The Puku story telling festival ended on an inspirational note at the 1820 Settler's Monument in Grahamstown on Saturday, 21 February.
The Puku story telling festival ended on an inspirational note at the 1820 Settler's Monument in Grahamstown on Saturday, 21 February.
The event was characterised by performance and conversation among poets, story tellers, parents and children who had attended the story telling festival.
Among the guests was legendary story teller Gcina Mhlope. Dressed in black and white traditional attire Mhlope encouraged people in attendance to engage in conversation during the last session of the festival.
Side-by-side with actress and well-known television personality Andrea Dondolo who stars in the SABC 2 drama Stokvel, the two women danced trying to bring the low-spirited audience to life as Mhlope burst in song.
The event finally came to life when local poets took to the stage towards the end of the days proceedings. The audience started getting into the performances, when poets including Poetic Soul, Thembani 'Zion Eyes' Onceya, Akhona Mafani, Ayabulela Ngcelwane and more.
Inspiration came also came in the form of writers who have recently published their own books. The writers who were showcasing their books at the event had some inspirational words to share with the audience.
Eastern Cape based Connie Manise Ngcaba shared some important life lessons which were part of her motivation to write her book 'May I have this dance'.
The other two writers hail from Cape Town. Sipho Kekezwa's book is based on life experiences which he wants to use to warn people about a subject that has in the past affected his life. Kekezwa's book 'Ndizigwaze ngowam' focuses on money making scams, particularly card fraud, which he would like to warn people about. "I hope to use this book to educate people about these kinds of things," Kekezwa said.
Sonwabiso Ngcowa gave up his job as a bank employee to follow his dream of writing and ended up publishing two books. His first book 'In search of happiness' is in English.
Speaking at the event Ngcowa said he was boasting to a neighbour in Cape Town about his new book when the neighbour politely told him he will read it when it is writen in isiXhosa. Ngcowa has since published his second book Akusayi kuphinada'.
Provincial MEC for Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Pemmy Majodina, was supposed to be at the festival but couldn't attend.
