Last week The Huffington Post ran an article about the Top 200 Advocates for Poetry in the US. The author of the article Seth Abrahamson is a reviewer and a Series Co-Editor,for Best American Experimental Writing. he lists his top 200 Poetry Advocates in alphabetical order and gives them a primary reason or two for inclusion.
Individuals are identified by their primary bases for inclusion on the list, and, as known, other appropriate designations; any missed identifications are solely the result of human error and are by no means purposeful. Neither the designations included in the list below, nor the list as a whole, are intended to assess the power, authority, or cultural capital invested in any person or group; instead, the emphasis here is on the quality, scope, and duration of an individual or group’s advocacy for American poetry and American poetry-related discourse.
I posted the article on Facebook to see who others thought South African poetry advocates might be. I thought it should be relatively current, in other words the past ten years say, up to the present. The list is quite long and I am sure quite incomplete. Most people on my Facebook post just listed names, without saying why they were nominating them, so I did a bit of research on the ones I didn’t know. There must be many more. My own experience is biased towards the English poetry scene and I know what happens and who does what in Cape Town, to some extent in Grahamstown and a little in PE, and then bits of what happen and who does what in Joburg and in other parts of the country.
Just for fun, here is my list – totally subjective and as I said incomplete. Please add names (with a few words to say why they should be included in this list) to the comments below. Add people & organisations. I will update the post as I get more information.
Oh, and what is interesting is that most of the advocates are also poets. Some of the people mentioned were more active a little while ago, but are still active. And some people as you can see have multiple roles as poetry advocates and promoters. And from the list of organisations – I’ve put down where they are based, it is clear that there are a few main centres for poetry activity. Perhaps this is largely because I am not aware of what is happening in other places. Finally, I think the list is encouraging, as it shows that poetry is alive and well in South Africa. Lots of passionate people, lots of things going on.
Poetry advocates
Ingrid Anderson (Poet, Incwadi online poetry magazine)
Bulelwa Basse (Poet, Lyrical Base, cultural activist, events)
Zenariah Barends (Poet, Cape Cultural Collective, events)
Brett Beiles (Ran Live Poets Society in Durban)
Vonani Bila (Poet, Timbila – publisher, events, cultural activist, NAC Board member for Literature)
Mphutlane wa Bofelo (Poet, cultural activist)
Robert Berold (Poet, Editor of New Coin, editor, mentor, convener of Rhodes MA, workshops, teacher)
Breyten Breytenbach (Poet, translator, events)
Deidre Byrne (Editor – Scrutiny 2, reviewer)
Gary Cummiskey (Poet, Green Dragon, Dye Hard Press – publisher, interviews with poets, reviews)
Raphael d’Abdon (Poet, editor)
Ingrid de Kok (Poet, events, teacher)
Angifi Dladla (Poet, publisher, workshops, poetry in prisons)
Finuala Dowling (Poet, workshops, Franschoek Lit Fest, Summer school, Slipnet)
Mark Espin (Poet, cultural activist, events, teacher)
Gus Ferguson (Poet, Carapace, Snailpress – publisher, editor, mentor)
Diana Ferrus (Poet, WEAVE collective, mentor)
Alan Finlay (Poet, editor, compiler, Donga, Bliksem)
Vangi Gantsho (Poet)
Dawn Garisch (Poet, SlipNet mentor/teacher)
Joan Hambidge (Poet, reviewer, teacher)
Khadija Heeger (Poet, cultural activist)
Colleen Higgs (Poet, Modjaji Books – publisher, provider of information)
Hugh Hodge (Poet, editor – New Contrast, Off the Wall organiser)
Allan Kolski Horwitz (Poet, Botsotso, cultural activist)
Myesha Jenkins (Poet, Radio readings, Jozi House of Poetry, cultural activist)
Liesl Jobson (Poet, reviewer, Poetry International)
Sophy Kohler (Poet, editor, Imago, Aerodrome)
Rustum Kozain (Poet, poetry editor, mentor)
Antjie Krog (Poet, teacher, cultural activist, mentor)
David wa Maahlamela (Poet, cultural activist, organiser, mentor, events, RealMenTalk project)
Duduzile Mabaso (Publisher, Black Letter Media, Poetry Potion)
Robin Malan (Editor, compiler)
Danie Marais (Poet, editor, reviewer)
Gawki Mashego (Poet, cultural activist)
Michelle McGrane (Poet, Peonymoon Blog)
Joan Metelerkamp (Poet, editor of New Coin, editor)
Amitahb Mitra (Poet, publisher)
Helen Moffett (Poet, compiler, anthologiser, encourager)
Afurakan T Mohare (Poet, cultural activist, events)
Kobus Moolman (Poet, Fidelties, Creative Writing teaching at UKZN, poetry editor, mentor)
Natalia Molebatsi (Poet, Urban Voices, compiler)
Malika Ndlovu (Poet, WEAVE, performer, )
Mxolisi Nyezwa (Poet, cultural activist, mentor, Kotaz, events)
Pieter Odendaal (Poet, SLipNet workshops, mentor, teacher)
Harry Owen (Poet, Reddits Poetry Open Mic evenings, mentor)
Mari Pete (Poet, teacher, events-organiser, mentor)
Hans Pienaar (Melville Poetry Festival)
Karen Press (Poet, publisher, organiser of events & exhibitions)
Marcia Raymond (Poetry Circle organiser at CT Central Library)
Kate Rogan at Love Books (Poetry launches, stocks poetry)
Michael Rolfe (Poet, Off the Wall)
Lesego Rampolokeng (Poet, cultural crtic/activist)
Arja Salafranca (Poet, reviewer, editor, compiler)
Karin Schimke (Poet, Off the Wall, reviews, poet)
Patricia Schonstein (Poet, anthologiser, publisher)
Anne Schuster (Poet, teacher, mentor)
Kelwyn Sole (Poet, editor, compiler, critic, mentor, lecturer & writer about SA Poetry)
Toni Stuart (Poet, teacher, Poetica, performer, events, reviews)
Hale Tshelana (Poet, SLiPNet poetry workshops, mentor)
Adrian van Wyk (Poet, SLiPNet poetry workshop)
Marlene van Niekerk (Poet)
Crystal Warren (Poet, editor of New Coin, ISEA course, organiser of launches)
Paul Wessels (Donga, teacher)
Indra Wussow (Events, Silt residencies)
Phillippa Yaa De Villiers (Poet, Jozi House of Poetry, mentor, events)
Rachel Zadok (Events, passionate reader of poetry)
Fiona Zerbst (Poet, poetry editor, mentor)
Organisations, Events, Institutions
Badilisha
Bookslive
Book Lounge (Stock poetry, readings, launches) (Cape Town)
Cape Town Central Library (Poetry Circle)
Clarke’s Books (Stock poetry, readings, launches) (Cape Town)
Franschoek Lit Fest
Jozi House of Poetry
Kalk Bay Books (stock poetry, launches and readings)
Ingrid Jonker Prize
In Zync sessions (Stellenbosch)
Litnet
Love Books (Johannesburg)
McGregor Poetry Festival
Off the Wall weekly readings & Open Mic sessions (Cape Town)
Open Book Festival (Cape Town)
Poetry Africa (Durban mainly)
Praat (Port Elizabeth)
SAFM (Poetry in the Air, Literature Programme on Sundays)
SALA Poetry Prize
SLipNet (Stellenbosch)
Versindaba (Stellenbosch)
Wordfest (Grahamstown)
Woordfees (Stellenbosch)