The festival, to take place at the Market Theatre Laboratory, is billed as the city’s premier poetry showcase, and this year, a Cape Town leg has been added to the programme, taking it to an inter-provincial level.
On 29 November, poets such as Natalia Molebatsi, Mutle Mothibe and Nova Masango will feature in the Poetry Is evening show, which will also include a musical showcase by Bongeziwe Mabandla. Doors open at 6pm.
On 30 November, after eight months of intense competition in the Word n Sound Open Mic Poetry League, five of Johannesburg’s most exciting emerging spoken word poets will battle it out for the 2013 Word n Sound Open Mic Championship title.
This year’s contenders are Mandi Poefficient Vundla, NoLife, Elysium Garcia, Mapule Mohulatsi and Lucas Pilgrim Serei.
Catherine Labiran will be the showcase poet of the day. Doors open at 12pm.
That evening, the second Poetry Is evening event will include Mbali Vilakazi, Conelius Jones, Harry Baker, and Dikson of Zimbabwe’s Shoko Festival. Doors open at 6pm.
“Labiran and Baker’s visit marks the beginning of a relationship between Word n Sound and The Roundhouse, a leading cultural organisation in the United Kingdom. Facilitated by British Council Connect ZA, the partnership aims to explore how the two organisations can learn from and support each other,” said Word n Sound’s Andrew Manyika.
The festival will take place at the Market Theatre Laboratory, Bus Factory, 3 President Street, Johannesburg.
Details: www.wordnsound.wordpress.com
