Poetry Africa makes the practicalities and publishing of poetry possible

Business and marketing are not always top priorities for poets, and while they should not take precedence over creativity, business sense and commercial knowledge can make poetry both a passion and a profitable and sustainable pursuit. Not every businessperson can be a poet, but every poet can acquire basic business skills to ensure that their poetry is a financial blessing and not a curse. Poetry Africa, presented by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, aims to spotlight the importance of business and marketing in poetry during its festival happening from 3 to 12 October in Durban and Johannesburg.

“The fundamentals of arts administration and some basic marketing and publicity tools could make it so much easier for poets to reach a wider audience. It is with this in mind that the festival will be hosting several discussions and master classes on the final day of the festival”, says Siphindile Hlongwa, the curator of the Poetry Africa festival.

On Saturday, the 12th of October, a panel discussing the basics of publishing poetry will be hosted by Ismail Mahomed, the director for the Centre for Creative Arts. Founders of local publishers, vangile gantsho of imphepo press and Michelle Betty of Dryad Press will be joined by Allan Horwitz of Botsotso Publishers and Dr Phindile Dlamini of UKZN Press. They will share the essentials of publishing poetry, including submission tips and information on understanding the industry. This will be a valuable opportunity to gain insights from leading voices in African publishing.

In the afternoon, the Seabrooke’s Theatre will host Perfect Pitch, a session where pre-selected poets and organisers will pitch their unique visions and projects. Audiences will be encouraged to engage with innovative ideas and explore potential collaborations while selected individuals will pitch their work to festival curators. Festival organisers from Abuja, Belgium, Italy, and Lagos will be present. They include Claudio Pozzani from Italy, who created the Genoa International Poetry Festival in 1995 and co-founded the European platform Versopolis, which now includes thirty festivals. Emma Ofosua, the director of the annual All African Women Poetry Festival, a four-day conference that hosts six to ten poets from six African countries and the diaspora, Bash Amuneni, the general manager of the Abuja Literary Society, and Efe Paul Azino from the Lagos Poetry Festival will be present.

Miksi Brouwer, who founded the SpeakEasy spoken word collective, a multilingual platform and collective based in Brussels, will share the platform with Hatem Alshehri, the first literary agent from Saudi Arabia. Siphiwe Nzima from Lesotho and South African, Siphindile Hlongwa, will add local flair. Hosted by Musa Hlatshwayo, the artistic and creative director of Mhayise Productions, an internationally acclaimed performing arts production company based in KwaZulu-Natal, this platform may be the beginning of remarkable things for many poets and performers.

There will be three masterclasses on various aspects of administration, marketing, and monetising on Saturday afternoon. The first, a masterclass on the mysteries of intellectual property and monetising creative work on digital platforms, will be presented by publicist, music manager, and founder of Music Exchange, Martin Myers. Participants will learn key strategies for protecting their creative assets and leveraging online opportunities to generate revenue. The session is essential for poets and artists looking to navigate the digital landscape effectively.

Ismail Mahomed, Karabo Legoabe, and Philile Njikija will present a comprehensive masterclass on arts administration. Attendees of this class will acquire essential skills in proposal writing, reporting, and managing arts projects. The session is designed primarily for those looking to enhance their administrative expertise in the arts sector but will be invaluable to any artist who engages with funding bodies and other creative institutions.

 

An in-depth masterclass on branding and marketing tailored for poets will feature insights from Emmah Mabye and Siphokazi Jonas, both from South Africa, and Beverly Nsengiyunva from Uganda. This session, facilitated by Lakin Morgan-Baatjies, will cover strategies for developing a strong personal brand to effectively promote one’s work and artistic profile.

The day is not all work and no fun, though. Poetry will take a leap from the page to the screen at the screening of poetry films by Claudio Pozzani, Mbali Malimela, and Siphokazi Jonas. Audiences will be afforded the opportunity to engage in discussion with the poets as they explore the intersection of film and poetry and delve into the creative processes behind the works.

The day will also see the launch of several poetry collections. Ongezwa Mbele hosts the launch at Unirite Kit n Coffee of new poetry collections by Kyle Allan and Sindiswa Zulu. Audiences will hear excerpts from their work and gain insights into their creative processes. At an event hosted by Quaz Roodt, editor of poetrypotion.com, Siphokazi Jonas will celebrate the release of her debut anthology, Weeping Becomes a River, of which Gabeba Baderoon said, “I was breathless after reading this collection. It is exquisite, courageous, energising, boundary-scaling, mesmerising, and moving.” She will be accompanied by Nkateko Masinga, who was shortlisted for the Evaristo Prize for African Poetry earlier this year. Masinga will read from her latest book, Daughter Wound, which was the book of the week at the London Review Bookshop in its first week of release in April this year. In addition to sharing their work, the poets will explore the themes in their new books and discuss their publishing journeys.

If anyone has any energy after this exciting program, they can expend it at the closing event of the program, the Slam Jam Finale, which promises to round out this educational and instructive day and the festival in style.

To stay up to date on all the news about the festival, follow Poetry Africa on Facebook and Instagram (@poetryafrica) or visit https://poetryafrica.ukzn.ac.za/ to see the full festival programme.

About Poetry Africa

Poetry Africa is an annual international poetry festival curated and presented by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of Kwazulu-Natal in Durban each year during October. The festival features Spoken Word & Publish Poets in performances and dynamic engagements which includes panel discussions, campus and school visits, poetry exchanges, book launches, open mic sessions and a slam jam competition. The festival provides a vital platform for celebration and critical reflection about the contribution of poets in the movement for social change both nationally and internationally. At the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the Poetry Africa festival supports academic scholarship in contemporary poetry. The festival is a dynamic player in the cultural economy of the broader eThekwini; and plays a vital role in advancing the city’s status as a UNESCO City of Literature.