Web poet's society: African poetry goes mobile
Photos: Badilisha Poetry X-change Top 10
Kwame Dawes – Kwame Dawes is a celebrated poet, writer, documentary filmmaker and founder of the African Poetry Book Fund. He describes Badilisha as "beautifully designed, user-friendly, eclectic, intelligent, generous and constantly seeking to expand its range." He points out that at present the archive is still quite South Africa heavy, in terms of content, which is to be expected with the organization based in Cape Town.
But adds: "This is changing, and I believe that more and more voices from other parts of Africa and the Diaspora will appear on the site. It is important, very, very important."
But adds: "This is changing, and I believe that more and more voices from other parts of Africa and the Diaspora will appear on the site. It is important, very, very important."
Hide Caption
1 of 8
Photos: Badilisha Poetry X-change Top 10
Jacob Sam-La Rose – Each month, the platform invites a guest poet to curate their own Top 10 list, a popular feature on the site. Here are some of the wordsmiths included in this month's list as curated by Toni Stuart.
Explaining how she put the list together, Stuart says she started by picking out poets who challenge the way she approaches her work. "I started by drawing up a list of my favorite 10 poets at the moment -- poets whose work I keep returning to over and over again, poets who I want to read more of."
One choice was Jacob Sam-La Rose, a widely-published poet and educator based in London.
Explaining how she put the list together, Stuart says she started by picking out poets who challenge the way she approaches her work. "I started by drawing up a list of my favorite 10 poets at the moment -- poets whose work I keep returning to over and over again, poets who I want to read more of."
One choice was Jacob Sam-La Rose, a widely-published poet and educator based in London.
Hide Caption
2 of 8
Photos: Badilisha Poetry X-change Top 10
D'Bi Young – D'bi Young, pictured as a Masai warrior, is one of the poets highlighted this month. She is a progressive African-Jamaican-Canadian dubpoet, monodramatist, educator and mother.
Hide Caption
3 of 8