Natalia Molebatsi is a South African writer, poet, performer, editor, and cultural organizer.

Natalia Molebatsi
Born
Occupation(s)Writer, poet, performer and editor
Websitewww.nataliamolebatsi.com

Biography

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Natalia Molebatsi was born and raised in the township of Tembisa, near Johannesburg in South Africa.[1][2]

She is a Pan-African queer feminist poet, writer, and performer.[3] She is the author of two poetry collections, Sardo Dance and Elephant Woman Song, and the editor of We Are: A Poetry Anthology and Wild Imperfections: An Anthology of Womanist Poems. She is a founding member of the band Soul Making,[2] and in 2015 her CD Natalia Molebatsi & The Soul Making was released.[4]

Her work is included in Letter to South Africa: Poets Calling the State to Order, Happiness the Delight-Tree: An Anthology of Contemporary International Poetry, New Coin, the Anthology of World Poetry (2010), and New Daughters of Africa (2019, edited by Margaret Busby),[5][4] among other publications. Her prose writing has appeared in academic literary journals, such as Muziki,[6] Agenda Feminist Media and Sasinda Futhi Siselapha: Black Feminist Approaches to Cultural Studies In South Africa’s Twenty-Five Years Since 1994.

Molebatsi has performed poetry and facilitated creative writing workshops internationally, including at universities and festivals in Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya, Zimbabwe, England, Italy, Azerbaijan, Argentina, China, Palestine and Germany. Among notable events where she has participated are the Yari Yari Ntoaso women's conference in Ghana, the Aké Arts and Book Festival in Abeokuta and the Lagos International Poetry Festival.[7]

Further reading

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References

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  1. ^ Natalia Molebatsi page at Poemhunter.com.
  2. ^ a b "Interview with South African Writer, Natalia Molebatsi", Geosi Reads, 2013.
  3. ^ "Natalia Molebatsi". Northwestern University | Department of Performance Studies. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Natalia Molebatsi, South African Poet", UCLA African Studies Center, 12 May 2016.
  5. ^ "Don't miss the New Daughters of Africa Women's Month launch in Joburg – with a line-up of literature, music and performances by the contributors (3 Aug)", The Reading List, 2019.
  6. ^ Natalia Molebatsiv & Raphael d'Abdon, "From Poetry to Floetry: Music's Influence in the Spoken Word Art of Young South Africa", Muziki: Journal of Music Research in Africa, Volume 4, 2007 – Issue 2: Contemporary African Music, pp. 171–177.
  7. ^ Udobang, Wana (14 December 2015). "South African Poet Natalia Molebatsi on Words and Inspirations". wanawana.net. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
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