POET, Irene Aarons, who writes under the pseudonym Irene Emanuel, has earned herself the fascinating title of Rappin’ Gran after writing some of her poems in a rap style to highlight issues experienced by South African youth in a way that they can relate to.
In 2009, representing the Live Poets Society, at Poetry Africa at the old Wheel arena in Durban, Irene floored the younger poets with her rap style poetry.
“Poetry allows me to get my message across with rhythmic speed and clarity. It has brought me into contact with many special people and in the process I have learnt that poetry breaks down social barriers of class and language. I feel privileged to have a gift of such magnitude, one that I love to share with anyone who wants to listen.”
Problems that affect humanity, such as human trafficking, abuse against women and children, the migration crisis, the Haiti earthquake and issues that move her or affect her, are just some of the many topics that Irene writes about in her poems that she estimates must be close to 500 in number and range in styles.
Her poem about the Soweto Uprising was written after she heard about it, and she put herself in the shoes of those who were involved.
I thought, how would I feel if someone forced me to learn in a language that I didn’t want to, how would I feel? I felt a great empathy for them.
Born in 1943 in Johannesburg, Irene has always had a love for writing and poetry, starting at the age of four with rhyming poems. In Standard 6 she wrote a poem about her cat for the school magazine and later became editor of the high school magazine for three years.
Although she never gave up on her writing, Irene, who married at the age of nineteen and afterwards had three children, had to contend with working full-time while raising her children. To make matters harder, she got divorced in her 30s and had to take four jobs to survive financially.
Nine years later she remarried, and had the busy task of raising six children, including her step-children, ranging in age from seven to 15, also while still working.
She moved to Westville in 2002 after her second husband died after a long illness, through which she nursed him, and joined the Writer’s Circle and Live Poets Society where she was able to concentrate on her poetry and short stories. She writes under the pseudoym of Irene Emanuel as a tribute to her late brother, Emanuel.
Her first book of poetry, A Scorpion Sings, was published in 2005 and an updated version, A Scorpion Sings Again was published in October. The title came from her birth sign, Scorpio, and her love of singing. At the age of fifteen, she was offered the opportunity to go to America and study singing under a famous opera singer would she didn’t pursue and is something that she would later come to regret.
In March 2011, her second anthology of poetry, titled Count Catula of Shadoland and Friends, was published and features poems on animals, especially cats, which she has a great love for. There is also a poem about the family Maltese poodle, Cody, in ‘Minature Maltese Madness’.
Her third collection, A Peace of Me, was published in 2014 and covers topics that are close to her heart and mean something to her, including global issues and issues affecting South Africa. Irene was given her name, which is of Greek origin and means ‘peace’, after a Greek woman who was in the hospital bed next to her mother. The Greek lady suggested, after she had had a boy and not a girl, that Irene’s mother use the name she was going to use instead.
In 2010 and 2013 she won The Hilde Slinger Poetry Trophy and in 2012, The Fay Goldie Award for General Success in the World of Publishing. Three of her poems were also chosen to be in the Speech and Drama Association of SA’s 2011/12 syllabus.
Her poems have been published in South African and overseas journals, including the World Anthology of Journeys. In April 2012, two poems appeared in Unbreaking The Rainbow, Voices of Protest. Other poems have been published in issues of A Hudson View.
She is also thrilled to see her poetry is being appreciated in countries such as America, Canada, Ireland, India and Romania through Facebook poetry groups.
She also gives talks to schools and writers’ groups and has judged a few poetry competitions.
“I like to talk to school children about issues that may be affecting them, such as drugs, abuse and unwanted pregnancies. Often they are able to express themselves more clearly in poetry form. Poetry is such a wonderful way to get through to people.”
