Latest news with #AVBOBPoetryCompetition
The South African
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The South African
The AVBOB Poetry Competition opens for a ninth year
The AVBOB Poetry Competition will return for its ninth year on 1 August 2025. The competition encourages South Africans, young and old, to put pen to paper and share words of love, hope, and healing. This year's theme is 'I wish I'd said…'. Poets may enter up to 10 poems. They can also choose from any of the nation's 11 official written languages. Entries are open until 30 November. Carl van der Riet, AVBOB CEO, expresses the competition's mission simply. 'We want to give every South African a chance to find and share their best words. Each poem adds to an ongoing conversation, drawing us closer to understanding ourselves and each other.' He adds, 'Poetry helps us when we are lost for words. At those moments, it offers images and gestures to steady us.' This year, the stakes are high. The first-place winner in each language will receive a total of R 12,500. This includes R 10,000 in cash, a R 2,500 book voucher, and the coveted AVBOB Poetry Trophy. Poets whose work is published in the AVBOB Poetry Library will also receive a R300 publication fee. Competition guidelines are straightforward. Submit your poems through the online dashboard at A panel of judges will select the strongest entries in each language. The top three poems per language will be featured in the annual printed anthology. All shortlisted poems will be translated into English. 'Translation brings voices together – it encourages understanding and fellow-feeling among South Africans,' says a member of the organising team. New and aspiring poets can take advantage of the AVBOB Poetry website's free resources. Expert advice, guidance from editors, and stories about past winners can help entrants polish their submissions. Judges share tips and pointers, and the social media channels provide updates about free online workshops. These workshops, running throughout the submission period and beyond, are a platform for learning and growth. 'It's wonderful to see participants coming with their own stories and leaving with new skills and inspiration,' says a workshop facilitator. The AVBOB Poetry Competition has become a staple in the country's cultural calendar. It stands as a testament to the healing and unifying force of poetry. Carl van der Riet sums up its impact, saying, 'Every year the generosity of entries moves us.' Entrants share themselves with honesty and courage. The competition archives poems from across South Africa and creates a living record. It is an open invitation to continue the conversation together.' Entries are open now until 30 November. All South Africans are welcome to find a voice, write, and share their words. You could be the next winner. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
How a list becomes a poem
IT'S often said that nothing could be less poetic than a list. After all, we usually make lists to organise our lives — to tame the chaos and bring a sense of order. Lists, by nature, seem logical, ordinary, and practical. Also read: Amanzimtoti model wows judges with her grace But in the hands of a skilled poet, lists can become something far more intriguing. They can reveal the strangeness that hides within the everyday. When poets turn their attention to the common objects that surround them, they often expose layers of memory, mystery, and meaning we wouldn't normally notice. South African poet and lecturer Nondwe Mpuma has a remarkable gift for doing just that. A passionate supporter of poetry communities in Cape Town and a lecturer at the University of the Western Cape, Mpuma made her debut with the poetry collection Peach Country (uHlanga, 2022), which has been praised for its deep sense of wonder and attentiveness to existence. Recently, she shared a list poem from this collection that exemplifies how poetic and profound lists can become. The poem, titled Definition, initially seems to promise clarity — definitions that make things familiar. But instead, Mpuma offers meanings that are surprising, personal, and playful. Definition The paved road, a path to a Wendy house accustomed to the beating of a pipe. A chair, a stump of an old tree in a kitchen. A Jewel, a stove that will outlive us all. The beach, a holiday I could never reach. Sand, carried with beach-dog oil to keep the ancestors at bay. A gravel road, the intimacy of a plank in the back of a van. Smoke, my grandfather's red Peter Stuyvesant. Refinery, I could smoke you like you smoke me and together we would incinerate the world. The annual AVBOB Poetry Competition opens for submissions on August 1. Visit today and familiarise yourself with the competition rules. For more South Coast Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox. Do you have more information pertaining to this story? Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
