Mongane Wally Serote
Mongane Wally Serote (1944-). Highly regarded poet and novelist.
Contents
Biography
Serote was born in Sophiatown, Johannesburg, South Africa on 8 May 1944, and went to school in Alexandra, Lesotho, and Soweto. He was held in detention in 1969, left the country in 1979 to live in Botswana. In Botswana he was an active member of Medu Art Ensemble.
On his return he became head of the ANC Cultural Desk.
His writing
His published poems include Yakhal ‘inkomo (1972), Tsetlo (1974), No Baby Must Weep (1975) Behold: Mama, Flowers (1978) Selected Poems (1981), Come and Hope with Me (1994) and the novel To Every Birth its Blood (1981).
His poetry has often been used in performances. Notably also at MDALI’s Black Arts Festival in Soweto in 1973.
Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
For a time he was chairman of the Board of Directors of Joburg City Theatres.
As playwright
His plays include:
- Phiri (with Barney Simon, Oswald Mtshali, Stanley Motjuwadi, 1972)
- Shades of Change (1982)
- The Way We Heal (2013)
- Sikhahlel'u OR (2023) (adapted from the poem of the same name)
Documentary
Serote is featured in Wally Serote - South African Poet a 1987 documentary film by Meridian Productions.
Awards, etc.
ACT Award 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award – Literature.
Sources
SA History Online [1].
Wikipedia [2].
https://www.artic.edu/artworks/244087/shades-of-change
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