Koleka Putuma (born in Port Elizabeth, 22 March 1993) is a South African queer poet and theatre-maker.
Biography
Putuma was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, in 1993.
She studied for a BA degree in Theatre and Performance at the University of Cape Town.
In 2016, she was awarded the PEN student writing prize for her poem "Water".
This poem is used in schools as a reminder that access to water is political, historical and racialized.
Recurrent themes in Putuma's work are love, queerness, decolonial struggle and the legacy of apartheid,
Collective Amnesia
Putuma first came to global attention with the publication of her poetry collection
Collective Amnesia, published by the South African poetry press uHlanga in 2017.
It was released with complementary photography by Cape Town-based photographer Andy Mkosi.
Within three months of its release, the book sold 2000 copies, had 17 launches across South Africa and was on the syllabus at two universities.
After eight months, it had sold more than 5000 copies and Putuma had given performances of it across three continents.
Its Spanish translation by
Lawrence Schimel and
Arrate Hidalgo was published in 2019,
and a Danish translation was published in 2020.
As of 2018, Putuma is the best-selling poet in South African history.
Collective Amnesia is notable for its repeated use of the word womxn, which is intended to include nonwhite and transgender women.
Reception
Reviewing
Collective Amnesia, Bongani Madondo of the
Johannesburg Review of Books hailed Putuma as a "genius".
has quickly become a key text to understanding postcolonial South Africa, particularly with its focus on black women's bodies and queer identities. Haith argues that the collection is as much a "cultural object" of contemporary South Africa, as it is a text.
Burger's critique places Putuma's use of the water as a literary device within the context of other South African poets, such as
Ronelda Kamfer.
The poem "Water" has become a key text for literary explorations of
hydrocolonialism.
Pieterse emphasises Putuma's writing about black womanhood, alongside the poet Sindiswa Busuku-Mathese.
While it was Putuma's poetry that brought her to a global stage, her work for stage has also been received to critical acclaim, dealing with contemporary political issues. Her play No Easter Sunday for Queers brought attention to the violent discrimination that lesbians in South Africa can face.
Works
Plays
-
SCOOP: kitchen play for carers and babes (2013) - the first South African play designed for babies up to 12 months old, with Magnet Theatre
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Ekhaya - written for 2-7 year olds
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UHM (2014)
-
Woza Sarafina (2016)
-
Mbuzeni’ (2018)
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No Easter Sunday for Queers (2019) - a drama about religion and queerness based on one of Putuma's poems.
Poetry
-
Imbebwu Yesini (2016, editor)
-
Collective Amnesia (2017)
-
We Have Everything We Need To Start Again (2024)
Awards
-
National Poetry Slame Championship (2014)
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PEN South Africa Student Writing Prize (2016)
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Mbokodo Rising Light Award (2017)
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SCrIBE Scriptwriting Competition (2018)
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Forbes Africa 30 under 30 Honouree(2018)
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Glenna Luschei Prize for African Poetry (2018)
-
Distell National Playwright Competition (2019)
External links
