Sipho Sepamla
Encyclopedia
Sydney Sipho Sepamla was a contemporary South Africa
n poet
and novelist.
Born in a township near Krugersdorp, Sipho Sepamla lived most of his life in Soweto
. He studied teaching at Pretoria Normal College and published his first volume of poetry, Hurry Up to It!, in 1975. During this period he was active in the Black Consciousness movement and his 1977 book The Soweto I Love, partly a response to the Soweto Riots, was banned by the Apartheid reigime. He was a founder of the Federated Union of Black Artists (now the Fuba Academy of Arts)and editor of the literary magazine New Classic, and the theatre magazine S'ketsh.
He published several volumes of poetry and novels. He received the Thomas Pringle Award
(1977) and the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
for his writing. More recently in democratic South Africa he was a member of the governments' Arts and Culture Task Group.
Novels
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and novelist.
Born in a township near Krugersdorp, Sipho Sepamla lived most of his life in Soweto
Soweto
Soweto is a lower-class-populated urban area of the city of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for South Western Townships...
. He studied teaching at Pretoria Normal College and published his first volume of poetry, Hurry Up to It!, in 1975. During this period he was active in the Black Consciousness movement and his 1977 book The Soweto I Love, partly a response to the Soweto Riots, was banned by the Apartheid reigime. He was a founder of the Federated Union of Black Artists (now the Fuba Academy of Arts)and editor of the literary magazine New Classic, and the theatre magazine S'ketsh.
He published several volumes of poetry and novels. He received the Thomas Pringle Award
Thomas Pringle Award
The Thomas Pringle Award is an annual award for work published in newspapers, periodicals and journals. They are awarded on a rotation basis for: a book, play, film or TV review; a literary article or substantial book review; an article on English education; a short story or one-act play; one or...
(1977) and the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is an Order of France, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture, and confirmed as part of the Ordre national du Mérite by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963...
for his writing. More recently in democratic South Africa he was a member of the governments' Arts and Culture Task Group.
Works
Poetry- Hurry Up to It! (Donker, 1975)
- The Soweto I Love. (1977)
- Selected poems. (Donker, 1984)
- From Gorée to Soweto. (1988)
Novels
- The Root is One. (1979)
- A Ride on the Whirlwind. (1981)