Description
About
From the Deep South website:
“KwaNobuhle Overcast is a book of vivid observations of Billie’s community 20 years into South Africa’s democracy. It describes an inhospitable and sometimes callous KwaNobuhle, its spirit worn away by the harsh toll of survival and political betrayal. The poet remains rooted, borne up by love, family, jazz music, and a stubborn belief in humanity.”
Author Bio
“Ayanda Billie was born in the township of KwaNobuhle, Uitenhage, Eastern Cape, where he still lives.
He has published three collections of poetry: Avenues of my Soul (2006), Umhlaba Umanzi (2016) and KwaNobuhle Overcast (2019). He was awarded the South African Literary Award (SALA) for Poetry in 2019 for his isiXhosa collection Umhlaba Umanzi, and again in 2021 for his English collection KwaNobuhle Overcast.
His poetry has appeared in Numsanews, New Coin, New Contrast, Ityhini, Carapace, Kotaz, Timbila, Illuminations and in several online literary journals. He has translated Mak Manaka’s Flowers of a Broken Smile into isiXhosa. He is the co-founder, with Mxolisi Nyezwa, of the Mandela Bay Book Fair. He has also founded a book club in KwaNobuhle to develop a reading and writing culture, and has run creative writing workshops for young people.
Billie holds an MA in Creative Writing from Rhodes University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Labour Law from Nelson Mandela University. He works at the Volkswagen SA factory in Uitenhage as an operator.”
