic palettes, and audiences can expect sharp social and political commentary, innovative, insightful and deeply personal approaches to poetry, streetwise and sassy performances, and a strong spike of contemporary rap and hip hop. With the COP 17 conference on climate change taking place in Durban in November the legendary teaser presentation of all the poets on opening night, 17 October, will focus on environmental and planetary challenges. Thereafter, the general Poetry Africa format is for five poets to perform each evening, with the exception of the festival finale at Bat Centre on closing night.Tuesday 18 October features Dashen Naicker, Myesha Jenkins, Khadijatou, Raul Zurita and Shailja Patel. A visible presence on the Joburg scene for the past 15 years, activist, writer and performer Jenkins, was last seen on Durban stages in the Feelah Sistah Collective in 2005. Prior to her stage appearance, Jenkins will be launching her second collection of poetry, Flight of Dreams. UK-based Khadijatou is well-known through underground poetry and jazz scenes, for her voice and signature djembe drum. She is also the founding director and producer of Step Afrika! Bursting through the ranks in recent years is Durban-born poet Dashen Naicker, and winner of the Durban SlamJam at last year's Poetry Africa. One of Latin America's most powerful and controversial voices is Chilean poet Raúl Zurita, whose numerous awards include the Chilean National Prize for Literature and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Zurita's Dantean trilogy of books about the demise that followed the military overthrowing of democracy in Chile, was composed over a span of 15 years.

Letters to DennisShailja Patel of Kenya has been chosen as the 2011 Letters to Dennis poet, a programme slot instituted last year in honour of late activist and poet Dennis Brutus. Trained as a political scientist and accountant, this brilliant poet and committed activist is a founding member of Kenyans for Peace, Truth and Justice (KPTJ). The recipient of numerous awards and with work translated into 15 languages, Patel was named by the African Women's Development Fund as one of Fifty Inspirational African Feminists for the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. Starting with a brief performance by Zimbabwean mbira maestro Chiwoniso, music elements are prominent in the Wednesday programme on 19 October that showcases Patrice Treuthardt (Reunion), Uzinzo, TJ Dema (Botswana), Jaap Blonk (Netherlands), and Didier Awadi (Senegal). Patrice Treuthardt is an advocate for the preservation of the Creole language in Réunion, Treuthardt defied the nation's official ban and his first book of poetry in 1978, was a long poem written entirely in Creole. The poetry of Eastern Cape-born, Cape Town-based artist, Uzinzo, deals with personal and spiritual identity, exploring the struggles and victories of a young African man in modern day society. Dynamic spoken-word artist TJ Dema is also chairperson of The Writers Association of Botswana.. and the founding member of the Exoduslivepoetry! collective, who have coordinated Botswana's sole annual poetry festival since 2004. Self-taught composer, performer, musician and poet Jaap Blonk from The Netherlands, has developed a unique form of sound poetry that absolutely challenges pre-conceptions of what poetry, and language, should be. Closing the evening is Senegal's Didier Awadi, one of the most prominent artists to have emerged from Africa's Francophone rap scene. With lyrical content underpinned by a strong African consciousness, Awadi skillfully fuses western aesthetics and African heritage.

Thursday 20 October commences with the awarding of the Sol Plaatjie European Union Poetry Award, and in the book launch slot immediately prior to the show Jacana will unveil an anthology of poetry submitted for the competition. Featured poets for the night are David wa Maahlamela, Fernando Réndon (Colombia), Sandile Dikeni, Niyi Osundare (Nigeria) and Oswald Mtshali. Poet and prose writer David wa Maahlamela.is the recipient of a number of awards, including the PanSALB Multilingualism Award, notably being recognized for his work in arts development in the Limpopo province. With three excellent collections of poetry to his credit, provocative wordsmithSandile Dikeni makes a much-welcomed return to the Poetry Africa stage where he last performed exactly ten years ago. Fernando Réndon is an exceptional Colombian poet and visionary who founded the Latin American poetry magazine, Prometeo, and co-founded the International Poetry Festival of Medellin. Now acknowledged as the world's largest poetry festival, it received in 2006 the Right Livelihood award, commonly referred to as the Alternative Nobel Prize. Réndon also initiated the recently formed World Poetry Movement. Thursday also includes the prolific and award-winning Niyi Osundare. A leading figure in the popularization of written poetry in Nigeria, with over 16 poetry books, four plays, two books of essays and numerous scholarly articles and reviews, Osundare's works have been translated into numerous languages. Oswald MtshaliReturning to the province of his birth is a giant of the South African literary landscape, Oswald Mtshali. His seminal first book, Sounds of a Cowhide Drum (1971), which explored the banality and extremity of apartheid through the eyes of working men in South Africa, was one of the first books by a black South African poet to be widely distributed. Mtshali's numerous awards include the South African Lifetime Achievement Literary Award (SALA) from the Department of Arts and Culture in 2007. The programme of Friday 21 October kicks off with poetry from the winners of the Poetry Africa schools poetry competition, before Phelelani Makhanya, Dikson (Zimbabwe), Mphutlane wa Bofelo, Gabeba Baderoon and Joshua Bennett (USA) take to the stage. Phelelani Makhanya is a member of Uhuru Poets, based at the Luthuli Museum, and Bare Thoughts at the University of Zululand where he works. A regular participant in Durban poetry circles, Mphutlane wa Bofelo has published a number of poetry books, articles and stories. He is a previous winner of the Poetry Africa SlamJam. From Zimbabwe, and a well-respected poet on the spoken word and slam scene there, is Dikson. Dikson has also collaborated on a number of fusion projects, including with the all-female ensemble WoCalling. Author, academic, and celebrated poet, Gabeba Baderoon, has produced three well-received collections of exquisite poetry - she is recipient of the DaimlerChrysler Poetry Award amongst others. Bound to raise the early-weekend tempo will be award-winning US-born performance poet Joshua Bennett. Bennett has recited at events such as The Sundance Film Festival, the NAACP Image Awards, and President Obama's Evening of Poetry and Music.Five talented Poetry Africa Prelude Poets have been selected as a preface to the main line-up on certain evenings. Zuhaira 'Lerato' Esau and Sifiso Mtolo present their poetry on Tuesday, 18 October; Tumelo Khoza and Juba deliver on Wednesday, 19 October; and Siyabonga Mpungose appears on Friday, 21 October. Festival book launches all take place at the Wellington Tavern Deck, Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, from 18h45-19h15. Myesha Jenkins' Dream of Flight (Gecko Publishing)will be launched on Tuesday, 18 October, while No Serenity Here (World Knowledge Publishers) by Phillippa Yaa de Villiers, Isabel Ferrin-Aguirre and Xiao Kaiyu, will be launched on Wednesday, 19 October. Thursday, 20 October sees the launch of The Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Anthology 2011 (Jacana Media), while Conduit by Sarah Frost (Modjaji Books) is to be launched on Friday, 21 October. Music performances also include the eclectic Sazi Dlamini and Ndikho Xaba, and a rocking finale on closing night by Tidal Waves. The busy day programme includes seminars, workshops and activities at tertiary institutions and community centres, engagement with local poetry groups, a prison poetry programme, open mic opportunities and visits by the poets to thirty schools in Durban and surrounding areas to exchange poetry and ideas about poetry with young learners. The high-paced Durban SlamJam takes place at 16h45 at BAT Centre on Saturday 22 October, featuring Dikson, Mphutlane wa Bofelo, Phelalani Makhanya, Joshua Bennett and Sandile Dikeni. Ticket prices at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre: R30 (R15 for students and pensioners). Book at Computicket (Tel: 083 915 8000 or www.computicket.com) or at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre from 18h30. Closing night at the BAT Centre: R50. There is no charge for workshops and seminars. No advance bookings for BAT Centre.Poetry Africa on TourPoetry Africa performance showcases take place in Blantyre (8th October), Johannesburg (11th), Harare (13th), and Cape Town (15th) with seminars, workshops, talks, panel discussions and schools programmes in some of the centres. The tour includes a number of participants who do not feature in the afore-mentioned Durban programme, such as Kwame Dawes, Chris Abani, Lebo Mashile and Chiwoniso. Acclaimed writer of poetry, fiction, nonfiction and plays Kwame Dawes, who was born in Ghana but spent most of his childhood and early adult life in Jamaica. He is also an actor, playwright, producer, broadcaster, and was the lead singer in Ujamaa, a reggae band. Winner of a Pushcart Prize, Dawes has produced a prolific sixteen collections of fine poetry. Controversial Nigerian-born Chris Abani's first novel got him arrested, and his play Song of a Broken Flute (1990), resulted in a sentence as a political prisoner. He is the recipient of major PEN awards, and his most recent book of poetry, Sanctificum (2010), is a sequence of linked poems, combining religious ritual, the Igbo language of his Nigerian homeland and reggae rhythms. Always a popular performer is the iconicSouth African poet, MC, actress, television presenter and producer Lebo Mashile, who in 2006 was awarded the Noma Award for Publishing in Africa for her first poetry collection. Adding a musical touch is Chiwoniso (Zimbabwe), who has emerged as one of the defining experts in the art of mbira playing, accompanied by her incredible singing. Other participants on the tour include Didier Awadi (Senegal),TJ Dema (Botswana), Shailja Patel (Kenya), Jaap Blonk (Netherlands), Khadijatou (UK), Tibass Kangu (DRC). Gabeba Baderoon and Sandile Dikeni present in Cape Town; Myesha Jenkins and Oswald Mtshali in Johannesburg. Talented Malawian poets Babangoni Kubvala Chisale, Benedicto Wokomaatani Malunga and Qabaniso 'Q' participate in the Blantyre Showcase; Zimbabweans Dikson and Xapa will share their skills in Harare.Click here for participant biographies

Visit www.cca.ukzn.ac.za for other information or contact the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Centre for Creative Arts on 031 260 2506/1816 or e-mail cca@ukzn.ac.za.For media queries contact: Sharlene Versfeld Tel: +27 31-8115628 Fax: 0866827334 Email: sharlene@versfeld.co.za Organized by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), the 15th Poetry Africa International Poetry Festival is supported by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (principal funder), Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation (HIVOS), Mimeta, French Institute of South Africa and the City of Durban.