“This collection is Mak writing at the peak of his game. His voice is unadulterated and true, it’s so beautiful.” ~ Lebo Mashile, poet.
With his third poetry collection, Flowers Of A Broken Smile, renowned poet and performer, Mak Manaka, pays a tribute to his mother, Nomsa Kupi Manaka, an award winning dancer and choreographer, who was diagnosed with cancer early this year.
“The poems in my collection attempt to sincerely and openly express the joys and pains behind the smiles of the women in my life that have raised me, loved me, shared tears with me, and taught me, how and what it means to be a man…” says the 33 year old Sowetan poet who recently received a Masters degree in creative writing from Rhodes University.
Flowers of a Broken Smile is published by the Kimberly-based publisher, The Ink Sword.
“A lot of South African publishers do not publish poetry, but we do. We publish for those that are not readers, and look for ways to ignite in them the passion for reading. Poetry is one of the literary forms that can passionately get people to read, and in Manaka’s Flowers Of A Broken Smile, there is a surge of electricity, passion and honesty that compels people who do not read, to read. This collection sees Manaka’s voice enter a stage of maturity as a writer”, says Ricky Groenewald, founder of The Ink Sword.
Manaka’s other books include If Only (self-published. 2003), In Time (Geko Publishing. 2009). He has also recorded a dub-poetry album titled Word Sound Power.
Contact The Ink Sword on their Facebook Page or via email. You can also contact Mak on Facebook.