Local author Themba Patrick Magaisa, popularly known as TP Magaisa, hosted a Poetry Day Celebration in collaboration with the National Library of South Africa (NLSA) at Nkanyani Primary School in Tiyani village on Thursday, 21 March. The celebration and workshop, which attracted more than 100 residents, including youths, aimed to sow seeds of knowledge about poetry among the young ones.
Among the attendees was Mr Marcus Maphile, the director of public engagement at NLSA, along with many other local poets. The main objectives of the day aimed to support linguistic diversity through poetic expression and to offer endangered languages the opportunity to be heard within their communities. The day was also intended to encourage a return to the oral tradition of poetry recitals. Poetry Day, an occasion celebrated worldwide, has found a special place in Tiyani, aiming to educate and inspire budding minds through the power of words.
Young poet Ms Nsuku Hlungwani described it as a journey of discovery, a voyage into the boundless realms of creativity and expression. “We learned how to get our books published on our own and how to submit a book to the national library. We gained so much knowledge on how to write good poems. So, that is going to also assist me in helping other upcoming poets like us,” she said.
Another local writer, Mr. Joseph Ngobeni, mentioned that the workshop had assisted them on their journey. “We gained more knowledge to write more. I learned that writing in our own languages will preserve [the] Xitsonga culture and other home languages such as Tshivenda,” he said.
