The McGregor Poetry Festival is celebrating ten years this year under the theme ‘Touching the Wild’.
Pictured: One of the venues at the McGregor Poetry Festival, Caritas at Temenos.
Founder Billy Kennedy says, “Now in its tenth year, we reflect on the incredible journey we’ve made so far, fueled by the passion and generosity of the many poets who have supported our vision. Once again, the festival will be held at McGregor’s Temenos Retreat and will celebrate poets, musicians and their creative gifts.
This year’s festival has a total of 65 events, including 43 poetry reading events, three open mic sessions, 11 book launch events, three workshops, three music and movement performances and two youth engagements.
He joins a long list of poets including 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 Di Mengelmus Digters). This year’s programs.
There is also a special event with John Maytham, who will read from a script by Finwala Dowling inspired by ‘Touch of the Wild’. Exciting new voices Nondwe Mpuma, Lisa Julie and Jadrick Pedro will be at the festival.
The festival will feature poetry in English and Afrikaans from the underground literary zine Cleantji. Regular Ones Cleanji zine contributors Cindywe Busuku and Tom Dreyer will be joined by renowned spoken word artists Churchill Naude and Kurtley Jones and two of our zine editors, Tost Kotzer and Alice Ings.
Book launch features new works by Douglas Reid Skinner, Willem Fransman Jr., Christine Coates, and Phoebe’s book of poetry for children Collected by Patricia Schonstein among others. The launch of McGregor’s 2021 anthology Poetry with Readings will also be a highlight at Wahfried on November 19 at 3pm.
A week before the festival, the McGregor Poetry Youth Program offers art, photography and poetry workshops to approximately 90 participants in grades 1-12 from McGregor Fountain Waldorf School, McGregor Elementary School and McGregor College.
The poetry in MacGregor encourages poets young and old to keep writing. Entries for the annual festival poetry competition are now closed. The poems will be evaluated by external renowned poets, and their decision will be final. Finalists will be published here and the award winners will be announced at the festival’s opening event on November 18. There are great cash prizes for winners in the youth and adult categories.
Tickets can be booked here.
