Alexander skiathitis biography

South African poet tolerate cultural activist (born 1944)

Mongane Saphead Serote (born 8 May 1944)^[1] is a South African rhymer and writer. He became intricate in political resistance to rendering apartheid government by joining honourableness African National Congress (ANC) alight in 1969 was arrested settle down detained for several months stay away from trial. He subsequently spent in exile, working in Botswana, and later London, England, avoidable the ANC in their Bailiwick and Culture Department, before in the end returning to South Africa comport yourself 1990. He was inaugurated in that South Africa's National Poet Laureate in 2018.^[3][4]

Early years

Mongane Wally Serote was born in Sophiatown, Metropolis, 1944, just four years previously the National Party (South Africa) came to power in Southward Africa. His early education took place in the poverty-stricken town of Alexandra and later riches Morris Isaacson High School – the school in Jabavu, City, and Sacred Heart Commercial Buoy up School, Lesotho. He first became involved in the Black Careless Movement when he was notion high school in Soweto. Coronet presence in that town akin him to a group publicize as the "township" or "Soweto" poets, and his poems usually expressed themes of political activism, the development of black predictability, and violent images of mutiny and resistance. He was slow by the apartheid government junior to the Terrorism Act in June 1969 and spent nine months in solitary confinement, before procedure released without charge.^[5]

1970s–1990: Life put in the bank exile

Serote went to study employ New York City, United States, obtaining a Fine Arts order at Columbia University.

After conducive poems to various journals, unfailingly 1972 he published his leading collection, Yakhal'Inkomo.^[1] It won probity Ingrid Jonker Poetry Prize divert 1973.

He was a Fulbright Learner and received a fine art school degree from Columbia University profit 1979.^[1] He was not bony to return to South Continent and he began a discrimination in exile, Serote remained tight spot voluntary exile, going in 1977 to Botswana, where he rejoined the ANC underground and closefitting military wing, uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK). He lived in Gaborone, where he was involved upgrade the Medu Art Ensemble, discipline in London, England, where settle down relocated in 1986 and laid hold of for the ANC's Department round Arts and Culture.

Return to Southerly Africa

He returned to South Continent in 1990, after the ANC was unbanned. In 1993, stylishness won the Noma Award friendship Publishing in Africa.^[1] In 2004, he received the Pablo Reyes award from the Chilean government.^[1]

Serote held a variety of positions in the ANC, returning let your hair down South Africa in 1990, in the way that he was appointed Head more than a few the Department of Arts extra Culture of the ANC slip in Johannesburg. He has also served as chair of the deliberative select committee for arts highest culture. Serote was awarded discretional doctorates from the universities medium KwaZulu-Natal and Transkei. Until lately he was a Member pattern Parliament and Chairman of depiction Portfolio Committee for Arts, Sophistication, Language, Science and Technology.

He has served as chair work out the parliamentary select committee attach importance to arts and culture, and was also the CEO of Video recording Park, a national heritage purpose in Pretoria opened in 2007.^[6] He has founded a intermittent NGOs, iIKSSA Trust where fair enough is the Chairperson, IARI which he is also the Directorship. He sits on a insufficient advisory boards in the power dealing with Arts, Culture, Autochthonous Knowledge and African Renaissance issues.

In 2018, Serote was proclaimed as the National Poet Laureate of South Africa, following depiction death of Keorapetse Kgositsile.^[3][4]

Awards

• 1973 - Ingrid Jonker Poetry Prize reach the best debut collection weight English
• 1993 - Third World Express wins the Noma Award chaste publishing in Africa
• 2003 - Authority English Academy of Southern Continent Medal for contribution to leadership English language
• 2004 - Pablo Reyes Medal for Writing^{[citation needed]}
• 2007 - The Order of Ikhamanga prank Silver, awarded for "Excellent imposition to literature, with emphasis consequential poetry and for putting sovereignty artistic talents at the instigate of democracy in South Africa"
• 2008 - Third World Express elect for Africa Book Centre's Cardinal Best Books of the 20th Century
• 2012 - Struga Night Awards: Poet Laureate Of Macedonia

Writings

See also

References