On Friday night Reddits Book and Coffee in New Street held its monthly Poetry @ Reddits open-floor poetry event, where spoken-word lovers and writers mingled and shared poetry written by them and favourite works of other authors.
On Friday night Reddits Book and Coffee in New Street held its monthly Poetry @ Reddits open-floor poetry event, where spoken-word lovers and writers mingled and shared poetry written by them and favourite works of other authors.
Local poet and author of four collections of poetry, Harry Owen hosts the event. He opened witha poem from his own book Non- Dog, which was launched in May.
He was followed by local writer aMan Bloom who provoked the poets to jump off their seats and take to the stage.
Since the event was held concurrently with the National Arts Festival, it was a special night with a number of guest poets such as Phillippa Yaa de Villiers from Johannesburg.
Yaa de Villiers has released two poetry collections, Taller Than Buildings in 2006, The Everyday Wife earlier this year, and Original Skin, a book of a plays.
She describes her writing as influenced by her real life. After she was adopted as a baby by a white family from her Ghanaian father and South African mother, she grew up having to face racial discrimination, only to reunite with her father at the age of 34.
“I grew up with the feeling of not belonging, so the power of poetry brings me back to belonging,” says Yaa de Villiers.
Upstart poet Aviwe Menze shared words on her African pride and also cautioned the audience about HIV/Aids before local poet Crystal Warren took to the floor.
The session was well conducted, and the audience could relax and enjoy a cup of coffee, muffins or soup. Poetry @ Reddits takes place on the last Friday of each month and entrance is free.
