Deadline: November 1, 2020
The spoken word in Africa has evolved over time and continues to serve many purposes. Tinzwe Media launched Inside Wants Out to provide a creative outlet and opportunity for writers and poets while trying to recreate themselves and conquer the daily challenges of the pandemic.
African writers and poets from around the continent are encouraged to submit original poems in their mother tongue expressing their experiences and emotions related to living in and through the COVID-19 global pandemic. The top 12 poets, from across the African continent (West, East, North and Southern Africa), will be chosen to feature on the website and be published within the podcast series.
The Poem Brief:
Craft a single original poem in your mother tongue of 400 words or less (only one poem permitted per poet). The poem should be about experiences relating to living in Africa during the pandemic. Writers can explore topics about the lockdown, being at home 24/7, global pain, love, marriage or hope to name a few.
As the African proverb goes, “If you want people to understand you, speak their language,” and it is in this spirit that Inside Wants Out aims to celebrate the continent’s creativity and indigenous languages by highlighting the Covid-19 experience through the spoken word. Indigenous languages on the continent are used to interpret worldly phenomena, impart knowledge, praise spiritual beings, relay and teach cultural values and provide guidance on living.
The poem should be accompanied by an English translation. Applicants must also send three accompanying voice clips:
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- Voice clip #1: The writer records themselves reading the entire poem in their mother-tongue.
- Voice clip #2: The writer records themselves reading the English translation of the poem.
- Voice clip #3: The writer describes who they are and the inspiration behind the poem. They can include aspects such as where they were when they wrote the poem. They are also encouraged to explain any particular words or phrases used within the poem.
Submissions must be e-mailed to: poetry@tinzwemedia.com. Visit Inside Wants Out for further details.