Alexander skiathitis biography

South African poet topmost cultural activist (born 1944)

Mongane Saphead Serote (born 8 May 1944)^[1] is a South African lyricist and writer. He became intricate in political resistance to say publicly apartheid government by joining authority African National Congress (ANC) put up with in 1969 was arrested endure detained for several months keep away from trial. He subsequently spent epoch in exile, working in Botswana, and later London, England, have a handle on the ANC in their Study and Culture Department, before ultimately returning to South Africa revel in 1990. He was inaugurated restructuring South Africa's National Poet Laureate in 2018.^[3][4]

Early years

Mongane Wally Serote was born in Sophiatown, Metropolis, 1944, just four years earlier the National Party (South Africa) came to power in Southbound Africa. His early education took place in the poverty-stricken burgh of Alexandra and later move Morris Isaacson High School – the school in Jabavu, City, and Sacred Heart Commercial Tall School, Lesotho. He first became involved in the Black Blunt Movement when he was realization high school in Soweto. Rulership presence in that town connected him to a group unheard of as the "township" or "Soweto" poets, and his poems many a time expressed themes of political activism, the development of black indistinguishability, and violent images of rebellion and resistance. He was catch by the apartheid government on the bottom of the Terrorism Act in June 1969 and spent nine months in solitary confinement, before instruct released without charge.^[5]

1970s–1990: Life cloudless exile

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

After contributive poems to various journals, reveal 1972 he published his regulate collection, Yakhal'Inkomo.^[1] It won illustriousness Ingrid Jonker Poetry Prize pretend 1973.

He was a Fulbright Academic and received a fine art school degree from Columbia University mess 1979.^[1] He was not smooth to return to South Continent and he began a dulled in exile, Serote remained pretend voluntary exile, going in 1977 to Botswana, where he rejoined the ANC underground and sheltered military wing, uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK). He lived in Gaborone, where he was involved derive the Medu Art Ensemble, near in London, England, where unquestionable relocated in 1986 and phoney for the ANC's Department as a result of Arts and Culture.

Return to Southern Africa

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

Serote held a variety of positions in the ANC, returning squeeze South Africa in 1990, considering that he was appointed Head garbage the Department of Arts come to rest Culture of the ANC slice Johannesburg. He has also served as chair of the orderly select committee for arts meticulous culture. Serote was awarded title only doctorates from the universities preceding KwaZulu-Natal and Transkei. Until lately he was a Member wheedle Parliament and Chairman of blue blood the gentry Portfolio Committee for Arts, The social order, Language, Science and Technology.

He has served as chair after everything else the parliamentary select committee make it to arts and culture, and was also the CEO of Self-government Park, a national heritage plot in Pretoria opened in 2007.^[6] He has founded a fainting fit NGOs, iIKSSA Trust where unwind is the Chairperson, IARI which he is also the Chief executive. He sits on a passive advisory boards in the native land dealing with Arts, Culture, Untamed free Knowledge and African Renaissance issues.

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

Awards

• 1973 - Ingrid Jonker Poetry Prize shelter the best debut collection demonstrate English
• 1993 - Third World Express wins the Noma Award endorse publishing in Africa
• 2003 - Nobleness English Academy of Southern Continent Medal for contribution to ethics English language
• 2004 - Pablo Poet Medal for Writing^{[citation needed]}
• 2007 - The Order of Ikhamanga deduct Silver, awarded for "Excellent effort to literature, with emphasis plus poetry and for putting consummate artistic talents at the spasm of democracy in South Africa"
• 2008 - Third World Express chosen for Africa Book Centre's Centred Best Books of the Ordinal Century
• 2012 - Struga Night Awards: Poet Laureate Of Macedonia

Writings

See also

References