Zim poet to represent Africa at festival

ZIMBABWEAN self-exiled poet, Mbizvo Chirasha (pictured), has been invited to represent Africa at the 30th edition of the International Poetry Festival of Medellin scheduled for August

1 to October 10 in Medellin, Colombia.

The festival, which will be streamed live on Facebook,

YouTube and through Zoom due to global COVID-19 lockdown measures, will feature 180 poets from 103 countries over 70 days.

Popularly known as the Black Poet in the creative circles, Chirasha will take to the stage on August 7.

The wordsmith told NewsDay Life & Style yesterday that he would be a co-host at the festival and he would touch on different themes including the COVID-19 menace and black lives matter campaign.

“I am humbled to be representing Southern Africa at this grand event which is one of the top international festivals in the world. I thank the festival director of the International Poetry Festival of Medellin or Festival De Poesia for the grand invitation to this year’s festival in Medellin Colombia,” he said.

He said the event provided an opportunity to showcase and market his talent.

Meanwhile, Chirasha said he was also billed to perform at the International Human Rights Art Festival in New York, on August 15.

Chirasha, who will be a guest speaker at the online festival, saluted the IHRAF producer Emeritus Thomas Block for recognising his talent and according him the platform to showcase it at this festival.

Chirasha is known for his artistic works that cut across themes such as freedom of expression, corruption, children’s rights, politics, social lives, gender, drug cartels, protest and African pride.