Koleka Putuma has been named the 2026 Featured Poet for Poetry Africa. Image: Supplied.
Cape Town
Koleka Putuma named Poetry Africa’s featured poet for 2026
Award-winning poet Koleka Putuma has been named Poetry Africa’s 2026 Featured Poet as the Durban festival prepares to celebrate its 30th edition with poets from around the world.
Koleka Putuma has been named the 2026 Featured Poet for Poetry Africa, as the annual Durban festival prepares to mark its 30th edition.
The festival, organised by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, will take place at the Durban Playhouse Theatre from 5 to 10 October 2026 under the theme Every Word a Street, Every Voice a City.
Putuma, a Cape Town-based cultural worker, is known for work that crosses poetry, performance, theatre and visual art. Her writing often looks at identity, history, religion, the body and questions of belonging.
She has published three poetry collections, a children's book and several plays. Her children's book, Everybody Has a Fear, was published in the UK in 2025 and has since been translated into Korean, Spanish and German.
Her latest poetry collection for teenagers and young adults, We Have Everything We Need To Start Again, was published in 2024.
Putuma is also the founder and director of Manyano Media, a creative company that works with stories by Black queer and non-binary artists.
Poetry Africa's director, Ismail Mahomed, said Putuma's work reflects the festival's focus on using poetry to speak about freedom and truth.
The 30th edition will also bring a major international poetry competition to Durban, with the 5th World Slam Poetry Championships expected to feature 40 slam poets representing 40 countries.
The festival programme will include the Poetry Africa National Slam Jam, the World Poetry Slam Championship and the Chalkboard Slam for high school learners.
Poets from Africa, Europe, the Americas, Asia and Oceania will take part, with themes ranging from protest and identity to memory, joy and everyday life.
A draw to determine the quarter-final match-ups for the World Slam Poetry Championship will take place on 8 September and will be streamed on the Poetry Africa Facebook page.
The full festival programme and list of participating poets will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets are scheduled to go on sale through Webtickets from 7 September 2026.
