ISBN | 9780994708120 |
Pages | 186 |
Dimensions | 210 x 148 mm |
Illustrations | B/W Illustrations |
Published | 2018 |
Publisher | Botsotso Publishing , South Africa |
Format | Paperback |
Botsotso 18: Poetry
edited by Allan Kolski Horwitz
The Botsotso literary journal started in 1996 as a monthly 4 page insert in the New Nation, an independent anti-apartheid South African weekly and reached over 80,000 people at a time – largely politisized black workers and youth – with a selection of poems, short stories and short essays that reflected the deep changes taking place in the country at that time. Since the closure of the New Nation in 1999, the journal has evolved into a stand-alone compilation featuring the same mix of genres, and with the addition of photo essays and reviews. The Botsotso editorial policy remains committed to creating a mix of voices which highlight the diverse spectrum of South African identities and languages, particularly those that are dedicated to radical expression and examinations of South Africa's complex society.
With over seventy poets represented, this is a bumper edition of the journal and given the number of interesting and accomplished poems received (over the past two years since publication of Botsotso 17), we believed it worthwhile to break from tradition and dedicate this edition wholly to poetry.
About the Editor
ALLAN KOLSKI HORWITZ was born in 1952 in Vryburg, South Africa but grew up in Cape Town. Between 1974 and 1985 he lived in the Middle East, Europe and North America, returning to live in Johannesburg in 1986. Since then he has worked as an organiser and educator in the trade union and social housing movements. He is a writer in various genres as well as being a songwriter and singer. Since leaving full-time employment in the trade unions in 2009, he continues on an ad hoc with his work as an educator and activist. He is a member of the Botsotso Jesters poetry performance group and of the Botsotso Publishing editorial board.