Hear My Voice is proud to announce that highly acclaimed Swedish writer Athena Farrokhzad will be touring South Africa from the 27th of August 2018 to the 10th of September 2018. She will be performing, forming part of panel discussions and conducting creative writing workshops at venues in Tshwane, Johannesburg and Cape Town including participating in the Jozi Book Fair and the Open Book Festival. A majority of the events are free entry.
Athena Farrokhzad’s debut poetry collection, WHITE BLIGHT, which has been staged several times as a play and translated into English by Jennifer Hayashida, circles around the topics of language, desire and heritage within a context of revolution, war, migration and racism. The collection is being released for the first time in South Africa for a 250 copy print run by Uhlanga Press in association with Argos Books in the USA. Copies will be available for sale at all the events and venues.
Athena Farrokhzad’s South African tour forms part of the second phase of the Sweden_South Africa Poetry Exchange programme which aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, best practices and networks between Swedish and South African writers. Facilitated by Hear My Voice, the project is made possible by the Embassy of Sweden in Pretoria with additional support from the Swedish Arts Council. Programme partners include The Open book Festival, The Jozi Book Fair, African Flavour Books, The American Corner and Uhlanga Press.
Wednesday 29th August 2018
18:30 – 20:00
Private Book Launch: White Blight
Venue: Swedish Embassy Residence
Details:Poetry and Jazz, also featuring Vangi Gantsho and Busisiwe Mahlangu
Entry: By Invitation Only
Thursday 30th August 2018
14:00 – 16:00
Last Thursdays Poetry Session
Venue: The American Corner, Es’kia Mphahlele Library, Tshwane
Details: Feature performance, Conversation and Open Mic Hosted by Torstyn “Clear” Rybka
Entry: Free | RSVP at http://www.hearmyvoice.co.za/rsvp
18:30 – 20:00
Hear My Voice Dialogue Series: The Impact Of Youth Voices Through Arts And Literature
Venue: African Flavour Books, 20 Melle Street, Braamfontein
Entry: Free Entry | RSVP at http://www.hearmyvoice.co.za/rsvp
Details: Moderator: Quaz Roodt(RSA)
Panelists: Athena Farrokhzad(Sweden), Jonathan Tucker (USA), Keamogetswe Moeketsane (South Africa), Dr Raphael D’Abdon(Italy)
Saturday 1st September 2018
11:00 – 11:50
Jozi Book Fair: Poetry Workshop
Venue: Mary Fitzgerald Square, Newtown, Johannesburg | MFS Reception Tent
Entry: Free
http://www.jozibookfair.org.za/
13:15 – 14:00
Jozi Book Fair: Live Poetry Performances
Venue: Mary Fitzgerald Square, Newtown, Johannesburg | MF. Reception Tent
Details: Performances by Swedish Poets Athena Farrokhzad, Emil Boss, Jenny Wrangborg and Magnus Gustafson
Entry: Free
http://www.jozibookfair.org.za/
Sunday 2nd September 2018
11:00 -11:50
Jozi Book Fair: Discussion – Writing, struggles and the working class
Venue: Mary Fitzgerald Square, Newtown, Johannesburg | MFS Discussion 1
Panel features: Sweden (Athena Farrokhzad and Magnus Gustaffson) and South Africa (Jolyn Phillips).
Entry: Free
http://www.jozibookfair.org.za/
12:30 – 13:20
Jozi Book Fair: “White Blight” Book Launch and Reading
Venue: Mary Fitzgerald Square, Newtown, Johannesburg | MF. Reception Tent
Entry: Free
http://www.jozibookfair.org.za/
Wednesday 5th September 2018
20:00 – 21:00
Open Book Festival: Rioters in Session
Venue: Fugard Theatre, Corner of Caledon and Lower Buitenkant Street, District 6, Cape Town, 8001
Entry: R65
http://openbookfestival.co.za/
Thursday 6th September 2018
18:30 – 20:30
Open Book Festival: Grounding Sessions
Venue: Zer021, 46 Canterbury St, Zonnebloem, Cape Town, 7925
Entry: R40
http://openbookfestival.co.za/
20:00 – 21:00
Open Book Festival: Discussion – Who are You?
Venue: A4 Ground, 23 Buitenkant Street
Aminatta Forna, Athena Farrokhzad and Sue Nyathi talk about immigrants and the possibilities of transnational identities with by Jen Malec
Entry: R40
http://openbookfestival.co.za/
Saturday 8th September 2018
12:00 – 13:00
Open Book Festival: Discussion – Poetry Matters
Venue: A4 Ground
Athena Farrokhzad and Vangile Gantsho speak to Toni Stuart about the ongoing relevance of performance and writing
Entry: R45
http://openbookfestival.co.za/