Two award-winning Nelson Mandela Bay poets are putting their best foot forward as they represent the region at a poetry conference hosted by the China Writers' Association.
New Brighton's Mxolisi Nyezwa and Mangaliso Buzani are among the more than 70 poets from Brics countries gathered in Hangzhou, in east China's Zhejiang province, to exchange ideas, insights and cultures from July 17 to 25.
The two are sharing their lived experiences in the metro and love for nature through poetry.
Ithembelihle Secondary School alumnus Nyezwa, 56, said he was proud to be representing the province on the trip and stressed how platforms for poets were lacking in SA.
"I was so excited when I was selected because, as poets, opportunities like these are scarce. They might be frequent in the musical sector but as authors there are not a lot.
"It shows us that it is not a waste of time being a writer.
"Going to China does not happen every day.
"There are many talented writers in the commission.
"What is painful is that there is little encouragement for writers. Poetry could grow even more in the future in our province if there were platforms to cater for writers," Nyezwa said.
The Rhodes University creative writing masters holder played a crucial role in the growth and sustainability of poetry in SA and in the 1980s was a member of the Congress of South African Writers.
His poetry is mostly inspired by the effects of apartheid in his community.
"There are some of the painful things that we have seen; some of those things were done by the youth that we grew up with.
"It was not easy.
"Some even got hurt and we were referred to as a lost generation," Nyezwa said.
Buzani, 46, said this was his first opportunity to travel beyond Africa and he applauded the organisers for understanding the importance of upholding culture and heritage through the arts.
"I never believed that poetry would allow me to see other countries, because it was not easy to be where I am today.
"I would pray for opportunities like these, so that I could show people that my work has a significant contribution to society and it serves to heal people," Buzani said.
