Spier Poetry Festival Poet in Profile: Kgafela oa Magogodi

by Annebelle on Feb 2nd, 2007

Here’s a brief introduction to South African poet Kgafela oa Magogodi, appearing tonight and tomorrow at the Spier Poetry Festival:

Kgafela oa Magogodi is known as the bastard son of “combat literature,” a “distant relative of spoken word creatures, a spoken word theatre director from the south of Afrika.” He has worked with the School of Arts at the University of the Witwatersrand, teaching in the areas of literature and film studies relating to Africa and the Black Diaspora, and currently runs his own series of performance projects, as director and producer. His directorial productions include “Itchy City”, “Warsoil” and “Bread”.

Magogodi’s writings riot against minstrelsy; against what he refers to as “punk-ass politicians and their lick-ass flutterers.” A charged thinker and a consummate live performer, Magogodi has presented his work worldwide, and remains a highly prolific producer of poems, short stories, audio recordings and live shows.

His books include Outspoken, Johannesburg (Laugh-it-Off, 2004) and Thy Condom Come (New Leaf, 2000). His poems have been published in Poetry International, Laugh it Off, New Coin, Upbeat Magazine, the literature of Khanya College, Homeless Talk and the Journal of African Literature.