At the Poetry in McGregor 2017 Festival, Lara Kirsten presented a Performance and Installation – “The Poem as Mirror” – … Read More
Bearing Light into Darkness: In memory of Wilfried Schärf
Wilfried Schärf, a friend of many years, died this month. He had been a lawyer, Professor of Criminal Justice, and … Read More
A CRIME AGAINST CREATION: The killing of Cecil, Lion of Hwange
Is it not time to view the deliberate killing of wild creatures as murder? If the Minneapolis dentist, Dr Walter … Read More
In the matter of porcupine quills
I own 197 porcupine quills. These have been collected one-by-one over some forty years of travelling in Africa. They … Read More
Life as Pilgrimage
Image: Love leading the Pilgrim by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones “Life as a Journey” is an often-used metaphor. Life’s … Read More
Lucinda Jolly reviews the Africa! Poetry anthologies
One of Patricia Schonstein’s ‘Found Poems’ in the anthology Africa Ablaze! is crafted from a question posed to a former … Read More
Reading love poems at Chandler House
“Excuse me, random stranger… may I read you a love poem?” … Read More
The Unshod Child
I grew up in colonial Rhodesia. While still very young, I noticed that African children generally walked barefoot, while I … Read More
Love is winged bolts of fire
“Love is winged bolts of fire. Love is flame. Water in flood cannot quench love, nor rivers wash it away.” … Read More
The Gin Trap Leopard at The Old Biscuit Mill
Robert Vaccaro has sculpted a magnificent leopard from used gin traps. It was unveiled earlier this month at The Old … Read More
Listening to Douglas reading a poem at Oranjezicht Market
It was a glorious Saturday. All about were the good aromas of raw produce, newly baked bread, cakes, coffee and … Read More
The Poem as Light at the McGregor Poetry Festival 2014
Can poetry improve the human condition in a time of moral darkness? This was one of the provocative questions I … Read More
Poems falling from Heaven at 2nd McGregor Poetry Festival
The town of McGregor is fast establishing itself as South Africa’s primary ‘Place of Poetry.’ It hosted the second bilingual … Read More
Reading Rod MacKenzie & Tatamkhulu Afrika at Cape Town Stadium
I arrived early, long before the crowds, and had the vast empty stadium to myself, so could rehearse my reading. … Read More
The writing of a seventh novel
I conceptualised my new novel, The Inn at Hellsvlakte, in 2011, wanting to again examine, within a work of narrative … Read More
Poetry in the art of John Kramer
John Kramer’s evocative repertoire of paintings record the shops, corner cafés, bioscopes … Read More
Turning poetry into storybooks
In my post-apocalyptic novel, The Master’s Ruse, I examine authorial conscience and the responsibility of authors to ‘up’ the human … Read More
An exchange between an anthologist and a gentleman
I’m delighted to announce that the manuscript of the third anthology in my Africa! series is complete. I had the … Read More
In memory of a trainee-igqirha
In 2002, before embarking on a two-month journey with my husband through central Africa, following part of David Livingstone’s route, … Read More
Showing beauty to Patricia de Lille, the Executive Mayor of Cape Town
At an exhibition of photos of homeless people’s dwellings by Gaelen Pinnock We are attuned to seeing these shelters as … Read More
Reading Chris Ahrends
On my workbench is Dumisani Sibexo’s photograph of a man swinging a burning tyre during a protest in Mothutlung in … Read More
Asimbonanga
On the day after Nelson Mandela died, an inter-faith prayer service was held on the steps of the City Hall … Read More
Turning swords into sonnets
Extract from launch speech of Africa Ablaze! and Horison The poems in Africa Ablaze! are placed chronologically. They are anchored … Read More
Ingqanga ifile:The Bateleur is dead. Praise Poem to Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela 1918-2013
Ingqanga ifile The Bateleur is dead Yazalwa sekusaziwa ukuba iyakuphelela phi na He was born with his destiny written for … Read More
Poems for imprisoned youths
On Saturday, I delivered poems to a prison. Walking through the first set of double gates, I sensed a strange … Read More