Sandra A. Mushi

Tanzania No Comments

Sandra A. Mushi is an interior architecture designer with a very strong passion for writing. She is the author of The Rhythmn Of My Rhyme, published by Andika Afrika, Tanzania in 2008, is a collection of soulful poems – a journey of self discovery – women in love; women out of love; abused children; abused women; content women, women who have found themselves (emotionally, mentally and sexually) and women who just want to be.

Sandra’s second book, Stains On My Khanga, published by Hadithi Media, SA in 2014, is a collection of short stories and poems and it is centered around justice for women and the challenges women face, the choices women sometimes have to make.

Some of Sandra’s works have also been published on Africa Knowledge Project, also known as AKP, and JENdA: A Journal of Culture and African Women Studies [JENDA]. AKP is an initiative by Africa Resource Center, Inc., dedicated exclusively to academic research on Africa and its Diaspora. AKP focuses on critical Africa-centered, evidence-based knowledge and research from a diverse range of disciplines. While Jenda is an award-winning peer-reviewed journal which focuses on social, political, economic, and cultural concepts and categories that shape the lives of women in different African societies.

Sandra’s short story Lunch has been featured in Street Level, A collection Of Drawings and Creative Writing Inspired by Dar es Salaam published by Mkuki na Nyota Publishers, Tanzania in 2011. Sandra’s poems Chai and Through Change from the collection Stains On My Khanga, have been featured in Street Level 2, A collection Of Drawings and Creative Writing Inspired by Dar es Salaam published by We Don’t Reed Publishers, Tanzania in 2011.

Sandra’s poem Reflections from Stains On My Khanga has been featured in a poetry anthology, Reflections: An Anthology of New Work by African Women Poets – Contemporary African Women’s Poetry published in 2013 by Lynne Reinner Publishers, USA. This anthology of never-before-published poems showcases a new generation of African women poets, some familiar, some just beginning their literary careers. Their rich voices belie popular stereotypes, reflecting the diversity and dynamism of their environment. As they range across topics encompassing family and personal relationships, politics, war, and the ravages of famine and disease, they show the breadth of African women’s experiences and of their thinking about issues both on the continent and globally.

In 2013 FEMRITE, Uganda Women Writers Association, invited Sandra to participate in the 5th Regional Residency for African women writers. Sandra’s manuscripts were rated very highly by the evaluators. This year, the countries participating include; Malawi, Liberia, Namibia, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Sandra was nominated for the fall 2011 residency at the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa, Iowa, USA.

In October 2010, Sandra was invited to the international Hay Festival, a literary and art festivals, which was held in Nairobi under Storymoja. She was there as a Tanzanian writer and poet. Sandra was also invited to participate as an external observer in what EASUN and the PSO (a network of 50 NGOs in the Netherlands) planned as a dialogue event between Northern and Southern NGOs. This dialogue which took place between November 8-12, 2009 in Moshi has been dubbed the Moshi Dialogue. Sandra’s observation of the dialogue was put in poetic form and enacted after each daily session.

In 2008, Sandra participated in the Book Slam in Zanzibar, which happened during the Sauti za Busara festival and involved writers from all over the world. In 2006 Sandra was invited by Kwani to the first ever East African Writers Summit in Lukenya, Kenya.

Sandra has also written for several magazines, news papers and corporate newsletter.

Semiha

Ethiopia No Comments

Semiha has been writing poetry since the 7th grade, mostly as an alternative to a diary. She has also started writing short stories, and hopes to write a full set someday-but mostly reverts to poetry as her native tongue.

Mihret Kebede

Ethiopia No Comments

Mihret Kebede was born in Dessie, Ethiopia and graduated from AAU School of Fine Arts and Design in painting with distinction, 2007. She then took a one-year photography course with Desta for Africa (DFA). She received a certificate award of recognition as the best practicing female artist in 2013 from Ministry of culture and tourism, Ethiopia.

Mihret is the founding director of Netsa Art Village, Artists collective, manager of Ethio Color band and founder and manager of the popular Tobiya Poetic Jazz monthly event.

Christine Coates

South Africa No Comments

Christine Coates is a poet and writer from Cape Town. She has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Cape Town. She has an interest in life-writing or memoir, and the recovery of personal history through public and private imagery. She makes hand-wrought books from found objects, paper and leather. She has undertaken the 800km pilgrimage across Spain, on the Camino de Compostela, and written an account of it.

Her stories and poems have been published in various literary journals; New Contrast, New Coin, Deep Water Literary Journal, scrutiny2, Stanzas, McGregor Poetry festival anthologies 2014, 2015. Found Poem was a finalist in the Cambridge Conference of Contemporary Poetry Review 2002, Africa Focus. Her poems were selected for the EU Sol Plaatje Poetry anthologies 2011 – 2015, and the Best “New” African Poets 2015 Anthology. Her debut collection, Homegrown, published in 2014 by Modjaji Books received an honourable mention from the Glenna Luschei Prize. Of the Prize judge Gabeba Baderoon said, “I read these books and many of the poems again and again. The [finalist books] feel thoughtfully shaped, rivetingly intelligent and superbly crafted.  I found them a pleasure and an education to read. Indeed, my horizons were vastly expanded by the extraordinarily well-realized poems in these collections.”

Her short stories have been highly commended; “The Cat’s Wife” in ADULTS ONLY, the Short.Sharp.Stories anthology 2014, and “How We Look Now” in WATER, the Short Story Day Africa anthology 2015. 

She has also written a cookbook: From the Heart; family, food and memory. Christine belongs to Finuala Dowling’s monthly poetry group and a women’s writing collaborative; The Grail Women Writers. She has worked as a teacher and adult educator. Now she freelances as an editor and writing coach. 

Liyou Libsekal

Ethiopia No Comments

Liyou Libsekal is an Ethiopian poet living in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She grew up traveling and living mainly in East Africa. Liyou’s chapbook, Bearing Heavy Things is part of the 2015 African Poetry Book Fund’s New Generation African Poets series.

Japhala “Aether” Gwangwa

Botswana No Comments

Aether, real name Japhala Gwangwa has had a fascination for music and creative writing since he was very, very young. At 18 months he had his first toy guitar (which he named “Fay Fay” after the George Michael song Faith), at 12 he decided he wanted to be in a band “as a guitarist or a drummer”, but he still passionately pursued creative writing, at 15 he said why not both, and started writing a book and got his first real guitar, all the while freestyle rapping on a whim.

From this point forth his love for writing and music exploded setting him further along the already blazing path toward his dreams where he taught himself the guitar, drums, the art of freestyle rap and spoken word as well as composing music digitally with the aid of his live instrumentation skills. Around the same time, he nurtured his passion for creative writing and after writing a several hundred page manuscript, started studying Sound Technology at Limkokwing Botswana.

As a performer, Aether is multifaceted. In 2008 he was rhythm guitarist and lead singer for “The Substance” an alternative rock band that went from playing in clubs and cafes to Woodstock Botswana in the course of one year. IN 2009/2010 he rapped, a lot, working with local artists and having a few songs on local and online radio. In 2010/11 he played drums for a popular reggae band while ‘session guitaring’ for artists who needed it. He sharpened his freestyle skills and spent time battling other rappers until he got bored of this and in 2012 he released a mix tape titled Memories of the Darkside, during this time he completed his Sound Technology diploma, passing with flying colours and getting a scholarship to continue his studies in Malaysia, where he acquired his Degree in Film and Television.

While he was in Malaysia he performed regularly. Of his regular performances one of his most memorable was at Urbanscapes Malaysia 2013.

In June 2014 he joined local superband the Contrabanditz which was made up of 5 solo artists united by a common cause.

In October 2014 he was invited by the World Islamic Economic Forum to Perform at the 7th annual MocaFEST in Dubai where he also performed at an event called ARTNIGHTS @ Gate Village, which is one of the most widely attended art exhibitions in Dubai every year.

In October 2015, he attend Maun International Poetry Festival with the Contrabanditz, as well as opening for Freshly Ground and Oliver Mtukudzi. In November Aether along with the Contrabanditz opened for Joss Stone at the Mascom Live Sessions.

Boasting a repertoire of conscious lyrics inspired by the Light. Aether sets out to inspire all he comes across, with the goal of lighting a fire in them, one that will cause ripples of Hope, Faith and Love to wash over a darkening world.

Mangaliso Buzani

South Africa No Comments

Mangaliso Buzani was born in New Brighton in 1978. He is a versatile artist who excels in the creative world of art as a whole, be it painting, installation, jeweller design and manufacturing and writing. He has just finished his Masters of Art in Creative Writing with a distinction at Rhodes University.

Buzani is an award winner of Dalro Prize (2014) and a finalist of Plat Africa (2007), and Anglo Gold Riches of Africa (2004). He teaches Martial art (Judo), art, creative writing in local schools when ever time presents itself. Buzani has exhibited his work across the country. He was first encouraged to experiment with poetry writing when he joined Uncwadi Writers Association in the late 90s and he has not turned back since then.

Leshie Lovesong

Botswana No Comments

Leshie Lovesong, recently resident in Cincinnati, Ohio, (USA) is a Motswana poet, singer and song writer. Her stage journey began in 2007 as a member of ExodusLivePoetry!, a pioneering poetry movement in Botswana.

Her first studio recorded EP, Sunflowers and Strawberries was launched and released at the Queen City Poetry Slam in Cincinnati, Ohio where Leshie was a feature artist. The release of S&S follows Leshie’s second solo event, BREATHE: A Night of Poetry and Music, which was staged in Gaborone, Botswana in August 2014. BREATHE is the second part of a 3 part “Love Letters”, written, directed, produced and performed by Leshie, accompanied by other artists. The first part, FALLING: A Night of Poetry and Music, was staged in Gaborone, at Moving Space Theatre, Maru-A-Pula School on March 7th 2014. The show sold out, and got extensive media coverage. The last installment is expected to be staged in 2015. The trilogy follows a lover, on her journey towards finding herself, exploring the luminal spaces, very rarely confronted, including the impact of past experiences, and how they shape one. Leshie has also performed adaptations of the trilogy in the Maitisong Festival 2014 and 2015, held in Gaborone.

In 2013, Leshie performed at the INTWASA KoBulawayo Festival in September, and at the Maun International Poetry Festival in October. Her EP, released recently, was recorded in 2013, by Heaven Sent Productions.

2012 saw Leshie co-write a workshopped poetry play, “The Bedspread”, which was launched in Gaborone, and later performed at the annual “Sex Actually” festival in Johannesburg, South Africa. As a social and environmental activist, Leshie travelled to Luanda, Angola and Rundu, Namibia in mid 2012, workshopping scripts and performing plays aimed raising awareness on the importance of the sustainable development of the Okavango River. As a poet, Leshie’s poetry was inevitably featured in the plays.

Between 2012 and 2013, Leshie acted in various other theatre productions, including pantomimes of Pinocchio and Beauty and the Beast, in both of which she played lead roles; and Passion Plays I and II, where she explored even more challenging and provocative roles which explored the range of her capacity as an artist, and taught her discipline.

Her work has been featured in ‘Dreaming is a Gift for Me’, an audio anthology, produced by SAUTI Artist Administration; as well as in ‘Awakening’, a compilation of affirmations.

Leshie’s written work has been featured in the Womb edition of Prairie Schooner.

Lesego Nswahu Nchunga (Leshie Lovesong)/ @leshielovesong/

Thato Angela Chuma

Botswana No Comments

Thato Angela Chuma is a Motswana singer, poet and writer. Her poetry has featured in literary magazines such as Saraba Magazine, Brittle Paper, Strange Horizons, The Stare’s Nest and The Kalahari Review.

Letang Selepe

Botswana No Comments

There are days when Letang Selepe wakes up feeling like a ripe and wise 50 year old, and other days a scared and confused 16 year old girl. She is actually a 28 year old Tswana woman, from a small village called Ramokgonami. She spent most of her pre high school years in a small mining town called Selebi-Phikwe. Lived in Zimbabwe for a good 4 years, and dwelled in Francistown and Gaborone thereafter. Lived in the USA for a magical year, where she met amazing people from all over the world. She came back home, yearning to write again.

She currently resides in Maun, and it is here where she stopped caging in her emotions and let them roam free on paper.

Poetry captivates you, in the now, it move’s you between different worlds. It is for this reason that she was drawn to writing, poetry was a path to healing, a path to acceptance. Most of her poetry stems from her own reality.

Sima

Tanzania No Comments

Sima is a 25 year old Tanzanian Artist and Entrprenuer with an enthusiasm for writing. Hip Hop Music is his first love, but has been influenced by all types of music from punk rock to RnB, Soul, Afro Jazz and Zilipendwa. He is also the founder of an ametuer events and decor company called MADEURBAN, that promotes creative artists’ work and provides event solutions for corporate and private individuals. He has a passion for visual art and is currently taking a course in Media and Film production at Tasuba, Bagamoyo.

Madoda Ndlakuse

South Africa No Comments

Madoda Ndlakuse was born in Mdantsane and bred in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Madoda is a writer, poet, interpreter, reading initiatives activist, the founder of Eastern Cape Book Festival and Cream of Literature (Ingqaka Yoncwadi) both initiatives seeks to revitalise culture and the future of reading. His dream is to help primary school children with expertise in poetry, theatre , storytelling so as to spark their love for reading.

He is well known for his social commentary poetry and he is regarded as one of the best Isixhosa performance poets nationally. He is invited to perform and MC in weddings across the country. His latest poem ‘Imihlinzo’ is currently enjoying airplay @SABC Umhlobo WeneneFm’B.E.E show.

Arja Salafranca

South Africa No Comments

Arja Salafranca has published two collections of poetry, A Life Stripped of Illusions and The Fire in which we Burn; a third, Beyond Touch is published by Modjaji Books in 2015 and a collection of short stories: The Thin Line. She has participated in writers conferences, edited two anthologies and has received awards for her writing. More at: http://arjasalafranca.blogspot.com

Tshepo Blackhole

South Africa No Comments

The name, Tshepo Molefe. Also known as Blackhole on stage. This pseudo name is a reflection of who and what I am, from my short nature (which I inherited from my mother) to the anger that I bring on stage and the hatred I am still trying to extinguish with my pen.

I write to change perceptions and hopefully to inspire change in a person’s life and view on things such as love, what poetry is and the misconception of man being invulnerable. I feel like as poets, it’s our duty to not only just write to be dope or to compete, but we need to touch life with our craft and build a better society through our wordsmith. That is what my art aims to do, and one day will.

Khulile Nxumalo

South Africa No Comments

Khulile Nxumalo was born in Diepkloof, Soweto, in 1971. He completed school at Waterford Kamhlaba in Swaziland and went on to attend the University of Cape Town, the then University of Natal and the University of the Witwatersrand, where his studies were focused on media and cultural studies.

Nxumalo has worked as researcher, writer, producer and director for various production houses in Johannesburg. He has directed inserts for a magazine television programme, a short documentary on young, up-and-coming opera singers and for national education broadcasts.

In 2004, Nxumalo’s first collection of poetry titled Ten Flapping Elbows, Mama, was published. That same year, he produced a documentary titled Nabantwa Bam (With My Children) as part of the SABC 1 Project 10 series.

Nxumalo has twice been the recipient of the DALRO award for poetry. His work has appeared in several literary journals in South Africa, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In 2013, Nxumalo launched his poetry collection, Fhedzi.

Fellow poet Robert Berold says of Nxumalo: “[He] is one of the few poets in South Africa using longer experimental forms. He has found a creative way of breaking up the English language and fusing it with other languages. He is also capable of intense lyrical expression.”

Nxumalo lives in Johannesburg with his two children.

Kaizer Mabhilidi Nyatsumba

South Africa No Comments

Kaizer Mabhilidi Nyatsumba was born at White River, in the province of Mpumalanga, in White River, South Africa. He is the son of the late Silverton Manikani Nyatsumba and Maria Ntombizodwa Nkambule.

Kaizer went to a number of schools – Entokozweni Primary School at Ngodini (KaBokweni), Lwaleng Primary School outside White River, Ngodwana Primary School, Mshadza Secondary School outside White River and Dlangezwa High School in the Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal area – before proceeding first to the University of Zululand and later to Georgetown University in Washington DC, USA.

He started writing plays, acting in them and directing them when he was still at Ngodwana Primary School, and continued to do the same at Mshadza Secondary School and at Dlangezwa High School. Some of his published poems were written when he was in Standard Seven (Grade Nine) at secondary school, and his first published newspaper article was in the now-defunct KaNgwane Times in Nelspruit when he was in the same grade.

A born leader, Kaizer was appointed Deputy Head Prefect at Mshadza Secondary School, Deputy Head Prefect at Dlangezwa High School, Editor of UNICOM at the University of Zululand and Chairman of the University of Zululand chapter of the African Writers’ Association, which he launched. Upon his return to South Africa upon completion of his studies at Georgetown University, he was elected Assistant Secretary of the African Writers’ Association at national level.

Kaizer worked for 15 years as a journalist, a profession in which he excelled and rose meteorically to become South Africa’s first African Political Correspondent and first black Political Editor on a formerly white newspaper, The Star in Johannesburg, and the country’s first African Editor when he was appointed founding Editor of The Independent on Saturday in Durban. He also edited the Daily News in that city, before being posted to London, with his family, where he was Associate Editor on The Independent.

Kaizer was one of seven South African journalists sent by Independent Newspapers to the Harvard Business School and the Nieman Foundation at Harvard University for an intensive, two-month-long Senior Leadership Develop Program in 1996. He is also the only journalist within the Independent Newspapers Group to have been seconded to The Independent in London, then the international flagship within the Irish-owned media group.
Kaizer left journalism at the end of 2002 and joined Anglo American South Africa in January 2003 as Vice President: Corporate Affairs, with responsibility for marketing. In that capacity, he persuaded Anglo American to back South Africa’s bid for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and represented the company on the Board of the 2010 Bid Company. He travelled to a number of countries – where Anglo American also had a presence – with then 2010 Bid Company CEO Danny Jordaan to campaign for South Africa’s bid to host the 2010 World Cup.

With Jordaan and then First National Bank Marketing Director Derek Carstens, Kaizer visited Barcelona and Madrid – where they met Barcelona FC and Real Madrid FC players, including Ronaldinho – in an attempt to get either one of the Spanish giants to visit South Africa to play against the country’s top teams, Kaizer Chiefs FC and Orlando Pirates FC, as part of the promotion of South Africa’s candidature for the World Cup. They even travelled to Valencia to watch Real Madrid beat Valencia FC 1-0, thanks to Ronaldo’s goal, and flew back to Madrid with the team in its plane.

Regrettably, the two Spanish teams could not accommodate a visit to South Africa, thus opening the way for London-based Tottenham Hot Spur to play against Pirates in Durban and Chiefs in Cape Town.

Kaizer has also worked for Coca-Cola South Africa as Public Affairs and Communications Director, Sasol Ltd as Group General Manager: Corporate Affairs, Marketing and Black Economic Empowerment, KMN Consulting as Managing Director and PetroSA as Vice-President: Corporate Affairs and Shared Services. He is currently Chief Executive Officer of the Johannesburg-based Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa.

A Certified Director (IoDSA), Kaizer holds a BA Honours from Georgetown University, an MBA from the University of Hull, a Post-Graduate Certificate in Economics from the University of the Witwatersrand, an Advanced Management Programme Diploma from the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science and a Journalism Diploma from the Newspaper Institute of America. He has served on the Boards of Business Against Crime (South Africa), the National Business Initiative, the Tourism Business Council of South Africa, the 2010 Bid Company, the Anglo American Chairman’s Fund, the Anglo American Medical Aid Scheme and the Sasol Social and Community Trust and the PET Recycling Company, among others.

Kaizer has published seven books: When Darkness Falls (poetry), UMLOZI (Zulu poetry), A Vision of Paradise (short stories), In Love With A Stranger (short stories), ALL SIDES OF THE STORY: A Grandstand View of South Africa’s Political Transition, as well as Silhouettes (poetry). His seventh book, Incomplete Without My Brother, Adonis, was published in July 2014

Ochieng Adholla

Kenya No Comments

Ochieng Adholla, also known as Ochi, is a conscious Kenyan poet and philosopher. His first collection of poems, Panther’s Diary, was published in 2011 by Salonica Press, an Imprint of Seaburn Publishing Group based in New York. His second collection of poems, compiled in 2014 , is a free e-book available on his website.

Andile Nayika

South Africa No Comments

Andile Nayika was born and raised in Grahamstown, South Africa. He was first introduced to storytelling and poetry by his late grandmother. He has published his works in various poetry publications like Oppikoppi’s Ons Klyntj. He has also written for media houses such as the Mail & Guardian in Johannesburg. He is a founding member of the Writers Movement, which collaborates with the Rhodes University English Department to produce the Cycle of Knowledge.

Marike Beyers

South Africa No Comments

Marike Beyers lives in Grahamstown, where she spends most of her time surrounded by books, papers, the buzz of internet pages. Balance is a difficult thing, as is the wind. She gets herself tangled up in letters and does not drive. On the other hand, she says, “Thunderstorms are magnificent beings. And then there is poetry that reaches into stillness.” Her collection of poems, On Another Page, was published with Aerial Publishing in 2011.

Jane Berg

South Africa No Comments

Jane Berg is a photojournalist, poet, and writer, working in Grahamstown, South Africa. She is currently completing her degree in Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University. She majored in English and is a member of the Cycle of Knowledge Performance Poetry Group. She was awarded the Keven Carlean Scholarship for Academic Achievement in Journalism for 2013, and first place for the 2015 Foto Fence Competition, Portrait Category. Her work is concerned with gender and environmental issues. Born in Brazil and raised between England and South Africa, her accent confuses most people. Her poetry is a way to, as Rilke said, “live the questions” of identity and belonging.

Azola Dayile

South Africa No Comments

Azola Dayile is a spoken-word poetry artist, literature scholar and all-round lover of the word. He hails from the streets of KwaZakhele in the windy city of Port Elizabeth, South Africa where he was born and bred for the past 20-something-odd-years.

His passion for reading and writing emanated from a very young age, having been involved in spelling and reading groups and contests from the tender age of seven years. However, it is only in high school that he became conscious of his writing and that is when he formally began writing poetry, even though never sharing it beyond his immediate peers.

In 2012 he joined the Culture Consciousness Society, hoping to grow his craft and become better at what he had been doing for some time.

All thanks to the universal forces of attraction, Azola met with up two fellow artists in Sisonke Papu and Unathi Slasha, with whom he co-founded and launched the Resonance Poetry Movement society at NMMU in March 2013.

His has since performed both inside and outside the Eastern Cape, has been published in local journals (also due to be published in the June .issue of the New Coin) and has had his worked featured on Radio L2K, a community radio station based in Uitenhage.

Crystal Warren

South Africa No Comments

Crystal Warren grew up in Port Elizabeth but now lives in Grahamstown where she works at the National English Literary Museum. She has edited New Coin poetry magazine and taught a creative writing course. In-between she manages to occasionally do some writing of her own.

TJ Dema

Botswana No Comments

TJ Dema is a Botswana based poet who runs SAUTI, an events, arts and performance management organization. She was the Chairperson of The Writers Association of Botswana from 2010 to 2012 and a founding member (alumni) of Botswana’s acclaimed Exoduslivepoetry! collective, who coordinated Botswana’s sole annual poetry festival between 2004 and 2009.

A 2005/06 participant in the British Council’s Crossing Borders project, she has since participated in a number of their initiatives including the 2007/08 Power in the Voice(PIV) initiative as mentor to the PIV national champions.

In 2010 she was guest writer for the University of Warwick’s International Gateway for Gifted Youth program. In 2008 she was in India for the Delhi International Festival of the Arts, and in 2010 she was a main stage act at the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA), Shakespeare and co’s Festivalandco in France as well as the World Wide Words festival in Denmark. In 2011 she was part of the Poetry Africa tour, a 5 city Southern African initiative of the University of Kwazulu Natal’s Center for Creative Arts. She is part of a bi-continental, multi country eclectic ensemble called Sonic Slam Chorus who debuted their poetry infused soundscapes at HIFA 2011 and returned in 2012. Recently she participated in a series of events linked to the London Cultural Olympiad.

Between August and November 2012 I was based out of Iowa City as one of the International Writing Program writers-in-residence.

Tina Abena Oforiwa

Ghana No Comments

Tina Abena Oforiwa is a London-based, Ghanaian-born creative writer.

Although she has lived in the UK almost all her life, for her Ghana will always be home. She uses poetry as a means to communicate the experience of growing-up outside of her homeland, the feeling of displacement and nostalgia which naturally manifest in varying ways.

For Tina, poetry remains as the ultimate liberating tool. It allows her to speak of things she wouldn’t ordinarily engage with others about on a day to day, and feel no reproach.

Zeinixx

Senegal No Comments

Dieynaba Sidibé, known as Zeina or Zeinixx, is a slam poet, visual and graffiti artist from Senegal.

Zeinixx is a self-taught artist who started painting in 2004 at the tender age of 14. In 2009 she became the very first female graffiti artist. Renowned Senegalese graffiti artist Grafixx al Mukhtar has mentored her since the beginning of her career, and as homage to him she named herself Zeinixx, which is a fusion of her name Zeina and his name Grafixx.

Zeinixx has performed and exhibited her work at both local and international festivals.

Thabiso Nkoana

South Africa No Comments

Born in Kagiso, raised in Diepkloof, polished in Scummyside and studying in Cape Town. Thabiso is a self proclaimed wordsmith exploring the multiverse one syllable at a time.

Myesha Jenkins

South Africa No Comments

Myesha Jenkins writes and performs poetry. Her second collection, Dreams of Flight, was launched in 2011 at UKZN’s prestigious, international festival, Poetry Africa, where she also performed. Her first collection, Breaking the surface was published by Timbila in 2005. Her work can also be found in We Are (Penguin, 2010) and Isis X (Botsotso, 2006). Myesha has been interviewed in the print media and on radio and TV.

For the last three years, she has produced Poetry in the Air to celebrate Women’s Month on SAfm. She also co-hosts the Jozi House of Poetry, a non-competitive, woman-friendly monthly poetry session.

In 2013 , Myesha won the Mbokodo Award for Women in the Arts in the Poetry category

She also runs writing workshops for women and girls, stimulating creativity and imagination. Myesha is currently co-editing South Africa’s first erotic poetry anthology. Also, a CD is in the pipeline.

Feminist, immigrant, activist, she generously shares her life, reflections and vision. She has been on stages with Napo Masheane, Lebo Mashile, Ntsiki Mazwai, Natalia Molebatsi, Gabeba Baderoon, Antonio Lyons, Phillippa DeVillers, Vonani Bila, Khosi Xaba and Khethi Ntshangase

She has lived and worked in Johannesburg since 1993 when she relocated from California.

(www.myeshajenkins.com)

Matchadjé Yogolipaka

Cameroon No Comments

Mathadjé Yogolipaka is publisher, poet and literary critic from Cameroon. He is also the managing director of the organization Lupeppo International.

Sindisiwe Getrude Mbombi

South Africa No Comments

Sindisiwe Getrude Mbombi was born and bred in Mpumalanga province, residing under Nkomazi Municipality in the village called Masibekela. She started writing for fun way back in the early 1990’s, but this hobby soon turned into a great passion. Ligwalagwala FM, a local radio station in her province, has featured her poetry on numerous occasions. She recently published two books titled Tsatsa Umtsamo volume 1 & 2. She is currently in the process of completing volume 3 and 4.

M. Ayodele Heath

United States No Comments

An Atlanta native, M. Ayodele Heath is a top-10 finisher at the National Poetry Slam. A graduate of the MFA program at New England College, his honors include: a McEver Visiting Chair in Writing at Georgia Tech, an Emerging Artist grant from the Atlanta Bureau for Cultural Affairs, and a fellowship to the Caversham Center for Artists in South Africa.

Ayodele has been a featured performer at such venues as the National Black Arts Festival, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, and the TurnerSouth ‘My South Speaks’ television campaign, as well as universities and festivals across America. His first book, Otherness, is available from Brick Road Poetry Press.

Jacob Sam-La Rose

United Kingdom No Comments

Jacob Sam-La Rose is a published poet who devises and facilitates projects for schools and other institutions, emerging poets, teachers, literature professionals and other creatives. His work is grounded in a belief that poetry can be a powerful force within a community, and that it’s possible to combine the immediacy of poetry in performance with formal rigour and innovation on the page. His work has been featured in a range of journals and anthologies. Breaking Silence (2012) is his first book length collection of poetry.