Celebrating legends in the African Literary World

Date: 28 May 2019

Venue: Soweto Theatre, Johannesburg

Time: 6-10pm

Nature of Event: Africa Month Lecture. Readings and musical items by poets and young musicians.

Lecture to be delivered by Linton Kwesi Johnson: “Celebrating Legends in the African literary world.”

This particular lecture and colloquium with Frank Meintjies in the Chair places a special focus on the work and life contributions of living literary legends, James Matthews, Don Mattera, and Sindiwe Magona.

Don Mattera, born in 1935, who similarly in the early 1970s, became involved in the Black Consciousness movement, helped form the Union of Black Journalists and became known for his poetry and especially his autobiography, “Memory is a Weapon”.

Sindiwe Magona, born in 1943, is one of many internationally prominent South African writers whose work is informed by her experience of impoverishment, femininity, resistance to subjugation and being a domestic worker. She traversed South Africa’s racially defined socio-cultural-economic spaces while simultaneously being a mother, wife and community leader in a township.

James Matthews: James Matthews, poet, writer and publisher, has produced five books of poetry, a collection of short stories, a novel and an anthology of poetry, which he edited. Most of his work was banned under the previous government and was translated and published overseas. For 13 years he was denied a passport and was placed in detention from September to December 1976. He founded the publishing house called “BLAC” through which he has published a number of authors.

This colloquium is done in partnership with the Joburg Theatre and the City of Johannesburg.

African Solidarity for Africa’s People

Date: 31 May 2019

Venue: Gauteng

Time: 12 noon to 4pm

Nature of Event: Panel Discussion, Debate and Musical Interlude

This session focuses on the imaging of Africa and forging intra-African solidarity for Africa’s people. Authors from Mozambique, Zimbabwe in addition to South Africa will form part of a discussion panel to look at African solidarity in the midst of disasters and upheaval and stress the importance of African unity in bulding the economy, society and culture of the continent as a whole. Media will be present to be part of this discussion. Readings and music will be part of the presentation.

Prof Jen Snowball from Rhodes University and the South African Cultural Observatory will present a research paper on “South Africa’s cultural goods trade with Africa: policies and trade potentials in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement.”

Speakers from Zimbabwe and Mozambique, Adv Sipho Mantula, and Prof Sipho Seepe will be part of a panel chaired by a representative of SA media.

This panel is conducted in partnership with SOECA (State-Owned Entities Communicators Association). SOECA is an association that advocates for the development of communicators and the promotion of professional interaction with the media fraternity.

For Interview requests, access to high res pics contact JT Comms on 011 788 7632 or media@jtcomms.co.za