By Andile Mfundisi
On the evening of 20 May, the Amazwi Literature Museum hosted a poetry reading by Afrikaans poet, Antjie Krog. She was joined by other readers from the Rhodes University Afrikaans department.
The night began with the reading of a poem by Antjie and Mthunzikazi Mbungwana. The same poem was read in both Afrikaans and isiXhosa at the same time, which made it sound musical.
The night then set off with the student readers reading pieces by Afrikaans poets such as Ashwin Arendse, Veronique Jephtas, Gaireyah Fredericks, Loit Sols and Nathan Trantaal.
That Monday night was said to be Antjie’s final appearance before she returns to Cape Town where she has held the position of Extraordinary Professor at the University of the Western Cape. In Makhanda, she was a Mellon scholar-in-residence at Rhodes’s MA Creative Writing and the School of Languages for nearly four weeks.
The audience had sprawling reviews of the reading. Audience members expressed gratitude to have been able to witness not only poetry, but Afrikaans poetry in Makhanda. One audience member noted that Makhanda is a “poetry town” but we do not see much of it and therefore Monday night’s reading provided them an opportunity to hear from a poet that they love.
The night ended with Antjie reading a selection of her own poems and one English poem. This sent the audience off with a richer appreciation for the poet and poetry as a whole.
