Biography:
Bulelwa Basse is the founder of Lyrical Base Project, an arts and culture organisation which seeks to elevate the profiles of writers from marginalised communities through community-publishing projects, performance poetry, cultural and corporate events. She has collaborated with various arts education institutions and literary establishments, namely, Kgare Ya Afrika, Artscape Theatre, The Centre for the Book and the South African Museum - in the capacity of Language Facilitator, Published/Performance Poet, Literary/Arts Judge, Guest Speaker and Events Co-ordinator. Her writing has been published by the Poetry Institute of Africa, University of KwaZulu Natal Press, Department of Arts and Culture and Oprah Magazine. Basse is passionate about aligning herself with women empowerment projects such as Bona Magazine's Women Empowerment Club, True Love Magazine's Winning Style and Move Magazine's empowerment initiatives, for which she's both hosted and performed her poetry as a motivational tool.
Bulelwa is also the former editor of Muse,
an online poetry publishing and profiling magazine. In August 2009, Bulelwa
Received a Langa Womens Day Award, in recognition of her outstanding
contribution within Arts and Culture in Cape Town based Townships. Currently involved
in the Women Stokvel Project, a Women's portal which entails writing and performance workshops, to encourage
anthology publications. Bulelwa is also currently engaged in the The India in
my Afrika project, which saw her travel to the Indian region of Tamil Naidoo,
for a month in February 2010. She's affectionately known on stage as, Miss "Sassy" Basse, following her satirical poem
entitled: My
Lyrical Sass, which confronts the societal nature of portraying women as
sex-objects.
Related Podcasts & Events:
Dear Sir (Beloved Stranger)
I have been told
you are my co-creator
And I, an unquestionably borrowed image
of YOU
Yet I wouldn't double-take
if I passed you in the street,
for a foreigner you are to ME
Unaccomplished, whispered promises
of heaven on earth
to my mother's womb
are all I know of you
And an injustice to the title
"FATHER, you epitomise
as surely as your rejection
of my existence
A DAD you will always hold prize to -
Only in Biology books
And a provider, in Never-Ever-Land
So dear Sir, please accept my earnest
declaration of a deserving title for you"
Since the one Mother Nature intended,
proved beyond you "Beloved Stranger"
