POETS from South Africa and around the world will gather together for a week showcasing the face of present day spoken word and storytelling at the 19th Poetry Africa Festival, which takes place in Durban from October 12 to 17.

Hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts (CCA), Poetry Africa provides a space for intercultural exchange and dialogue by hosting an extensive community outreach programme with poetry readings, performances and workshops in community centres, campuses and also participate in a programme of visits to schools across Durban to share ideas about poetry.

Evening poetry readings and discussions will take place at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre on the Howard College campus. The festival finale will take place on October 17 at the Rivertown Beer Hall in Durban, with a closing performance by soulful singer Nakhane Touré.

This year’s festival features 24 poets:
• British-based Kat Francois, a comedienne, playwright, actress, performer and performance poet;
• Lebohang ‘Nova’ Masango, a Swedish-born writer, poet, activist, feminist and speaker;
• British-based Ghanaian performance poet, writer and socio-cultural commentator Nii Parkes.
• celebrated and prolific SA poet and actress Lebo Mashile;
• Lesego Rampolokeng a hard-hitting South African writer, playwright and performance poet;
• Aryan Kaganof a filmmaker, novelist, poet and fine artist;
• Ntsiki Mazwai the outspoken and incendiary poet, writer and musician; and
• Thabiso ‘Afurakan’ Mohare one of the pioneers of the modern South African spoken word scene.

KwaZulu-Natal will be represented by:
• Africa Dlamini, a slam/spoken word poet from Howick;
• Durban’s Celiswa Majali whose novel Imbali yentombazanana is used by schools at grade 10 level in the Western Cape and Gauteng Provinces;
• Khanyi Shusha a performance art poet, designer, activist, feminist and writer from Durban;
• Kwazi Ndlangisa an award-winning performance poet, vocalist, creative writer and art activist;
• Matt Vend who is known for his poetically-driven songwriting, unique rhythmic guitar playing and engaging live performances;
• Nokulunga Dladla, a passionate recording poetry artist and storyteller in Pinetown;
• Nosipho Magcaba, a former “prelude poet” at the festival, who returns this year to the main programme;
• Tshebeletso Mohale another a former “prelude poet” who lives and works in Durban;
• Thando Fuze, twice been nominated for Best Female Performing Poet at the Original Material Awards; and
• Vus’umuzi Phakathi, an award-winning South African poet, writer, performer, facilitator and producer.

Other featured poets include Icebound Makhele a spoken word performer, writer, cultural activist from Bloemfontein, Makhosazana Xaba, the author of two poetry collections; Mbali Vilakazi, the award-winning South African poet; Mthunzikazi Mbungwana a poet, writer and storyteller from a small village of Upper Indwana in Cala in the former Transkei; Mutle Mothibe, who has spent the last 15 years honing his skills a writer and performer; and Limpopo-born Vonani Bila, a poet and musician, who has written eight story-books for newly literate adult readers in Sepedi, Xitsonga and English.

Tickets for the evening sessions, which take place at 7 pm in the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, are R40 (students and pensioners R25) at the door an hour before. Alternatively book through Computicket.

Tickets for the festival finale at Rivertown cost R70 (pre-sale) or R80 at the door. Book at Computicket.

For more information go to http://www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or like the Facebook page PoetryAfrica or follow the fetsival on Twitter @PoetryAfrica.