​​Joburg Theatre will host a virtual celebration of metrical and non-metrical poetry with over 20 artists on the bill this Friday, 9 July.

Dubbed Long Night of the Poets, the International poetry and music streaming event features 27 artists from all parts of South Africa, including poets and performers from as far afield as Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Algeria, Palestine, India and the USA.

The programme is part of the extended Africa Month colloquia, which focuses on the youth. It includes several renowned and emerging voices such as Makhafula Vilakazi from Soweto, Diana Ferrus, Michael Weeder also known as the Dean of St Georges Cathedral in Cape Town as well as Vangile Gantsho, Sibulelo Manamatela and Siya Shezi from Kwazulu Natal. Tade Ipadeola from Nigeria, Mutabaruka from Jamaica, Meena Kandasamy from India and Tony Award-winning poet and actor Beau Sia from the USA are also on the bill.

Long Night of the Poets will also include collaborations with musicians such as Kamva the string quartet, the legendary Pops Mohammed on the Kora, Siya Mthembu from The Brother Moves On ensemble and the soulful Hope Masike from Zimbabwe. Renowned Afrikaans poet, Piet Odendaal will also feature among many other poets and musicians.

“Joburg Theatre celebrates cultural identity, common heritage, shared value and ethics, including different artists from various countries and it seeks to paint the theatre rainbow as it extends Africa Month,” event organisers enthuse.

The event will be dominated by South African artists that are not new to the entertainment industry, some of whom have published their work in international publications, including Sibulelo Manamatela. Makhafula Vilakazi (SA) has published some of his poems in an anthology titled “Sections of Six”. In 2013, Vilakazi released his first album titled “I Am Not Going Back to the township,” which features Samthing Soweto, Impande Core as well as poet and radio presenter, Khanyi Magubane.

In 2018, Vilakazi performed ‘Concerning Blacks’ at Joburg Theatre to a sold-out venue and was the lead in the 2019 theatrical display, Mandela Is Dead. Last year, the poet gave a sold-out State Theatre performance for the preview of his sophomore album, Concerning Blacks.

Event organisers say due to an increase in unemployment and Covid-19 restrictions, the poetry event will be streamed online for free on Friday, 9 July from 8 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. Audiences can watch the show on the following Facebook Pages: African Women Writers Network, Joburg Theatre, Current State of Poetry and on the websites: afroarts.co.za and joburglive.tv.

All aesthetes are encouraged to save the date and join the Long Night of the Poets on any platform, be it online or physical, but the Theatre recommends online attendance to fully comply with Covid-19 safety protocols.