Over the years poetry has definitely got a bit of a bad rap – thinking of poetry seems to bring to mind the old English poets that we had to study in school, many of whom weren’t very relevant to our lives, but times they are a changing! Poetry has been given something of a facelift with the rise of slam poetry, which has been very much embraced by the youth. There even exists a rather hip radio station, the Badilisha Poetry X-Change, dedicated to African poetry. So it’s in this context that UKZN’s Centre for Creative Arts brings you the 21st Poetry Africa, which kicks off today! The seven-day programme includes live performances from poets across the continent, open mic sessions, a series of workshops, as well as the the Durban SlamJam. In addition to the activities taking place at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, a number of satellite events will also be taking place in other cities and countries.
Poetry Africa 2017
So maybe it’s time that we change the way we think about poetry and open ourselves up to this wonderful art form! Visit the Poerty Africa Facebook page to read about this year’s fantastic lineup!