Article
Poetry at the Franschhoek Literary Festival 2008
June 22, 2008
The poetry competition, which was in three languages (English, Afrikaans and Xhosa), was open to the following categories in the greater Franschhoek area: primary school, high school, offenders in the Groot Drakenstein prison and adult poets. My co-judges were Ampie Coetzee (Afrikaans) and Mlamli Matshingana (Xhosa). The booklet of winning poems was sponsored by Dr Steenkamp & Associates Attorneys.
The prize-giving was well attended and there were readings from the winners and runners up who were present.
Three poets attending the festival, Gabeba Baderoon, Jitsvinger (with his band) and myself, read and performed at an assembly at Bridge House School. Learners from other schools in the valley were also invited to the assembly and to the subsequent workshops on various aspects of poetry writing and performance.
For the rest of the festival, poetry was based at the Essence Coffee Shop which hosted the launch of James Jamala Safari's first book of poetry, with readings and a local choir; the launch of Modjaji Press, a new South African women's press, with readings by poets Azila Reisenberger and Megan Hall; a hip-hop performance by Jitsvinger and Co.; and a poetry/music recital by Red Earth and Rust, featuring Jacques Coetzee and with lyrics by Barbara Fairhead.
There were individual readings by prize-winning poets Gabeba Baderoon and Rustum Kozain, both of whom have been invited to attend the Bristol Literary Festival later this year.
Unfortunately the South African Poet Laureate, Keorapetse Kgositsile, who was scheduled to read, was sent by the Department of Arts and Culture to attend a conference in Cuba, and Sandile Dikeni had to withdraw due to ill health.
A highlight of the festival was an extremely lively open mike session, emceed by the vibrant Caroline Blackburn, who also performed. The session was attended mainly by local writers and fans and was hugely enjoyed by the audience, participants and the staff of Essence. Writers who took part in this session included: Cuan, Nathan & Jerome a.k.a Cola, Erik Magubane, Charles Magano, James Jamala Safari, Neliswa, Isobel Dixon, Ilana Slomovitz, myself, Stephnie and Sonja.
Related Links:
The Franschhoek Literary Festival Web Site
The Franschhoek Literary Festival Blog
Margie Orford Blog
Modjadji Press Blog
Gus Ferguson, the former editor of Poetry International Web, South Africa, was at the Franschhoek Literary Festival in May with poets from every walk of life. He writes in his capacity as a facilitator of the poetry events and as chief judge of the Voices From Our Valley Poetry Competition.
Poetry, as last year, was offered a high profile at the 2008 festival, kicking off with the launch of 15 Men, a book that published the fruits of a creative writing class held in the Groot Drakenstein Prison by South African crime writer, Margie Orford. It was very moving to see the men in orange as they gingerly fingered their own copies and stared, transfixed, at the books that held their own words in print.The poetry competition, which was in three languages (English, Afrikaans and Xhosa), was open to the following categories in the greater Franschhoek area: primary school, high school, offenders in the Groot Drakenstein prison and adult poets. My co-judges were Ampie Coetzee (Afrikaans) and Mlamli Matshingana (Xhosa). The booklet of winning poems was sponsored by Dr Steenkamp & Associates Attorneys.
The prize-giving was well attended and there were readings from the winners and runners up who were present.
Three poets attending the festival, Gabeba Baderoon, Jitsvinger (with his band) and myself, read and performed at an assembly at Bridge House School. Learners from other schools in the valley were also invited to the assembly and to the subsequent workshops on various aspects of poetry writing and performance.
For the rest of the festival, poetry was based at the Essence Coffee Shop which hosted the launch of James Jamala Safari's first book of poetry, with readings and a local choir; the launch of Modjaji Press, a new South African women's press, with readings by poets Azila Reisenberger and Megan Hall; a hip-hop performance by Jitsvinger and Co.; and a poetry/music recital by Red Earth and Rust, featuring Jacques Coetzee and with lyrics by Barbara Fairhead.
There were individual readings by prize-winning poets Gabeba Baderoon and Rustum Kozain, both of whom have been invited to attend the Bristol Literary Festival later this year.
Unfortunately the South African Poet Laureate, Keorapetse Kgositsile, who was scheduled to read, was sent by the Department of Arts and Culture to attend a conference in Cuba, and Sandile Dikeni had to withdraw due to ill health.
A highlight of the festival was an extremely lively open mike session, emceed by the vibrant Caroline Blackburn, who also performed. The session was attended mainly by local writers and fans and was hugely enjoyed by the audience, participants and the staff of Essence. Writers who took part in this session included: Cuan, Nathan & Jerome a.k.a Cola, Erik Magubane, Charles Magano, James Jamala Safari, Neliswa, Isobel Dixon, Ilana Slomovitz, myself, Stephnie and Sonja.
Related Links:
The Franschhoek Literary Festival Web Site
The Franschhoek Literary Festival Blog
Margie Orford Blog
Modjadji Press Blog
© Gus Ferguson
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