Please join us as we celebrate the poetry of Stephen Symons, whose The Algebra of Insignificance won the 2026 Olive Schreiner Prize for Poetry: Wordsworth Books Gardens, 21 May 2026, 5.30 for 6PM.
First Tuesdays at Art Formes Gallery with Klara du Plessis
Art Formes Gallery: The Old Biscuit Mill, 375 Albert Rd, Woodstock, Cape Town, 7915
Poetry Evening next to the fireplace with Sarah Frost, Chantal Stewart and Lucienne Argent
Background photo fragment: Joël de Vriend | Unsplash
Dear Poetry Lovers,
Please join us for an evening of poetry next to the fireplace with Sarah Frost, Chantal Stewart and Lucienne Argent.
Sarah, who recently published her second collection of poetry with Karavan Press – River Fugue – is based in Durban, but she is visiting Cape Town towards the end of the month, and we are using this wonderful opportunity to spend an evening in her company. Together with Chantal Stewart, author of the award-winning novel The Veil of Maya who will be publishing her debut poetry collection with Karavan Press later this year, Let’s Be Legends, and Lucienne Argent, whose debut, Self-Portrait of a Guava, has been warming reader’s hearts since its publication in December last year, Sarah will be in conversation with Karina M. Szczurek, and all three poets will read from their collections. We will have a lovely fire, snacks and wine will be served, and books will be on sale. Not to be missed!
Limited space. Please RSVP as soon as possible to avoid disappointment: RSVP
We look forward to seeing you on the 31st!
Shari Daya and Megan Hall reading at the Red Wheelbarrow | The Commons
Megan Hall and Shari Daya will be reading to us at The Commons on Wednesday, 4 June at 19:30 SAST.
Megan Hall won the Ingrid Jonker Prize for her poetry collection Fourth Child (Modjaji Books, 2007). Published in various journals since 1995, her work has been anthologised for schools (Worldscapes, 2005) and for university students (TheNew Century of South African Poetry, 2018), amongst others. She also writes short stories. She lives and works in Cape Town.
Shari Daya is a geographer and poet from Cape Town. Her poetry and essays explore the entangled geographies of lineage, memory, place and the body, and her work has appeared in the literary journals Obsidian, Stanzas, New Contrast and the anthologies Africa! My Africa! and I Wish I’d Said… Vol. 5, from the AVBOB Poetry Project. Shari completed an MA in Creative Writing at the University of Cape Town in 2023 and her debut collection of poetry and prose Land | Lines was published by Karavan Press in 2024.
As always, the reading by the featured poet will be followed by an open mic session for poets from the audience. Poets are welcome to read from their own work as well as from the work of a favourite poet.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Date: Wednesday 4 June 2025
Time: 19:30
Venue: The Commons, Surfer’s Corner, Beach Rd, Muizenberg, Cape Town, 7970
phone: 083 799 8294
For more info, including the link to the Red Wheelbarrow complete poetry archive, visit their website. Recordings of the weekly Zoom readings are on their YouTube channel.
Sipho Banda reading at The Red Wheelbarrow
Sipho Banda will be the featured poet at The Red Wheelbarrow on Zoom on Thursday, 5 September at 19:30. His reading will be followed by an open mic. We hope you’ll join us via the Zoom link: Sipho Banda at The Red Wheelbarrow
Meeting ID: 884 0600 8769
Passcode: poetry
Sipho Banda was born in Himeville and grew up in Impendle, KwaZulu Natal. He is the author of Vusi’s Visit to Drakensberg Mountain, a children’s book published by Msinsi Press. Another children’s book, Amaselesele Agangile, was published by Bhiyoza Publishers in 2023. His first collection of poetry, Ngigabe Ngezakithi, and a drama book, Umoya Wamagagasi, were published in isiZulu by Pelmo Publishers. Most of his poems in A Crowded Lonely Walk, his debut collection in English published by Karavan Press, reflect his own lonely and crowded walk. In 2024, Sipho contributed to an anthology of poetry titled Ayihlome (edited by T Qwabe and A Zibani), and to Imbiza Yexhiba, an anthology of short stories.
Sarah Frost reading at The Red Wheelbarrow
Join The Red Wheelbarrow on Thursday, 15th August 2024, on Zoom at 19:30 SAST for a reading by Sarah Frost, followed by an open mic.
Join via Zoom link or Meeting ID: 884 0600 8769 | Passcode: poetry
Sarah Frost works as an online editor for Juta Legalbrief in Durban. She has been writing poetry since she was nineteen years old, completed an MA in English Literature at UKZN and achieved a first in a module in Online Poetry at Wits. She won the Temenos prize for mystical poetry in the McGregor Poetry Competition in 2021. Her debut collection, Conduit, was published by Modjaji in 2011. Her second manuscript, River Fugue, will be brought out by Karavan Press later this year.
karavanpress.com 