By Mmathabo Maebela, Relebohile Mohapi, Thubelihle Mathonsi
As we settled into the Amazwi amphitheatre, the chatter from audience and performers filled the autumn air. Deep baritone hums wafted through the crowds, setting the stage for what was to come.
A few moments later, MC Adam Levin welcomed the audience to the first poetry showcase hosted at Amazwi Museum in collaboration with the South African Poetry Projects (ZAPP), Poetry NonScenes, and the Rhodes University Department of Literary Studies in English. This showcase marked the end of a two-day poetry workshop aimed at encouraging young writers to tell their stories through their poetry.
The idea began in a humble WhatsApp group of three people and has since grown into a nationwide movement. This was the third workshop of its kind, following the first two held in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
One of the facilitators, Tom Penfold, said he had picked up through teaching poetry with South African universities, that they often focus on written and standardised poetry. This does not account for fresh, vibrant, exciting voices. “We don’t look at open mics or come to poetry showcases like this,” he said.
Poetry NonScenes was created to remedy that – to give people “a place to think, perform, and get their stories out there”. In the poetry landscape of South Africa, this event offered a counterpoint to the narrow confines of mainstream literary conventions.
The event featured young poets from three local high schools — Nyaluza, Nombulelo and Khutliso Daniels — alongside their facilitators.
Many of the poets’ performances were delivered in isiXhosa, grounding the showcase in local culture and experience. They focused on pressing social issues such as sexual assault, education, and the pursuit of freedom from oppression.
Some of the performances were accompanied by struggle songs. So powerful were they — whether audience members understood the language or not — that shivers ran down spines.
In a way, this showcase was a call to reimagine what the South African poetry landscape could look like when we celebrate contemporary poetry and platform new voices.
