The Johannesburg leg of the highly anticipated 27th Poetry Africa International Festival was a resounding success with all three days being sold-out.
The esteemed festival, proudly presented by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, made a triumphant return to the City of Gold.
“When we say we were sold out, we meant we were SOLD OUT! 🎫,” shared the UJ Arts & Culture, a division of the Faculty of Art, Design, and Architecture at the University of Johannesburg on social media.
The festival brought together poets, artists and cultural enthusiasts from near and far for an unforgettable celebration of creativity and expression.
Launched on October 5 with the 2nd Keorapetse Kgositsile Memorial Lecture, Professor Muxe Nkondo delivered the keynote speech.
“Poetry gives voice to the human spirit and allows us to reflect on our shared humanity,” he said during his inspiring speech.
The Slam Jam semi-finals entertained festival-goers with their performances. The top five - Katlego Mofokeng, Lethu Nkwanyana, Natasha Mubanga, Olive Olusegun and Solly Ramatswi- will compete in Durban for the title.
Festival-goers also got to experience performances by international stars Rudy Francisco (USA), Sarah Lubala (Congo/SA), Raphael D’Abdon (Italy/SA) and Amee Slam (Ivory Coast), South African poets Steel the Poet and Indigene “Gene” Corefio.
Siphindile Hlongwa expressed honour over being able to provide the youth a platform to develop their craft: “It is a true honour to provide a platform for young poetic voices to develop and express their craft and share their truth.
It is no rumour, tonight's show is SOLD OUT! There will be NO tickets available at the door.
— Poetry Africa (@PoetryAfrica) October 7, 2023
P.S. Real fans can travel to Durban to catch the show on Tuesday. There are still a few tickets available on Webtickets.#Vote4Poetry #PoetryAfrica2023 pic.twitter.com/pvnuzWpOyb
“Audiences should surely not miss the opportunity to experience the festival in Durban and Bloemfontein, as it celebrates the diverse voices of poetry across South Africa, Africa and the globe.”
The festival now continues in Durban from October 9-14, featuring an array of poetry performances, discussions, musical collaborations, and the highly anticipated Slam Jam finals.
After Durban, the festival will wrap up in Bloemfontein from October 16-17.