The McGregor Poetry Festival which has grown to be one of the most popular literary festivals in South Africa, will this year take place from 18 to 20 November.
This year’s festival has 65 events in total that includes 43 poetry reading events, 3 open mic sessions, 11 book launch events, 3 workshops, 3 music and movement performances and 2 youth outreach events.
Antjie Krog, Wendy Woodward, Ian McCallum, Harry Owen, Ilze Olckers, Jacques Coetzee, Kobus Moolman, Archie Swanson, Stephen Symons, Lara Kirsten, Sue Woodward and Diana Ferrus (with Die Mengelmoes Digters), joins a long list of impressive poets on this year’s programme. There is also a special event with John Maytham, where he will read from a script crafted by Finuala Dowling inspired by “Touching the Wild”. Exciting new voices Nondwe Mpuma, Lisa Julie and Jadrick Pedro will also be at the festival.
Poetry in English and Afrikaans from the underground literary zine, Ons Klyntji, will also be featured at the festival. Regular Ons Klyntji zine contributors Sindiswe Busuku and Tom Dreyer will be joined by well-known spoken word artists Churchil Naudé and Curtley Jones plus two of the zine’s editors, Toast Coetzer and Alice Inggs.
Book launches include new works by Douglas Reid Skinner, Willem Fransman junior, Christine Coates and The Phoebe Book of Poems for Children curated by Patricia Schonstein among others. The launch of the Poetry in McGregor 2021 Anthology with readings will also be a highlight on Saturday 19 November at 15:00, at Wahnfried.
The Youth Programme at Poetry in McGregor will feature art, photography and poetry workshops the week before the festival for approximately 90 participants, Grades 1-12, from McGregor Fountain Waldorf School, McGregor Primary School, and McGregor College.
To view the full programme, visit poetryinmcgregor.co.za. Tickets can be booked via Quicket.
