Versindaba Blog Archive Interview: Antjie Krog
Antjie Krog is a poet, journalist and Honorary Professor at the University of the Western Cape. There are eleven African books of poetry and two volumes published children's verses. Her two works of non-fiction, Country al jazeera sport schedule english of My Skull (1998) and A change of tongue (2003), published in English.
For her poetry Krog including the following prizes: Eugene Marais Prize (1973); the Rapport Prize (1987); the Hertzog Prize (1990); FNB Award (2000) and RAU Prize (2000). For her translation of poems in the indigenous languages, with words like with candles (2002), received Krog in 2003 and the Award for Outstanding Translation of Poetry as the Award for Best Translation of the South African Translators' Institute (SATI) in 2003.
Antjie, you were recently selected as poet for the Flemish-Dutch Gedichtendagbundel 2009 appeared on 29 Jan uarie this year. This is obviously a great honor for a South African poet and a pat on the back for your own poetry. Tell us something more about this?
One is simply amazed by the effective enthusiasm of Netherlands towards their literature and especially poetry. Every year 29 Jan uarie as celebrated Gedigtedag. al jazeera sport schedule english Poetry International is the driving force behind it, but the whole country participated at various levels. There is a major literary prize for best anthology. A few months before the time the shortlist announced and then is given great attention to these books and poets. The idea is that each store will have a poster with a poem on every newspaper, a poem, radio and television - even the news - focus on poetry and poets. "Poet of the day" I had to specially write ten poems printed in a standard thin booklet and sold for two euros each till. Everywhere I saw in stores where people buy it for themselves and each other. al jazeera sport schedule english Parliament had also open that day with one of my poems. Fifteen thousand copies were sold. For the gedigtedag I had several al jazeera sport schedule english television and radio interviews and lectures. Very early in the morning I had started in Utrecht at the station where a few poets to read. There was a small platform, al jazeera sport schedule english but we poems were entered on huge banners hanging from the roof. As the people running back and forth over, they stood still for a minute or so and listen. Every fourth year the Dichter des chosen Vaderlands and this year, the youth decided to make for themselves a campaign. It was then extensively presented, new well-written letters to newspapers shipping, profiles built, bekgevegte held in the sense of a little pointing out where others fall short. It made a record number of people voted for the poet by phone or on the internet. The evening before gedigtedag there a huge event held the pryswennende poet announced the shortlist, and finally announced their new country poet. It was namely Ramsy Nasr, whose father is Palestinian and mother a Dutchman. His entire Palestinian family was there and Ramsy's mother had her hands several times thrown al jazeera sport schedule english in the air so Ramsy behind me had to say: "At last my mother al jazeera sport schedule english her like a real Palestinian woman wore." al jazeera sport schedule english All the would-be homeland poets had a write poem in which the land surveyed, and I must say, Ramsy's been incredible: bold and bright. He is currently living in Antwerp where he became the city poet. And that's another al jazeera sport schedule english thing: cities, each a city closer to three years. That poet must act regularly, literary events rule, invent projects that promote poetry and writing about events in the city. When poor people have been displaced in Antwerp, Ramsy a piece written al jazeera sport schedule english about it. The newspapers to my bewilderment immense place to such a thing. What I find more interesting is that there is always said that a poet only in a social and political function, in "real literature" is it art art. Now it seems that the Dutch to their poets allocate an extremely important function in terms of social involvement. For we have not even come to the role of the Poet des Vaderlands ...
Wow, Antjie. One is about stunned at hearings of so many activities and initiatives ... This is of course what is possible when you are in a monolingual culture found in the state that such projects actively support. In South Africa, with its multi-lingual society, something like this unfortunately is not possible. Individuals (and interested institutions) but themselves al jazeera sport schedule english to storm the poetry wagon through the drift. With this as a starting point - you could have any projects and / or initiatives that make you feel might be applied successfully to our? More readings, perhaps? Media coverage?
Down
Antjie Krog is a poet, journalist and Honorary Professor at the University of the Western Cape. There are eleven African books of poetry and two volumes published children's verses. Her two works of non-fiction, Country al jazeera sport schedule english of My Skull (1998) and A change of tongue (2003), published in English.
For her poetry Krog including the following prizes: Eugene Marais Prize (1973); the Rapport Prize (1987); the Hertzog Prize (1990); FNB Award (2000) and RAU Prize (2000). For her translation of poems in the indigenous languages, with words like with candles (2002), received Krog in 2003 and the Award for Outstanding Translation of Poetry as the Award for Best Translation of the South African Translators' Institute (SATI) in 2003.
Antjie, you were recently selected as poet for the Flemish-Dutch Gedichtendagbundel 2009 appeared on 29 Jan uarie this year. This is obviously a great honor for a South African poet and a pat on the back for your own poetry. Tell us something more about this?
One is simply amazed by the effective enthusiasm of Netherlands towards their literature and especially poetry. Every year 29 Jan uarie as celebrated Gedigtedag. al jazeera sport schedule english Poetry International is the driving force behind it, but the whole country participated at various levels. There is a major literary prize for best anthology. A few months before the time the shortlist announced and then is given great attention to these books and poets. The idea is that each store will have a poster with a poem on every newspaper, a poem, radio and television - even the news - focus on poetry and poets. "Poet of the day" I had to specially write ten poems printed in a standard thin booklet and sold for two euros each till. Everywhere I saw in stores where people buy it for themselves and each other. al jazeera sport schedule english Parliament had also open that day with one of my poems. Fifteen thousand copies were sold. For the gedigtedag I had several al jazeera sport schedule english television and radio interviews and lectures. Very early in the morning I had started in Utrecht at the station where a few poets to read. There was a small platform, al jazeera sport schedule english but we poems were entered on huge banners hanging from the roof. As the people running back and forth over, they stood still for a minute or so and listen. Every fourth year the Dichter des chosen Vaderlands and this year, the youth decided to make for themselves a campaign. It was then extensively presented, new well-written letters to newspapers shipping, profiles built, bekgevegte held in the sense of a little pointing out where others fall short. It made a record number of people voted for the poet by phone or on the internet. The evening before gedigtedag there a huge event held the pryswennende poet announced the shortlist, and finally announced their new country poet. It was namely Ramsy Nasr, whose father is Palestinian and mother a Dutchman. His entire Palestinian family was there and Ramsy's mother had her hands several times thrown al jazeera sport schedule english in the air so Ramsy behind me had to say: "At last my mother al jazeera sport schedule english her like a real Palestinian woman wore." al jazeera sport schedule english All the would-be homeland poets had a write poem in which the land surveyed, and I must say, Ramsy's been incredible: bold and bright. He is currently living in Antwerp where he became the city poet. And that's another al jazeera sport schedule english thing: cities, each a city closer to three years. That poet must act regularly, literary events rule, invent projects that promote poetry and writing about events in the city. When poor people have been displaced in Antwerp, Ramsy a piece written al jazeera sport schedule english about it. The newspapers to my bewilderment immense place to such a thing. What I find more interesting is that there is always said that a poet only in a social and political function, in "real literature" is it art art. Now it seems that the Dutch to their poets allocate an extremely important function in terms of social involvement. For we have not even come to the role of the Poet des Vaderlands ...
Wow, Antjie. One is about stunned at hearings of so many activities and initiatives ... This is of course what is possible when you are in a monolingual culture found in the state that such projects actively support. In South Africa, with its multi-lingual society, something like this unfortunately is not possible. Individuals (and interested institutions) but themselves al jazeera sport schedule english to storm the poetry wagon through the drift. With this as a starting point - you could have any projects and / or initiatives that make you feel might be applied successfully to our? More readings, perhaps? Media coverage?
Down