An award-winning poet, author, presenter, actress, and producer, Lebo Mashile is a South African household name who is most recognizable for her lyrical and gutsy poetry which has captivated audiences in 28 countries over the last two decades. Venus vs Modernity: The Life of Saartjie Baartman was her first foray into penning a full-length theatrical production and has been performed to sell-out audiences in Johannesburg and Amsterdam. Mashile has previously acted in the Academy-award nominated film Hotel Rwanda, the stage adaptation of K. Sello Duiker’s The Quiet Violence of Dreams, as well as Ngyidansa, the stage adaptation of Pamela Nomvete’s autobiography by the same name. She has collaborated with renowned choreographer and founder of Moving into Dance Mophathong, Sylvia Glasser, on Threads, a fusion of contemporary dance and poetry. Mashile won the NOMA Award for Publishing in Africa in 2006 for her premier collection In A Ribbon of Rhythm (Oshun) which was also published in German by Wunderhorn. In 2008 she released her second book of poetry, Flying Above the Sky. Her writing has been referenced in academic journals, has appeared in literary journals as well as mainstream publications, and is taught in high schools and tertiary institutions across South Africa. As a recording artist, she has two studio albums under her belt, Lebo Mashile Live! (2006) and Moya (2017).
