There is a great range of poets performing at various venues at this year’s event: Koos Kombuis, Ashley Dowds, Hugh Hodge, John Maytham, Nic de Jager, Kobus Moolman, Lungiswa Nyatyowa, Lerato Sibanda, Philip de Vos, Diana Ferrus, Daniel Hugo, Lara Kirsten, Fanie Olivier, Koos van der Merwe, Mavis Vermaak, Wendy Woodward and many more. A Complete list of all the performing poets can be found here.
Billy Kennedy, Chairman of the Poetry in MGregor committee, believes that poetry plays an important part in our lives: “Someone once wrote that much of the violence and psychological illness and unease in our society is probably due to poetry deprivation. Bigotry and prejudice and fundamentalism contract the mind, and our world is full of it. Poetry expands the mind. It limbers up the imagination. It does to the mind what yoga does for the body. Poetry can challenge us, uplift us, reshape us and recreate us. Like no other force it can give us a deeper awareness of one another and our interconnectedness.”’
Kennedy says that it was an easy task to name this year’s poetry weekend: Rooted in Heart: “So much of what we have achieved as a committee, with the invaluable support of those poets who have supported us from the onset of our initiative, has been born of heart. We now have NPO status and all our funds are directed to nurturing and growing poetry and supporting various community projects in the village of McGregor. Poetry in McGregor welcomes not only acclaimed, published poets but young, undiscovered talent.”
As part of the Poetry in McGregor Weekend, the MAC project will also be hosting the Schools’ Festival on the morning of Friday 25 August. Over 800 pupils from schools in the village and surrounding areas will be attending the event. Cape Town based artist Ha Man! together with his partner, Joke Debaere, will be presenting music, songs, drama and poetry. The Afrikaans group Ruk!, two dynamic young performers from Cape Town, will also be performing for the children at this exciting event.
For those poets who would like to participate spontaneously a number of open mic sessions will also be taking place during the “Poetry in McGregor” weekend. These sessions are hosted by Hugh Hodge and no tickets or booking are required. Anyone wishing to read or recite their poetry is welcome – from the well-known to budding, new poets.
Poetry Competition: Last year we were delighted to receive hundreds of entries from across the nation. We invite you again to take up your pens. Enrage us, challenge us, uplift us, inspire us. We call all unpublished poets to enter the Poetry in McGregor competition: The theme this year is: Poetry against Poverty. Your entry must reflect this theme. There are two categories:
Adult open category: prize money for winner: R5,000. School category (open to students grade 7 to 12) – Prize: a brand-new iPad. Entries to be mailed to moc.liamg@steopgcm before 30 July 2017. Please click here for competition details, terms and conditions.
Tickets are available from Computicket from mid July 2017. Please click here for more information.
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