Event information
Poetry Africa is the largest international poetry festival on the continent. Organized by University of Kwa Zulu Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts, it takes place in Durban over a period of six to 10 days in October.
Since its inception in 1996, it attracts an impactful array of international writers, poets, performers and musicians from the continent, the African diaspora and the globe. Big names from Kwame Dawes and Saul Williams to Gcina Mhlophe and Shailja Patel have featured on the Poetry Africa bill.
The event comprises workshops, open mic sessions, seminars, slam jams, live music, book launches, performances and school programmes. The 2020 festival went virtual with the whole programme presented online. This included showcases of readings by emerging and established poets, seminars and professional development workshops, engagements with poets, book launches, competitions and children’s productions.
