Festival Information


Festival Schedule


THURS 6 JUNE 2019

Inclusive Social Justice: Narratives of queernes with a focus on the importance of queer literature in education

Venue: Pure Cafe, University of Pretoria Hatfield Campus.
Time: 17:00 - 19:00
Entry: FREE, email nombongo.shenxane@up.ac.za to reserve your seat.

Synopsis: We ask the questions, is there as much urgency to encourage reading and writing about queer literature in our educational institutions? Do we examine its necessity in advancing everyday conversation about the LGBTIQA+ community?

Additionally we will have short reading from a new children's book called Boipelo's family Tree written by Mantedieng Mamabolo, the first edition of a series of children’s books about a little girl growing up in a home where the primary caregivers are in a same sex relationship and chronicles her challenges and victories.


SAT 8 JUNE 2019

Tshwane Speak Out Loud Season 3 Semifinals

Venue: The National Library of South Africa.
(228 Johannes Ramokhoase St, Pretoria Central, Pretoria, 0002).
Time: 09:00 - 13:00
Entry: Reserve your seat here: https://forms.gle/JrecZWTkUbrtG32d6

Synopsis: 38 contestants, cropped from 180 poets who auditioned in all 7 regions of Tshwane will compete in two elimination rounds. 10 poets will be chosen to compete at the grand finale taking place on the 15th of June 2019 at the South African State Theatre


TUES 11 JUNE 2019

Poetry Reading ft Busisiwe Mahlangu, Xabiso Vili, Emmah Mabye and Xitha Makgetha

Venue: Botaki Ba Afrika
1005 Arcadia Street, Hatfield, Pretoria.
Time: 18:00 - 20:00
Entry: Reserve your seat here: https://forms.gle/nFNj9mCnERTDQCq56

Synopsis: Previous Tshwane Speak Out Loud winners who have released poetry collections will be reading their works. Xabiso Vili (1st place winner, season 1) will read from his book Laughing In My Father’s Voice and Busisiwe Mahlangu (1st place winner, Season 2) will read from her book Surviving Loss. They will be joined by Emmah Mabye (3rd place winner, Season 2) who will read from her Anthology Clocking In and Xitha Makgeta (2nd place winner, Season1) who will read from his chapbook Bits & Pieces. The reading will be followed by a panel discussion and question and answer session.


THUR 13 JUNE 2019

Black Labone

Venue: African Beer Emporium
367A Church St, Pretoria Central, Pretoria, 0002
Time: 18:00 - till late
Entry: FREE.

Synopsis:An evening of live music and poetry


FRI 14 JUNE 2019

TSOL Poetry Seminar

Venue: The American Corner, Es'kia Mphahlele Library
347 Madiba St, Pretoria Central, Pretoria, 0002
Time: 10:00 - 16:00
Entry: Reserve your seat here: https://forms.gle/2fbbMqmXtMfu62t67

Synopsis:This is a day long poetry seminar featuring various panel discussions, dialogues and workshops. Topics covered relate to the poetry and performance art industry and include publishing, grants and funding, contracting, Performance and creative writing


Poetry Reading ft Phillippa Yaa de Villiers, Mak Manaka and Raphael d’Abdon

Venue: Botaki Ba Afrika
1005 Arcadia Street, Hatfield, Pretoria.
Time: 18:00 - 20:00
Entry: Reserve your seat here: https://forms.gle/xbHje68JyiLQidfe7

Synopsis: The event will host three internationally renowned South African poets, Phillippa Yaa de Villiers, Mak Manaka and Raphael d’Abdon, who will read from their new collections and engage in a Q&A session with the audience. Phillippa Yaa de Villiers is the 2014 Commonwealth Poet, and a lecturer in creative writing at Wits University. Her latest collection of poetry is ice-cream headache in my bone published by Modjaji (2017). Soweto born Mak Manaka is one of South Africa’s most prolific, outspoken and innovative poets. He will read from his fourth collection of poetry, Oncoming Traffic, published by Botsotso in 2018. Born in Italy and based in Pretoria, Dr Raphael d’Abdon is a widely published poet and spoken word scholar. the bitter herb, published by The Poets Printery in 2018, is his third collection of poems.

SAT 15 JUNE 2019

Tshwane Speak Out Loud Season 3 Grand Finale

Venue: The South African State Theatre (Drama)
216 Sisulu St, Pretoria Central, Pretoria, 0002
Time: 11:00 - 16:00
Entry: Reserve your seat here: https://forms.gle/k7ER1US8J1NXtfucA

Synopsis: 10 Poets, out of 180 that auditioned this season, will compete for the title of Tshwane Speak Out Loud Champion and walk away with R30 000 in cash and a trip to Sweden as part of the #SE_SA Exchange. The second and third place winners will walk away with R15 000 and R5 000 respectively. The event will also feature live music by local musicians and a guest performance by Swedish spoken word artist Linn Eriksson who partakes as part of the #SE_SA Exhange courtesy of the Embassy of Sweden in Pretoria.