Kiri Pink Nob present: TEWOP SLAM Koleka Putuma vs Zéwande Bhengu
The artistic discipline of slam poetry will take centre stage at the much-anticipated TEWOP One-On-One Slam event, taking place at the University of Johannesburg’s Arts Centre, in Auckland Park, on December 1.
The poetic fight club - brought to you by Kiri Pink Nob, in proud association with Current State of Poetry - will feature multiple spoken word champion Zéwande BK Bhengu, who squares off against award-winning poetry and theatre practitioner Koleka Putuma.
Bhengu is a son of the Eastern Cape soil who has emerged from the dust of a number of poetry slam contests. He holds the bragging rights as the current victor of the Current State of Poetry One-On-One slam. In addition, he has shown his mettle at the Drama for Life National Slam and has fiercely represented South Africa at the World Cup of Poetry in France when he took third place overall.
Bhengu is not only revered on the streets where he honed his skills, but also on international platforms. He wore his heart on his sleeve as he made South Africans proud in Spain at the 2016 Slam Madrid where he took second place. He also boasts accolades such as the Perfect Poem Award for Wordn’Sound, the Taubie Kushlik Prize and the prestigious Premier's Youth Excellence and Service Award among others. Among his other arsenal, he is well-known as a filmmaker and photographer with a keen eye for detail.
Poised to pack a punch with every verse and firmly standing in Bhengu’s way is Koleka Putuma, whose poetic lyricism is only surpassed by her masterful delivery of each and every calculated word.
Putuma took the South African literary scene by storm with her bestselling debut collection of poems entitled Collective Amnesia. Published in 2017, the significant body of work has garnered a reputation of its own, enjoying its eighth print run and being prescribed for study at tertiary level in South African universities and Sweden’s Gothenburg University. Collective Amnesia was also singled out as the Book of the Year by the City Press newspaper and one of the best books of 2017 by The Sunday Times and Quartz Africa.
The talented wordsmith is a 2018 Forbes Africa Under 30 Honoree; recipient of the 2018 Imbewu Trust Scribe Playwriting Award and was recently recognised as a Rising Star at the 2017 South African Mbokodo Awards.
In her short time in the local poetry scene, she is sure to be part of the arts’ roll of honour, having received the 2016 PEN South Africa Student Writing Prize, the 2017 CASA playwriting award and being named one of the young pioneers who took South Africa by storm in 2015 by The Sunday Times. She was also identified as a groundbreaking new voice of South African poetry by the leading online arts and culture publication, OkayAfrica.
Putuma is a master spitfire who has decimated former foes by executing her original slam poetry in the most decisive manner. She hopes to draw first blood as she takes on a formidable opponent in Bhengu, who has proven to be a pioneer in his trade.
The TEWOP One-On-One Slam event will be judged by four adjudicators, whose identities have been kept out of the public realm, while Kiri Pink Nob’s very own J.Bobs Tshabalala will be the host of the epic battle of poetic powerhouses.
CAUTION! This is not one of those wholesome safe-space Open Mic showcases. It is the furthest thing from an intimate sharing of the written text between two dedicated and well-meaning wordsmiths. It is a verbal jousting. A war of literature. A duel of poetic proportions. The battle lines have been drawn and all it needs is you.
EVENT DETAILS
Tickets: R 100.00-R 200.00
Time: 14:00pm
Venue: UJ Kingsway Campus, Arts Centre Theatre
Grand Price: R20 000.00 winner takes all
