Priscah Katlholo joined Poetavango Spoken Word Poetry in the early months of 2010. This dynamic and groundbreaking move was sparked by her friends who saw ‘the dirt I made on every paper I laid my hands on’. These raw squiggles translated as poetry to Priscah’s friends, who urged her to nurture and develop the art form. Thus, Priscah joined the Botswana’s biggest poetry movement and adopted the nom de plume Priskath.

She was born and raised in Maun, under the wings of her grandparents. Together with her cousins at the cattle post, they would gather around the fire and listen to her grandmother‘s great stories. Her grandfather used to poetically praise virtually everything on which their cultural sustenance depended, from rain to cattle. Though unbeknownst to her, those were the first seeds to be planted on her fertile literary farm.

When Priskath started school she was already polished. Needless to say, she excelled in compositions and literature. Her writings are inspired by God and His art. She mostly writes about gender based issues but also touches on other critical life themes depending on what inspires her at that particular moment. As a young woman who adores the music and the power of the lyrics within, Priskath also gets her inspiration from well written Reggae and Country music lyrics.

Her poetry expedition turned into a joyful adventure as she performed in every event that was organized by Poetavango. Being given the platform to perform in international events was indeed an honour and reinforcement of her talent. She performed in all the editions of the Maun International Arts Festival (MIAF) and in the Hundred Thousand Poets for Change (100TPC).

Priskath yearns for the growth of poetry in Botswana. Unless and until poetry has reached the apex of its progression, she will not retire from the written and spoken word.
She says in her own words; ‘The word is of utmost importance. It was there at the very beginning and promised to be there at the very end, who then can deny the importance of the word. We poets and other writers need to ensure that the word reaches the masses in every way possible. It’s our God given duty.’

Priscah Katlholo holds an Associate Degree in Public Relations from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology.