South African poet and writer Professor Mongane Wally Serote. A young Serote. | Independent Newspapers/ Ian Landsberg.
ENOCK SHISHENGE
Professor Mongane Wally Serote was inaugurated as a South African poet laureate in 2018, following in the footsteps of other veteran poets, Keorapetse Kgositsile and Mazisi Kunene.
Serote is a jewel of poetry in South Africa. He was an anti-apartheid activist since the 1960s, espousing the miserable conditions of the oppressed through the prism of Black Consciousness.
After spells of detention and banning orders, he left South Africa in 1974 and studied at the University of Columbia where he obtained a Master of Fine Arts degree. As an ANC activist, he underwent military training in numerous countries for Umkhonto we Sizwe.
His published poetry collections and novels include Yakhal’inkomo (1972), No Baby Must Weep (1975), Tselo (1974), Behold Mama, Flowers (1978), To Every Birth Its Blood (1980), The Night Keeps Winking (1982), A tough Tale (1987), Third World Express (1992), Come and Hope With Me (1994), Freedom Lament and Song (1996), Gods of Our Time (1999), Hyenas (2001), Scatter the Ashes and Go (2002), History is the Home Address (2004), Quite Footsteps (2010), Revelations (2011), Rumours (2013), Sikhahlel’ u OR – foreword by President Mbeki (2019), Mme Ruth Mompati – foreword by President Mbeki (2023) and Listen (2024).
Serote’s literary career earned him many awards, including the Ingrid Jonker Prize in 1972, the Pablo Neruda Award, the Noma Award, the Order of Ikhamanga and the English Academy of Southern Africa Medal. Serote has been awarded honorary doctorates and professorships from the University of Natal, the University of Transkei, Unisa and the University of Johannesburg.
The 1573 International Poetry Prize and International Conference of Liquor & Poetry, which will award Serote with a prestigious award and publish his “Fire in Hands”, was established in order to promote research on the integration of liquor and poetry in China, enhance the exchange of Chinese poets and world poets in civil society and enrich the cultural life of people.
The “Fire in Hands” foreword was written by prominent South African poet Vonani Bila and the book was translated into Chinese Mandarin. In 2017, the Luzhou People’s government of Sichuan Province decided, in association with Poetry, a monthly journal operated by China Poetry Institute of China Writers Association, to launch an annual poetry festival sponsored by the liquor producer.
The prize Prof Serote is going to receive in Luzhou will be handed out by Jidi Majia, China’s top ethnic poet and politician. Majia has initiated several cultural events in China. At the age of 24 and 26, he was a recipient of two highest state poetic honours, much coveted by any would-be literary aspirant.
He has published more than 80 books and translated into more than 40 languages in China and abroad. He is a Yi community cultural icon. It is a lucrative award. Through the award, a book of the recipient is published.
Since its inception, books of award winners, such as Nuno Judice (Portugal) in 2022, Tulz Istevan (Hungary) in 2023, Oldani (Italy) in 2021, Eleen Ni Chuleenain (Ireland) in 2020 and Jean-Pierre Simeron (France) in 2019, were published.
The first winner of the 1773 International Poetry Prize was Thomas Venclova from Lithuania. Since its establishment in 2017, more than 200 foreign poets and 6 000 domestic cultural celebrities and 100 000 poetry fans and practitioners were invited to sip the 1573 spirits drop by drop and witness the award ceremonies and performances.
Professor Serote left South Africa on September 5, 2024 to receive the award. He will return on September 16, 2024. Upon his return, there are plans to host national poetry events such as writing workshops, teach-ins and readings in his honour.
Enock Shishenge is with the office of the South African Poet Laureate.
Daily News
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