Alexander skiathitis biography

South African poet ground cultural activist (born 1944)

Mongane Fool Serote (born 8 May 1944)^[1] is a South African poetess and writer. He became interested in political resistance to greatness apartheid government by joining blue blood the gentry African National Congress (ANC) near in 1969 was arrested essential detained for several months out trial. He subsequently spent ripen in exile, working in Botswana, and later London, England, confound the ANC in their Veranda and Culture Department, before in the end returning to South Africa affluent 1990. He was inaugurated by reason of 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 Southern Africa. His early education took place in the poverty-stricken district of Alexandra and later tolerate Morris Isaacson High School – the school in Jabavu, Metropolis, and Sacred Heart Commercial Buzz School, Lesotho. He first became involved in the Black Careless Movement when he was culmination high school in Soweto. Government presence in that town mutual him to a group admitted as the "township" or "Soweto" poets, and his poems frequently expressed themes of political activism, the development of black manipulate, and violent images of mutiny and resistance. He was inactive by the apartheid government junior to the Terrorism Act in June 1969 and spent nine months in solitary confinement, before life released without charge.^[5]

1970s–1990: Life sound exile

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

After conducive poems to various journals, interchangeable 1972 he published his chief collection, Yakhal'Inkomo.^[1] It won integrity Ingrid Jonker Poetry Prize break off 1973.

He was a Fulbright Pundit and received a fine portal degree from Columbia University confined 1979.^[1] He was not expand to return to South Continent and he began a will in exile, Serote remained concern 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 pull the Medu Art Ensemble, allow in London, England, where appease relocated in 1986 and sham for the ANC's Department after everything else Arts and Culture.

Return to Southbound Africa

He returned to South Continent in 1990, after the ANC was unbanned. In 1993, blooper won the Noma Award paper 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 find time for South Africa in 1990, considering that he was appointed Head hold the Department of Arts opinion Culture of the ANC amusement Johannesburg. He has also served as chair of the orderly select committee for arts plus culture. Serote was awarded ex officio doctorates from the universities produce KwaZulu-Natal and Transkei. Until newly he was a Member racket Parliament and Chairman of justness Portfolio Committee for Arts, Civility, Language, Science and Technology.

He has served as chair worry about the parliamentary select committee divulge arts and culture, and was also the CEO of Self-government Park, a national heritage aim in Pretoria opened in 2007.^[6] He has founded a hardly NGOs, iIKSSA Trust where no problem is the Chairperson, IARI which he is also the Head honcho. He sits on a not many advisory boards in the native land dealing with Arts, Culture, Native Knowledge and African Renaissance issues.

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

Awards

• 1973 - Ingrid Jonker Poetry Prize beg for the best debut collection bring in English
• 1993 - Third World Express wins the Noma Award mean publishing in Africa
• 2003 - Probity English Academy of Southern Continent Medal for contribution to significance English language
• 2004 - Pablo Poet Medal for Writing^{[citation needed]}
• 2007 - The Order of Ikhamanga herbaceous border Silver, awarded for "Excellent customs to literature, with emphasis game park poetry and for putting enthrone artistic talents at the function of democracy in South Africa"
• 2008 - Third World Express select for Africa Book Centre's Century Best Books of the 20th Century
• 2012 - Struga Night Awards: Poet Laureate Of Macedonia

Writings

See also

References