Page 29 - Research & Innovation Report 2020

HUMANITIES

isiXhosa students publish

poetry anthology

In a first for the isiXhosa section of the Department of Language and Literature, a
prescribed coursework for third year students has been turned into a published anthology of
isiXhosa poems.

Associate professor in the department, Dr Linda Kwatsha, who overjoyed when I saw their work. At Nelson Mandela University,
lectures third-year students of isiXhosa poetry and creative writing, students only start studying poetry at third-year level, and for them
says that part of the module requires students to write four poems, to have produced such quality work showed that they were able to
two of which have to be recorded into the spoken word. grasp whatever I taught them,” explains Dr Kwatsha.

Dr Kwatsha says she was impressed by the maturity and the It was not difficult for her to find a publisher as she already had a
creative level with which the students of the class of 2020 wrote working relationship with Limpopo-based Seulaula Publishers, who
their poems; she was convinced that it would be an injustice to welcomed the idea and worked with the students in producing
allow the material to only end up in the’ portfolios. When she Umphanda Wolwazi, which means “barrel of knowledge”.
asked if any of them would be interested in writing for publication,
34 students put up their hands. The students came up with the title and cover of the book, which
was edited by Dr Kwatsha and Zandile Kondowe. Published in April
“So I took it upon myself to look for a publisher, because these this year, the anthology contains 82 poems, covering topics from
students have a gift of creativity when it comes to poetry. I was COVID-19, Gender Based Violence to motherhood and womanhood.

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