Patricia Schonstein is a novelist, poet, author of children’s books and curator of anthologies.
In her own words: “I live in Cape Town and may never be able to leave because of the wind which I love. I own a collection of Shona pots and a cabinet of curiosities including shells, feathers, quills, fossils, seed pods, tea cups and shards of old china. Opera, theatre, art exhibitions and wilderness give me great pleasure.
“My novels are rich in sensuality, fabrics, works of art and delicious food. You will find love, Shakespearean touches and many passions in them. They explore the triumphs of the human soul over all sorts of adversity and will tantalise and leave you hungry for banquets or the most simple meal of bread and wine.
“My own satisfaction as an author comes from knowing that I have created worlds real enough for my readers to step into and enjoy, while not shying away from the deep questions of life.”
Harry Owen is the author of six poetry collections: Searching for Machynlleth; The Music of Ourselves; Five Books of Marriage; Non-Dog;
Worthy: poems for my father; and Small Stones for Bromley.
He is editor of I Write Who I Am: an anthology of Upstart poems, showcasing young poets from disadvantaged township schools, and For Rhino in a Shrinking World: an international anthology.
Douglas Skinner was born in 1949 in the town of Upington and grew up in Cape Town, Grahamstown, Kimberley and East London. He studied Philosophy and English at Rhodes before working in mining, prospecting, drilling, insurance, the theatre, systems analysis, publishing, the wine trade and building, living in Cape Town, Johannesburg, New York, San Francisco and London. In Cape Town, he edited the literary journals Upstream, New Contrast and SA Literary Review, and founded and directed The Carrefour Press, which specialised in South African English poetry and non-fiction. He has published six collections of poems—most recently Heaven: New & Selected Poems (Left Field Poetry, Cape Town 2014)—and one collection of translations. His poems, translations, reviews and interviews have appeared in journals, newspapers and anthologies in Britain, France, Italy, South Africa and the United States. Together with Marco Fazzini, he was awarded joint-First Prize in the 1995 British Comparative Literature Association, Open Translation Prize.
Christine belongs to Finuala Dowling’s monthly poetry group and a women’s writing collaborative; The Grail Women Writers.
Hugh Hodge: I'm a Baby Boomer brat. I was born in 1946 on Nelson Mandela’s 28th birthday (my closest brush with fame) at Tavistock in Devon, England. Rondebosch Boys’ High attempted to educate me without much success. Later, Essex University endured similar disappointments, but got over them. I've (had) three wives, and three children. Each marriage was happy in its own way and in its own time. The children are more beautiful than I expected. I've had a job as a small, and sometimes negative, contributor to the technological revolution. Despite being commonly left-brained, and occasionally no-brained, I write poetry that is sometimes published. I attend and sometimes host the Off-the-Wall poetry gig Mondays in Obz, and I also host occasional gigs in Scarborough, and elsewhere. I edit poetry, teach English, and also write business software. And, aside from a natural tribal arrogance, I'm kind and tolerant, even of dogs.
Mavis Vermaak is a writer, musician and visual artist from Cape Town.Interested in
music technology, electronica and possibility, Mavis enjoys creating soulful,
sonic landscapes with an organic, evocative feel. She especially enjoys
creatively combining music with poetry – both others’ and her own.
In 2008, Mavis released her self-titled, five-track debut EP. In 2011 she released her first full-length album, RUMI – a collection of compositions of works by 13th century mystic poet Rumi, translated into Afrikaans. She is currently working on an album of original material.
Mavis Vermaak lends a hypnotic soundtrack to the day... this strange music settles in your central nervous system and keeps resonating in your inner ear.
Deborah Steinmair
More information: www.mavisvermaak.com
Kerry Hammerton lives in Cape Town, South Africa. Her poetry has been published in various South African and UK literary journals and anthologies. In her debut poetry collection These are the lies I told you, (Modjaji 2010) Kerry was described as ‘an anatomist of romantic love’ and ‘amusing, refreshing and extraordinarily entertaining’. The Weather Report (2014), her second collection, has been called ‘playful, absurd, yearning, elegiac, dark and wicked’. Kerry is currently doing an MA in Creative Writing at Rhodes University.
Marguerite van der Merwe: An internationally qualified professional teacher of The Alexander Technique (28 yrs) and of Tai Chi, immersed in all that is healthful and soulful in body, mind and spirit, Marguerite has specialized in developing and integrating the rich and varied dimensions of our physical, thinking, emotional and spiritual aspects into a path to Intelligent, Conscious, Skilful Living.
She conducts private sessions, Workshops, Workshop-Retreats and Presentations throughout South Africa – restoring the body’s Poise & Balance, teaching Awareness, Attentiveness, Presence, Effortlessness, litheness, groundedness. She is author of two praise-poem books: ‘EVE-OLUTION - Enhancing Feminine Consciousness and Body Awareness’ and ‘THE ART OF WALKING – Path to Health & the Richness of Well-Being’. Recent Workshop-Retreats offer guidance in restoring our Natural (Effortless), Conscious Walking pattern - and in taking this intentional footprint of care into the landscape in ’WALKING SONGLINES’. She was selected, and presented, an ‘Art of Walking’ Workshop at The International Alexander Teachers’ Congress in Ireland in August 2015.
Passionate about the arts & humanities, education and environmental/ecological issues, she is healthy and fit and a determined traveller to unusual destinations. She plays tennis, hikes, and continues a full working life in a small coastal village nestling between mountains and sea.
Words can be wild horses.
You find yourself struck by their magnificence.
Then, in a moment of folly,
you think yourself grand and attempt to tame.
Only to find yourself in the dust. Face down.
Remembering your place in the scheme of things.
Genna Gardini is a poet based in Cape Town. She was awarded an MA in Playwriting with distinction from UCT in 2014. Gardini is the co-founder of Horses' Heads Productions. She has had two plays produced at the National Arts Festival, WinterSweet (2012) andScrape (2013), both of which won Standard Bank Ovation Awards. In 2013 she was awarded the DALRO New Coin Poetry prize and named one of the Mail & Guardian’s Top 200 Young South Africans. She is a member of The Royal Court Theatre’s South African New Writing Programme and the playwriting collective PlayRiot. Her new play Similar To will debut at the 2015 National Arts Festival's Arena Programme. Her poetry has been published widely, most recently in The Common, Prufrock and uHlanga as well as the Umuzi anthology The Ghost-Eater and Other Stories. Gardini currently works as a Lecturer in CityVarsity’s Acting for Camera department.
Silke Heiss and Norman Morrissey were both regularly-publishing and award-winning South African poets who had extensive experience in teaching creative writing programmes in all genres, when in highly unlikely circumstances they met and fell in love.
Morrissey helped design and teach the first SAQA accredited undergraduate Creative Writing courses in any South African university. He has published five volumes of poetry and his selected poems are in press. Heiss has written educational materials, novels, a verse novel published serially, short stories and poems. She has mentored a number of published novelists, one of whose books received an honourable mention at the 2008 New York Book Fair. They married and have stayed together in even more unlikely circumstances.
They write together regularly and give writing workshops in Hogsback. See http://www.hogsback.co.za. Click on Activities and scroll down to 'Hiku Hikes'.
They are both members of the Ecca Poets, Morrissey being a founder of the group. See http://eccapoets.blogspot.com
Ian McCallum is a medical doctor, analytical psychologist, psychiatrist and an adjunct professor in Earth Stewardship Science at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth. He is a specialist wilderness guide, an author and poet as well as a director of the Wilderness Foundation.
He is the author of two anthologies of wilderness poems: Wild Gifts (1999), Untamed (2012) and a novel Thorns to Kilimanjaro (2000). His award winning book Ecological Intelligence – Rediscovering Ourselves in Nature addresses the interconnectedness of all living things and ultimately, the survival of the human animal. It was published in South Africa in 2005 and in the USA in 2009. An Exclusive Books HOMEBRU selection in SA, it won the Wild Literary Award at the World Wilderness Congress in Mexico 2009.
He is the writer/poet for the prestigious Dylan Lewis ‘UNTAMED’ exhibited at the world-renowned Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Cape Town 2010-2012.
As the leadership project director of the Wilderness Foundation he has recently completed a four-month expedition following ancient elephant migratory routes across southern Africa. The expedition –Tracks of Giants- began on Namibia’s Skeleton Coast on 1 May 2012 and ended at Cape Vidal on the KZN coastline on 2 September. Together with his long-time friend and journalist Ian Michler, the two adventurers walked, cycled and kayaked the entire 5164 Km journey un-motorised. The expedition focussed on two key objectives – the importance of establishing international animal migratory corridors between established national parks in home countries and secondly, to explore the psychological and economic issues associated with the co-existence of human communities and wild animals.
A former rugby Springbok and vice captain (1970-74) McCallum’s other interests include wildlife photography – he won the Agfa Wildlife ‘Man and Nature’ category in 2001, astronomy and sport. His academic interests focus on evolutionary biology, human ecology and the animal-human interface (what we learn about ourselves from the wild).
He is a trustee of the Cape Leopard Trust. http://ian-mccallum.co.za
Lara Kirsten is a classical pianist and performance poet. She balances the strict discipline of the art music with the writing and performance of her own poetry in Afrikaans and English. On occasion she combines her poetry with movement, visual art, photography and music.
In August 2007 she made her debut as a performance poet with the one-woman piece Ingrid Jonker Dans Weer. She performed her first extensive installation art and poetry piece, Frames, at the Fook Festival in Somerset-East in 2008. This work consisted of eight poems which were performed in eight different rooms with dialoguing installation art, costume and movement. In 2009 she made her debut in The Netherlands in the show Op het Punt van Aanraken (featuring music improvised by Francois le Roux, photography by Carmen Gonzalez and poems written and performed by Lara). In 2009 she was commissioned to write and perform poetry for the 60th Anniversary of the Voortrekker Monument Pretoria, taking a strong view on what it is to be an Afrikaner today. In September of 2010 and 2011 she had the privilege to perform as pianist and poet in the Baxter concert hall in Cape Town. In 2012 a highlight was performing in the Guy Butler theatre at The Settler's Monument in Grahamstown. She has been invited to write and perform poetry for part of the opening ceremony for the International Aquarium Congress hosted at the CTICC (Cape Town International Convention Centre) in September 2012. From 2010 to 2012 Lara has conceived and performed one-woman poetry happenings at the annual AfrikaBurn festival hosted in the Tankwa Karoo in the Northern Cape. In 2014 she was invited to perform as pianist and poet at the McGregor Poetry Festival. Since 2009 Lara has performed as featured poet at the Off the Wall poetry sessions in Observatory, Cape Town.
Since 2007 Lara's poetry has been published in various editions of the South African Literary Journal New Contrast. In 2008 she became part of the Eastern Cape poet-group, Ecca, who presents readings and publishes collectively each year.
For more on Lara’s music career, poetry, photos and creative projects please visit her blog at http://laraafrika.blogspot.com/
For more on Lara’s music career, poetry, photos and creative projects please visit her blog at http://laraafrika.blogspot.com/
Antjie Krog is a poet, non-fiction writer and professor at the University of the Western Cape. She has published twelve volumes of poetry, three non-fiction books and three books of children rhymes and poems. She has received most of the prestigious awards available for poetry, non-fiction and translation in both Afrikaans and English. Her work has appeared in English, Dutch, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Swedish, Serbian, Arabic, Sesotho and isiXhosa.
photo: Antonia Steyn
My naam Petra Grütter. Skrywersnaam Petra Müller
My nooiensnaam is ook my skrywersnaam, waaronder ek boekresensies, kort prosa’s, kortverhale en poësie gepubliseer het. Onder die skuilnaam Magriet Smalberger ook ‘n handvol liefdesverhale.
Ek was fiksieredaktrise by die Sarie; daarna boekredaktrise by Tafelberguitgewers. Dáárna vryskut. Ek stam uit die groot geslagte Müllers (Mosselbaai) en Dippenaars (Moorreesburg). Is van my geboorte af omring deur saga-agtige vertellings, asook die poësie inherent aan die saailande waarin ek aangekom het en waarvan ek nog leef.
Ek ly aan te veel energie, wat ek van my Pa Herman Müller, geërf het. Daar is nie einde aan die Müllers nie, soos dr Malherbe gesê het; jy moet hulle met ‘n lang hout doodslaan. Ook ly ek aan bevliegings, wat uitloop op sit-en-storiesvertel, pleks van werk. As ek kon sing, sou ek gesing het: my Ma kon sing. Ek neig na komedie meer as tragedie; dat ek pas tagtig geword het, is nie my skuld nie. My geliefkoosde karakters is Falstaff en Don Quixote en Dirk Ligter.
Ek het drie voortreflike seuns en ses beeldskone kleinkinders.
Philip de Vos. Philip de Vos is 'n oud-onderwyser, oud-operasanger, fotograaf, skrywer, digter, limeriekmaker, vertaler en die skrywer en aanbieder van radioreekse oor klassieke komponiste. Hy het al heelwat plaaslike toekennings vir sy werk ontvang, plus 'n IBBY internasionale toekenning vir sy vertaalwerk. In 2015 het hy KykNet Fiësta Lewensbydraetoekenning gekry vir musiek, woord- en visuele kuns.
Floris Brown Pryswenner, digter Floris Brown is gebore 10 September 1948. Op 5 Desember 2015 ontvang hy die tweede hoogste ATKV OORKONDE TOEKENNING vir die bevordering van Afrikaans. Hy verskyn op Nasionale televisie program KykNet/KOLLIG, uitgesaai op 16 Januarie 2015. Gaan loer na die video www.youtube.com
Tot op hede het Floris meer as 40 digbundels publiseer.
Tot op hede het Floris meer as 40 digbundels publiseer.
Diana Ferrus was born in Worcester in 1953 and completed her high school career in 1972. She completed a postgraduate degree in Women’s and Gender studies at the University of the Western Cape where she works as an administrator in the Dept of Industrial Psychology.
She is a founder member of the Afrikaanse Skrywersvereniging (ASV), Bush Poets (all women poets) and Women in Xchains (grassroots women writers).
Diana has attended numerous literary festivals locally and abroad. In 2006 she performed her poetry at the Klein Karoo Kunstefees with the Mamela band. They received a Kanna-award for the best contemporary music. At this very festival Diana received a Kanna-award for her contribution to Afrikaans.
However Diana Ferrus is internationally known and acclaimed for the poem that she wrote for the indigenous South African woman Sarah Bartmann who was taken away from her country under false pretences and paraded as a sexual freak in Europe.
Diana’s work has had and still has a bearing and influence on matters of race, gender, class and reconciliation. She is popular amongst South Africans of all race groups. She believes in her country’s future and works tirelessly for her people’s emancipation from racial, sexual and class exploitation as well as reconciliation.
Helen Moffett wears many hats: freelance writer, editor, researcher, trainer, academic, flamenco fan. Her academic writings include a great deal of necessary work on sexual violence in the post-apartheid context. She balances this out by writing erotica as one-third of Helena S. Paige. She also co-authored the late Bob Woolmer’s Art and Science of Cricket along with Prof Tim Noakes. She has also compiled three university textbooks on poetry, an anthology of South African landscape writing and published several short stories. Her debut collection of poems, Strange Fruit, was published by Modjaji Books.
Dr. Koos van der Merwe, bekroonde liedskrywer, digter, solo kunstenaar asook vir meer as 10 jaar reeds rubriekskrywer vir SARIE tydskrif.
Hy het reeds 3 digbundels publiseer. Die eerste twee was ‘Optelwoorde’ en ‘Pelgrimverse’. Sy derde digbundel, ‘Rympies in die vliet’ bevat 365 gedigte en is in die vorm van 'n joernaal. Regdeur die bundel is daar plek vir jóú rympies, joernaalinskrywings en om kommentaar in die vliet te skryf.
As lid van die groep Prophet het Koos meer as 50 000 albums verkoop, met treffers soos "Houtkruis" uit sy pen. Gedurende 2012 begin Koos met die vertaling van Cohen se grootste treffers en Cohen se persoonlike goedkeuring op die vertalings gekry. Danksy Koos se ongelooflike skryf vernuf en digterlike aanslag is 13 Cohen Treffers nou verewig in Afrikaans. Elke lied gaan om met 'n tema waaroor jy moet peins, of huil, of swyg. Party laat jou toe om te glimlag. En dalk, as jy toelaat dat jy deur die diep melankolie meegesleur word, sal jy lus voel om stadig te begin dans!
In November 2014 bereik die Leonard Cohen in Afrikaans album GOUD STATUS net betyds voor Koos se nuutste skepping die lig sien: ‘TAMBOERYNMAN’. Koos sing nou ook Bob Dylan, in Afrikaans met CD vrystellings landswyd geskeduleer vir 2015.
Koos is ook leier leraar van Eden Gemeente op George, is getroud met Barbara en het 2 kinders; Ivan en Claudi.
www.koosvandermerwe.com
Prof Adam Small, gebore 1936 te Wellington. Beleef kleinkinderjare op Goree buite Robertson, waarvandaan verhuis word na die Kaapse Vlakte (vader 'n onderwyser en skoolhoof). Word kultureel-divers groot, Gereformeerd en Rooms-Katoliek, en moeder van huis uit Moslem. Bestudeer Taal aan die Universiteit van Kaapstad, en ook Filosofie, laasgenoemde daarna ook aan die London School of Economics en Oxford. Dosent in Filosofie aan Universiteit van Fort Hare. Later, departementshoof Filosofie en professor in Maatskaplike Werk UWK. Verskeie eregrade en literêre toekennings, insluitende Hertzogprys vir Drama. Skepper van die benaming 'Kaaps' vir hierdie variëteit van Afrikaans. Getroud met Rosalie Joan, née Daniels.
Reis in die VSA, veral met poëtiese belangstelling in die woestynland van Arizona waar hy by twee geleenthede die verskynsel van die Grand Canyon beleef en die enigmatiese omgewing van die Navajo; reis ook in Europa, en ervaar aspekte van Amsterdam (met belangstelling veral in Van Gogh) en die Rijksmuseum aandoen, en Parys (waar hy die Louvre ervaar en ook die Mausoleum van Napoleon); en Tokio in Japan (waar die kersiebloeisels hom bekoor!)
Briar is a teacher, story teller, founder of the McGregor Waldorf School and coordinator of the Breede Centre – a newly formed skills training centre in McGregor. She also offers courses for soul and spiritual nourishment for adults under the umbrella of her and her husband’s partnership, KalloSophia (beauty wisdom). Dawid Booysen was one of the initial students of the McGregor Waldorf School, completed a three year course in drama and is now employed by the Breede Centre as toy-maker and builder. Together they toured in the UK and California performing for funds for the McGregor Waldorf School.
Colleen Higgs is the publisher and founder of Modjaji Books, a small independent press based in Cape Town. Inspired by Modjadji, the Rain Queen of Limpopo, a powerful female force for good, growth, new life, and regeneration, Modjaji Books aims to fill a gap by taking seriously women’s writing from southern Africa, creating a space for those experiences and voices that may not fit in to the constraints of more mainstream publishers. Many Modjaji titles have gone on to be nominated for and some to win prestigious literary awards.
A writer herself, her poems and stories have been published in literary magazines, women’s magazines and in academic journals, and has had stories published in collections such as Dinaane, Just Keep Breathing, Home, Away and Stray. Colleen’s own works include the poetry collections Halfborn Woman, Lava Lamp Poems, and a collection of short stories, Looking for Trouble.
Colleen is a publishing activist and has long been a supporter of small, independent publishing; through her previous work at the Centre for the Book, she managed the award-winning Community Publishing Project, and she has written numerous articles, pamphlets on writer development. She also compiled two Small Publishers’ Catalogues of African publishers (2010 and 2013) and wrote A rough guide to Small Scale and Self-Publishing (2005) which was translated into 4 South African langauges and sold thousands of copies.
Khadija Tracey Heeger is a performance poet. Her work has been characterised as stark and unapologetic. In 2008 the Spier Festival commissioned a performance piece from Khadija which inspired synergy with Khoikonnexion, indigenous soundscape artists and Director Jacqueline Dommisse. This collaboration resulted in the production 'Stone Words', later taken to Grahamstown Festival fringe. Khadija also travelled to the US to perform 'Stone Words' and many of her other poems.
May 2013 ESP Afrika commissioned this poet to write a piece for the World Economic Forum on Africa. In August 2013 she launched her debut poetry collection ‘Beyond the Delivery Room and in September 2013 travelled, as cast member, of the production Uhadi, to the Festival de Automne. This year she was also nominated for an Mbokodo Award for her poetry. 2015 Africa Centre, commissioned a piece on Land for the Infecting the City Festival. Assitej South Africa is currently engaging this poet/writer in the capacity of director for African Youth Playwrights Festival to be held end June.
Email: ktheeger@gmail.com
mobile: 27 82 403 0801
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/khadija.heeger
Gert Vlok Nel is van Beaufort-Wes. Hy is een van die bekendste Afrikaanse sanger-digters. Sy musiek, en veral sy woorde, is vol patos en spreek tot die onderdrukte heimwee in iedereen. Sy debuutbundel, om te lewe is onnatuurlik ontvang in 1995 die Ingrid Jonker-prys vir uitstaande debuutwerk.
In 1998 volg hy die bundel op met ’n CD om beaufort-wes se beautiful woorde te vergeet en ’n woord-en-musiekproduksie met dieselfde titel by die KKNK. Die produksie beland binne die eerste dag aan die bopunt van die beste-produksielys. Sy CD asook die vertoning besorg aan hom ’n onmiddellike kultus-aanhang, wat in die jare wat daarop volg net groei. Hy is onder meer die skrywer van die liedjie Beautiful in Beaufort-Wes wat al deur meer as vyftien kunstenaars opgeneem is, die mees bekende daarvan dié van Theuns Jordaan.
’n Tweede bundel is later gepubliseer met die lirieke van die liedjies op die CD en hy het ook ’n saamgestelde bundel met onder meer Robert Bolton en Tertius Kapp gepubliseer. Hy is al verskeie kere na Nederland genooi vir poësie- en musiekfeeste. Walter Stokman, die bekroonde Nederlandse regisseur het ’n dokumentêr, Beautiful in Beaufort-Wes gemaak met Gert as die hoof-fokus. Dis benoem vir ’n Gouden Kalf-toekenning en binne die eerste week wat dit op TV verskyn het is daar bykans 4000 musiek CD’s bestel.
Sy musiek word dikwels vergelyk met dié van Bob Dylan en JJ Cale.
Luister na: Woorde & stem: Gert Vlok Nel: In die begin was die woord
https://www.facebook.com/Different335
adrian@slipnet.co.za
twitter:@addifferent
Video features:
SBTV music feature https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmLMXQG2rCI (Time:11:55)
Adrian “Diff” Van Wyk: Performance writer and student of History, Adrian “Diff” Van Wyk has been a regular performer on various platforms around Cape Town since 2005. Bridging the gap between all genres of poetical performance, Diff (A.K.A Different) has been on the forefront of Urban Literary culture.
From winning the Versus Poetry slam and being featured on the Versus Poetry CD to performing alongside renowned poets Antjie Krog and Marlene Van Niekerk as part of a colloquium curated to honour satirical cartoonist Zapiro, Diff has been a instrumental part of developing South African performance poetry.
In 2011, he helped to establish The InZync Poetry Sessions, a monthly platform seeking to integrate all forms of live literature. Now in its fourth year of existence, The InZync Poetry Sessions has become one of South Africa’s foremost performance platforms having hosted an array of local and international performers. Acting as the monthly host for the Sessions, Diff brings a unique flavour to the platform that advances the cause of fusing all forms of poetical performance. Having spent three years in China as an international student, this experience enlightened the writing process he undertook to develop a poem. In 2014, he was a headliner at The Mcgregor Poetry Festival, The Open Book Festival, The Word N Sound International Youth Festival in Johannesburg and headlining on Goodhope FM’s Time to Shine feature on the Ready D show. Diff also acted as a facilitator in the international collaboration between The InZync Poetry Sessions and The Roundhouse theatre in London’s project, Talking Doorsteps. His poem titled, “Where is my hoodie” was filmed as part of the collaboration and will be released in May 2015. Having curated over thirty shows for InZync, these sessions have developed into a monthly meeting point, not only for poetry enthusiasts but creatives across the spectrum.
In 2015 with a few headlines already confirmed and an international tour also confirmed, Diff seeks to broaden the reception that Poetry receives within South Africa.
adrian@slipnet.co.za
twitter:@addifferent
Video features:
SBTV music feature https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmLMXQG2rCI (Time:11:55)
Daniel Denver Swartz a.k.a Rimestein who hails from Mitchell's Plain, a suburb on the Cape Flats, first discovered his talent in rhyming when his eldest brother, Mario asked him to try his hand at writing a verse for an upcoming hip hop crew which his brother belonged to at that time, which he would also later become a part of when he was just thirteen years old. The crew, who broke up a few years later, has since then been his inspiration to become one of the greatest afrikaans hip hop artists. Since then he has been working on his skills as an afrikaans rhyme writer, MC, lyricist and performer. Hard work and a deep love for the art later payed off when he started developing the ability to create intricate flows and wordplay in the afrikaans language along with different styles, rhyming not only about the struggles, but also the pleasures of being coloured while possessing a lot of talent, ideas which he later brought out in songs like "Lamspan" and "Woorde". He became a very well known hip hop artist and musician, where he made a name for himself dispaying his talents at what is known as "parkjams", where hip hoppers come together to showcase their skills in the elements of hip hop, where he is known for rocking the crowd. Having such a love for this art, Rimestein was determined to take things to another level. He started experimenting with spoken word poetry, wanting to grow more as a performer. He made such an impression, that out of more then twenty poets, he took third place in the Inzync Spoken Word Poetry Competition that took place in Stellenbosch, which was his very first time stepping into that enviroment, which is known to be different then your average hip hop competitions! He's currently working on his debut album and doing shows, collaborations and workshops in and around Cape Town with various other hip hop artist, musicians and poets.
Pieter Odendaal is a poet and project manager of the InZync Poetry Sessions, monthly multilingual poetry nights organised in Stellenbosch. He is currently doing his Masters in Sustainable Development, focusing on the potential of poetry to contribute to socio-cultural transformation. He also facilitates poetry workshops in high schools in and around Cape Town.
Louise Viljoen is ’n dosent in die Departement Afrikaans en Nederlands aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch. Sy doen navorsing oor die Afrikaanse letterkunde en literêre teorie en stel op die oomblik veral belang in die beweging van Afrikaanse skrywers oor nasionale grense heen. Sy is die samesteller (saam met Ronel Foster) van Poskaarte. Beelde van die Afrikaanse poësie (1998) en ’n bloemlesing uit Barend Toerien se poësie Om te onthou (2006) Sy is die skrywer van Ons ongehoorde soort. Opstelle oor die werk van Antjie Krog (2009), ‘n kort biografie getitel Ingrid Jonker(2012)en Die mond vol vuur. Opstelle oor die werk van Breyten Breytenbach(2014). Sy tree ook op as resensent en beoordelaar van literêre pryse.
Suenel Bruwer-Holloway and Hester van der Walt
Who are we?
Na jare se geswerf en karakter kerf
Beland Suenel en Hester op dieselfde werf
Life stripping one of every vanity
One might as well opt for common humanity.
This what they say about each other.
Dorian Haarhoff. Dorian helps you call in the symbols, metaphors, rhythms of your life, like wild children, and bring them home. More than teaching how to write poetry, he shows how to live it. (Susan Mann)
Regine Josephy-Stelzmann has presented numerous original poems and songs on SA radio, and at venues including the “SA National gallery” “The English Association”, the “Peoples Space Theatre” and “Zula acoustic café”. She has published a novel, her family biography, and three poetry volumes, the latest, “The Poet Sings”, earlier this year.
Wendy Woodward: Wendy’s poetry strives to convey the urgency of the moment—whether it be ecological, political or personal. Wendy will read from A Saving Bannister (Modjadji, 2015) and discuss how a moment can blossom into poetry which nurtures the heart.
2015 marks the 150th Anniversary of the birth of Ireland’s celebrated poet, William Butler Yeats. To celebrate the occasion, McGregor locals David and Neil will present a programme of some of Ireland’s greatest poets, featuring the work of Yeats, Heaney, Kavanagh and others. Throw in some Irish songs and a bit of Blarney, and there you have it!
Who are we?
Na jare se geswerf en karakter kerf
Beland Suenel en Hester op dieselfde werf
Life stripping one of every vanity
One might as well opt for common humanity.
This what they say about each other.
Suenel is 'n bordinghuis van bedrywigheid. Gaste van wyd en syd daag heeltyd op en kuier lank en hewig om haar tafel. Sy is die moeder van drie amptelike en talle toevallige kinders. Sy is storieverteller, onderwyser, en skrywer van,onder andere, verse en jeugdramas. ("Cry Sis! Identity". "Peddagogga", "Now I am alone" Monologues, "African Folktales Onstage!", "Shade and Shelter" and "Snakes and Ladders.") Sy speel met taal en is ewe gemaklik in Afrikaans en Engels. En sy is my buurvrou!
Hester tripped lightly into my life bearing bread baked in a wood oven. We have been sharing loaves and fishes ever since. She and her partner are the village that raised my children. In "Hester se Brood" (a sort of baking book), "Die snoeier van rose" (poem) and " Vier Susters by Drie Susters" (radio drama) she tells our stories - sometimes nurse and sometimes knitter, sometimes ethnographer and sometimes linguist - and with a fine filter refines whatever she touches.
Annie Middleton: as piano player for Ian McCallum at this poetry festival, here are a few words re our join up.
Having spent nine years in the Cederberg Wilderness homeschooling and homesteading, my love of children and wilderness came together. Later on, I had the good fortune to attend the School Of The Wild training programme held at Princess Irene's farm, Bergplaas, up in the Karoo highlands. She shares Ian's passion for the wilderness and collaborated with him in training programmes.
As the originator of Music Alive Education, I similarly combine story telling, poetry, art and music for the students, to reach their own inner creative source. Simultaneously they learn about animals and their characteristics, habitat and Beauty whilst learning to play an instrument.
Ian's poetry ignites my passion further and I am totally delighted to be joining him in this event.
John Maytham presents the Afternoon Drive Show on CapeTalk. He doesn’t write poetry, but loves to read it. Aloud, when he can
Bernard Levinson: I have had four volumes of poetry published. The first volume, ‘From Breakfast to Madness’ sold 3000 copies and is in its second printing. My poems are now taught in the Gauteng schools. As a Sex therapist, editor of a Sex Journal, I needed copy. These vignettes were created.
I wear the serious hat of psychiatry/sexology during my working day. But oh yes at night, I can fly in my kinky poetry hat….. I have always had a serious love for John Keats. For his loneliness, his sad death at 25, and yes maybe even because he was a doctor, but also for his shattering inability to make love to his lovely Fanny Brawn. As the Editor of a Sexology Journal I needed copy for a back page. I created the fantasy of actually interviewing Keats in my consulting room. Two provisos. I would stick totally to the truth as far as we know it, and secondly, I would make sure the reader would actually see and totally recognize Keats.
Dorian Haarhoff. Dorian helps you call in the symbols, metaphors, rhythms of your life, like wild children, and bring them home. More than teaching how to write poetry, he shows how to live it. (Susan Mann)
Dorian is the purest storyteller I have ever encountered. Archetypes cling to his coat tails and hide in his book-bag hoping for a mention in his next work. Every creative writer should work with Dorian. Like Pilates for creative spirits, he re-awakens the story loving child within. (Tess Fairweather)
Dorian moves with such synchronicity. He exudes understated power. He is steeped in story. The story walks ahead of him. (Anni Snyman)
Who am I? Who is asking the question? …. Like Rumi I hope to tell so many love stories that I become fiction…
Poetry??? metaphors an line music take us to the edge of what we can no longer say or sing…
Story-teller, poet, wordshop facilitator mentor, passionate about developing innate creativity and imagination in personal and professional life. I believe in the power of words, stories, symbols and images to create new realities. I believe in the ability of people to revitalise their workplace, build their communities, participate in their healing and find their joy.
A life-time-ago Professor of English Literature (Namibia) and taught in a Canadian Creative Writing Faculty. Since 1998 I’ve run my own business, Creative Wordshops. based on my book The Writer’s Voice and The Halo and the Noose The Power of Story telling and Story listening in Business Life, (co-authored,) Like the tortoise in my logo I carry home on my back …and hike the paths and swim in the ocean near Somerset West.
Influences? the literary tradition, mythology, whole brain theory, mindfulness, Jungian and Eco-psychology, creation spirituality, the new physics, ubuntu) and narrative therapy.
Elaine Edwards is a recent immigrant to Cape Town and lives in Melkbosstrand within the sound of the sea which soothes and disturbs in equal measures.
Elaine Edwards is a recent immigrant to Cape Town and lives in Melkbosstrand within the sound of the sea which soothes and disturbs in equal measures.
She loves writing, dancing, painting, meeting friends and spending time with family. She also keeps up a voluminous correspondence with friends all over the world and is presently writing a memoir of her childhood.
Although she has always written poetry, she has only recently taken it up seriously, now that her demanding teaching career is over. Her favourite poet of the moment is T. S. Eliot, in whose works she is finding much inspiration.
On most weekends you will find her, together with her husband, exploring the wine lands in the eternal pursuit of that perfect “little red”.
Graham Dukas lives in Cape Town. He is a retired Architect, a business consultant, an executive coach and a part-time teacher at UCT’s School of Architecture. His poetry is inspired by a blend of experience, observation and imagination, interpreted with humour and absurdity. His self-published poetry chapbook, A Cow’s Tale (2014) is soon to become a collector’s item…
Pam Newham lives in Hout Bay and has worked as an English teacher and journalist. She now concentrates on fiction writing. Her poetry has been published in anthologies and journals and she has had three books for teens published. She lectures in journalism and on writing for children.
Stephanie Saunders writes poems that tend to be quirky or humorous. She has had poems published in Carapace and Aerodrome and has been the featured poet at Off The Wall in Observatory. She studied Fine Art at Michaelis and her other pursuits are creative or outdoor activities.
Regine Josephy-Stelzmann has presented numerous original poems and songs on SA radio, and at venues including the “SA National gallery” “The English Association”, the “Peoples Space Theatre” and “Zula acoustic café”. She has published a novel, her family biography, and three poetry volumes, the latest, “The Poet Sings”, earlier this year.
RICHARD WHITAKER is Emeritus Professor of Classics (Ancient Greek and Latin) at the University of Cape Town. He studied Classics at the Universities of the Witwatersrand, Oxford, and St Andrews. After thirteen years lecturing at the University of Natal, Durban (now the University of KwaZulu-Natal) he was appointed Professor of Classics at the University of Cape Town in 1989.
For ten years – the length of the Trojan War! – Richard worked at a pioneering poetic translation of Homer’s classic epic, the Iliad, into a Southern African English idiom, using words such as assegai, induna, kloof, indaba and veld. He did his translation directly from the Ancient Greek. Eventually the work was published as The Iliad of Homer: A Southern African Translation (Cape Town 2012, reprinted 2013, 2015) and was very well reviewed, receiving a front-page article in the U.S. Wall Street Journal, as well as much local press attention. (Go to www.southernafricaniliad.com for full information, including extracts from the book, published reviews, and readers’ comments.)
Since early 2013 Richard has been working on a companion translation of Homer’s Odyssey. He has now completed about two thirds of the work, and plans to publish it in 2016.
Richard is a lover of poetry from all periods and in several languages. From the ancient world he especially loves the epic Iliad and Odyssey of Homer, Virgil’s pastoral poetry and epic Aeneid, and the poems of the Roman love-elegists; from the modern world, the poetry of Ezra Pound and Derek Walcott (on both of whom he has published articles).
Besides his work on translating Homer, Richard has published extensively on Roman love poetry, oral poetry, and the influence of Classical on twentieth-century literature, and has translated books from Latin and from French.
He has also written fiction (unpublished!), and has edited and published a number of travel books, published by AA Publishing, UK, and National Geographic.
Sisca Julius is ʼn neëntienjarige van Kimberley in die Noord-Kaap. Sy het naam gemaak as skrywer toe sy die eerste in die geskiedenis word wat die SA Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns se Poort kompetisie drie jaar in ʼn ry (2013,2014 en 2015) wen. Sisca se eerste skryfstuk is op die ouderdom van 9 in hul plaaslike koerant gepubliseer en 10 jaar en 13 publikasies later skryf sy ook ʼn weeklikse rubriek vir Media 24. Sisca se stories kan ook gevind word op Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SiscaSeStories
Asook oop www.SiscaSeStories.com
Wendy Woodward: Wendy’s poetry strives to convey the urgency of the moment—whether it be ecological, political or personal. Wendy will read from A Saving Bannister (Modjadji, 2015) and discuss how a moment can blossom into poetry which nurtures the heart.
Wendy has published three collections: Séance for the Body (Snailpress 1994), Love, Hades and other Animals (Protea 2008) and A Saving Bannister (Modjadji 2015). She teaches poetry in the English Department’s Creative Writing Programme at the University of the Western Cape.
2015 marks the 150th Anniversary of the birth of Ireland’s celebrated poet, William Butler Yeats. To celebrate the occasion, McGregor locals David and Neil will present a programme of some of Ireland’s greatest poets, featuring the work of Yeats, Heaney, Kavanagh and others. Throw in some Irish songs and a bit of Blarney, and there you have it! 
Wilhelm Snyman studied at the University of Siena, Italy specialising in Italian literature in preparation for his Masters in Italian from Stellenbosch University. After many years as a journalist and contract lecturer at UCT he was appointed as Lecturer and subsequently Senior Lecturer in Italian and German at the University of Cape Town.In 2013 he obtained a PhD in Comparative Literature on three modernist writers in Italian, German and French. In 2011 he was made Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana in recognition for his services to Italian language and culture in South Africa.
Amanda Elizabeth Botha was born on 17 July 1943 in Johannesburg. She grew up in Cape Town, matriculated from the Hoërskool Jan van Riebeeck and studied at Stellenbosch University.
Amanda started her career as a journalist at Die Burger in 1967. Before her freelancing career she worked for Beeld in Johannesburg and later acted as Cape representative for the Johannesburg based newspaper Die Transvaler.
She joined Capab Drama and worked with theatre directors such as Athol Fugard, Dieter Reible, Peter Kleinschmidt, Mavis Taylor, Robert Mohr, Francois Swart, Truida Louw and Pieter Fourie. In 1971 she joined the company of The Space Theatre and worked closely with Fugard, Yvonne Bryceland and Pieter-Dirk Uys. She also joined Chris Pretorius and others to form The Glass Theatre for experimental theatre productions. Amanda joined Capab Opera in 1983 and worked closely with Murray Dickie in the South African premiéres of Wagner and Strauss operas.
She wrote numerous articles on the performing art, especially opera and ballet for both local and international publications. In 1988 Human & Rousseau published her biography on prima ballerina absulutta, Phyllis Spira, complimented with a forward by Margot Fonteyn. She acted for many years as contributing editor to international publications such as Dance and Dancer and World of Ballet and Dance in London and contributed to the New York published book Opera Companies of the World and to the St James Dictionary of Composers.
Amanda has been involved with the visual arts since 1972. She has published extensively on art and artists in South Africa. She has also acted as guest curator for the US Sasol Art Gallery in Stellenbosch and presented retrospective exhibition on the work of Sheila Cussons (2002), Marjorie Wallace (2003) - both for Woordfees, Stellenbosch and the Flemish-South African artist Herman van Nazareth (2004) and many since.
Since 1977 she was closely associated with the Afrikaanse Skrywersgilde and acted as secretary for five years. She organised three annual conferences for the Skrywersgilde. Amanda acted as researcher and scripwriter for many tv documentary programmes on South African artists, screened on SABC TV., amongst them writers such as Louis C Leipoldt, Sheila Cussons, N P van Wyk Louw, Anna M. Louw, Freda Linde and Hennie Aucamp, painters such as Paul du Toit, Sheila Nowers and a award winning programme The state of South African art today and performing artists such as Phyllis Spira, Eduard Greyling and Hermien Dommisse.
She has published many articles on writers and writing, mostly in Afrikaans. She also presents a monthly programme on Afrikaans youth books for FM Radio.
Together with the poet Sheila Cussons Amanda has published two analogies of Cussons's poems under the titles 'n Engel deur my kop (1997) and die asem van ekstase (2000). She was closely associated with Sir Laurens van der Post and apart from making two television documentary programmes on his life and work, she has together with Sir Laurens wrote a book on their collaboration, titled Conversations at the Cape.
Amanda started her career as a journalist at Die Burger in 1967. Before her freelancing career she worked for Beeld in Johannesburg and later acted as Cape representative for the Johannesburg based newspaper Die Transvaler.
She joined Capab Drama and worked with theatre directors such as Athol Fugard, Dieter Reible, Peter Kleinschmidt, Mavis Taylor, Robert Mohr, Francois Swart, Truida Louw and Pieter Fourie. In 1971 she joined the company of The Space Theatre and worked closely with Fugard, Yvonne Bryceland and Pieter-Dirk Uys. She also joined Chris Pretorius and others to form The Glass Theatre for experimental theatre productions. Amanda joined Capab Opera in 1983 and worked closely with Murray Dickie in the South African premiéres of Wagner and Strauss operas.
She wrote numerous articles on the performing art, especially opera and ballet for both local and international publications. In 1988 Human & Rousseau published her biography on prima ballerina absulutta, Phyllis Spira, complimented with a forward by Margot Fonteyn. She acted for many years as contributing editor to international publications such as Dance and Dancer and World of Ballet and Dance in London and contributed to the New York published book Opera Companies of the World and to the St James Dictionary of Composers.
Amanda has been involved with the visual arts since 1972. She has published extensively on art and artists in South Africa. She has also acted as guest curator for the US Sasol Art Gallery in Stellenbosch and presented retrospective exhibition on the work of Sheila Cussons (2002), Marjorie Wallace (2003) - both for Woordfees, Stellenbosch and the Flemish-South African artist Herman van Nazareth (2004) and many since.
Since 1977 she was closely associated with the Afrikaanse Skrywersgilde and acted as secretary for five years. She organised three annual conferences for the Skrywersgilde. Amanda acted as researcher and scripwriter for many tv documentary programmes on South African artists, screened on SABC TV., amongst them writers such as Louis C Leipoldt, Sheila Cussons, N P van Wyk Louw, Anna M. Louw, Freda Linde and Hennie Aucamp, painters such as Paul du Toit, Sheila Nowers and a award winning programme The state of South African art today and performing artists such as Phyllis Spira, Eduard Greyling and Hermien Dommisse.
She has published many articles on writers and writing, mostly in Afrikaans. She also presents a monthly programme on Afrikaans youth books for FM Radio.
Together with the poet Sheila Cussons Amanda has published two analogies of Cussons's poems under the titles 'n Engel deur my kop (1997) and die asem van ekstase (2000). She was closely associated with Sir Laurens van der Post and apart from making two television documentary programmes on his life and work, she has together with Sir Laurens wrote a book on their collaboration, titled Conversations at the Cape.
Liesl Jobson is an award-winning South African writer. Many years after completing her BMus degree at Wits University, she undertook an MA in Creative Writing, which she gained with distinction. She is a contributing editor to Books LIVE and curates the South African domain of Poetry International. A single sculler and ocean rower, she also plays the bassoon and contrabassoon.
Jo Nowicki and Mike Kamstra
Around the Kitchen Table: Stories of Old McGregor
He - the aloe man - the fireplace - the chimney man, the rocks and fossil man...................She cooks for him ... pork belly (now that pigs have bellies not tripes) does art and stuff ..... A quarter century they've been here………… in McGregor that is, not the kitchen……and yes, they write odd poems, but now it's mostly stories.
 Kyle Allan is a 27 year old poet, performer, recording artist and freelance writer. He is distinguished both by his idiosyncratic and dynamic performance styles as well as the complexity and depth yet direct energy of his poetic syntax.
He has released an album of poetry and music titled Influences in October 2013, comprising poetry to a variety of musical genres including kwaito, jazz, rnb, house, funk, rock, and maskanda. Tracks from the album have been played on stations nationally and regionally, including Safm and Gagasi fm. He has appeared twice on local television and over ten times on South African radio. He has shared his art on line ups that include the likes of HHP, Mak Manaka, Napo Masheane, and Buddy Wakefield.
He has had poetry published in Fidelities 2005, New Coin 2008, Kotaz 2011, New Coin 2011, Graffitti Kolkata Broadside 2012, Anemone Sidecar 2012, Botsotso 2013, Carapace 2014, New Coin 2014 Volume one and two, Uhlanga 2014, and the Sol Plaatjie 2014 anthology. He has had over 30 articles and book reviews featured in sites and publications such as the Natal Witness, the Weekend Witness, Mindmapsa, Litnet, Books Live, to name a few. He has been a part of festivals including the Midlands Literary Festival, the Hilton Arts Festival, and in October 2014 the Poetry Africa Festival, sharing stages with a variety of cultural and social icons.
His performance style is distinguished both by the resonant and uniquely deep frequency of his voice and the dynamic and highly musical presentation of his poetry, creating a highly engaging and completely fresh style.
He is married to Nontethelelo Thobeka maZondi from kwaSwayimane. Until recently he lived fulltime in Endlavaleni, kwaSwayimane, kwaZulu Natal. He has one son, Seymour Asphile. He is currently exploring various artistic opportunities across the country, and based mainly in Swellendam.
 
The Mothertongue Langeberg Youth Arts Project under the mentorship of Koleka Putuma presents In Ander Woorde (In Other Words). For several months earlier this year, the participants of the Mothertongue Langeberg Youth Arts Project have been incubated in a series of skills development workshops with prominent theatre practitioners from Cape Town. Having acquired skills in mime storytelling, performance poetry, and movement, the participants, under the mentorship of South Africa’s First national Slam Champion, Koleka Putuma, created In Ander Woorde: In Other words, a confronting and poignant collage of stories told through movement, song, imagery and poetry. In Ander Woorde, In Other words offers the listener insight into the lives and experiences of Langerberg youth, their stories of hardship and triumph.
Mari Mocke: Before I married Johan Mocke in 1960, my maiden surname was Doubell. I was happily married to my artist husband for forty-five years before he passed away in 2005. We have two married daughters, Inge and Liesl, and three grandchildren.
All my life I've had a passion for poetry and theatre, leading to writing poems and to live presentations. Since some literary journals have published some of my poetry, I'VE HAD AN AFRIKAANS ANTHOLOGY PUBLISHED: EK NOEM MY DEBUUTBUNDEL "ABBAVLERK" EN DIT IS IN 2014 GEPUBLISEER.
Van my Afrikaanse gedigte is voorgeskryf vir hoërskole en verskyn in publikasies van "Via Afrika Publishers", "Nasou Via Afrika", "Best Books" en "Shuter & Shooter."
I launched a poetry reading circle on the 1st December 1979 which is alive and well, gathering monthly in Durbanville. As a qualified drama teacher I ran a bilingual drama studio for thirty-two years in Port Elizabeth and in Cape Town vicinity since moving to Table View in 1975.
I cherish having toured our country in 1958 at the age of twenty-one with the theatrical company of legendary André Huguenet, as the deaf mute Belinda in his production of "BELINDA IS DOOFSTOM", which he translated from "Johnny Belinda" by Elmer Harris. Mother Ceslaus of the Uitenhague Convent taught me the Deaf language.
Directing the unique life story of deaf and blind Helen Keller in Port Elizabeth's Opera House with my drama studio in 1971 was artistically and spiritually most fulfilling. William Gibson wrote "THE MIRACLE WORKER" and my husband translated it for me as "DIE WONDERWERK."
Two of my dream rôles were Maria in Bartho Smit's controversial "PUTSONDERWATER" in Port Elizabeth's Opera House with my drama-studio, and Milly in Athol Fugard's "PEOPLE ARE LIVING THERE" for Milnerton Players. Having also had the pleasure of directing renowned Fugard's "SORROWS AND REJOICINGS" and "THE ROAD TO MECCA" for Milnerton Players resulted in CATA-AWARDS as director.
My life has been uniquely enriched by the creative word in its different genres. Afrikaans is my moedertaal en ek dank my ma dat sy liefdevol daarvoor gesorg het dat ek ook gemaklik is met Engels. Wát 'n groot lewensgeskenk.
Sindiwe Magona finished high school through a correspondence course, followed by a BA degree from the University of South Africa. In 1981 she embarked on a Masters' degree in social work at Columbia University in New York. Sindiwe Magona is a writer, poet, dramatist, storyteller, actress and motivational speaker. She has published two autobiographical works: To My Children's Children (1990) and Forced to Grow (1992). Her first novel, The Best Meal Ever!, was published in 1998. She has also written a number of children's books, including Life is a Hard But Beautiful Thing. In 2008 her novel Beauty's Gift was published. The AIDS-activist Zackie Achmat described it as "one of the most important books about HIV/AIDS in our country".
|
No comments:
Post a Comment