When narrative poetry and fashion meet
Poet and fashion stylist, Thabisile Mokwena from Mankweng, says her vivid imagination fuelled her love for narrative poetry
POLOKWANE – Poet and fashion stylist, Thabisile Mokwena from Mankweng, began writing while she was still at primary school, and says she used to love reading while growing up.
By Gr 8, her English teacher, Elias Mamabolo stimulated her love for reading, writing and of course, poetry. “He gave me a paperback copies of collection of poems, and I was hooked. I devoured that book then sought out others by African African author,” she said.
You might also want to read: WordChef cooks up a ‘poetry storm’
When Thabisile got to Pretoria in 2018, a clothing company approached her to market and advertise their clothing brands, and from there, her friends have been asking for her fashion advice non-stop. “When I was young, I’ve always had a pretty vivid imagination, and comic books with colourful images really got my attention. I used to create stories and draw my own characters, thinking that someday I’d work for big TV companies where I would write scripts for screen or theatre,” she said.
As time passed, she realised that her true passion was for narrative poetry. “Narrative poetry is a form of poetry that tells a story, often with the voices of a narrator and characters as well, and the entire story is usually written in metered verse (the rhythm of syllables in a line of verse of a poem). Narrative poems do not need rhyme, they include epics, ballads, idylls and lays,” she explained.
Thabisile now plans to sell to book stores in the next few months. “I’ve already spoken to a few book stores in Polokwane and once they heard my idea and style of writing, they have agreed to meet me. I’m extremely excited for this new venture I’m about to take,” she said.
