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Poets: Imtiaz Dharker and Phillippa Yaa de Villiers

"We poets are like magpies we pick up things from many different places" a South African and a British Asian poet discuss inspiration and knowing when a poem's finished.

Phillippa Yaa de Villiers is an award winning South African writer and performance artist. Phillippa, who is mixed race, was adopted as a baby by a white couple but did not learn of her adoption until she became involved in anti-apartheid politics whilst attending University. Negotiating this newfound racial identity has informed much of her writing. She discusses her inspirations and the journey to becoming a writer, why she found it hard to initially call herself a poet and how South Africa is a country blossoming with poetry.

Imtiaz Dharker is a poet, artist and film maker. Born in Pakistan, Imtiaz was brought up in Scotland before she eloped to India aged 20, becoming estranged from her family. She feels that it is important that poets don't get too comfortable in any one place and describes forging her life in 'the cracks in-between'. Imtiaz picks up words that inspire her poetry from her surroundings, sometimes overheard, she jots these down on a paper napkin or whatever is to hand. She now lives in the UK and in 2014 she was awarded the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry. Her advice to aspiring poets is to read a lot and find your own voice.

Image credit
(l) Imtiaz Dharker (Melanie Brown/成人快手) and (r) Phillippa Yaa de Villiers

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27 minutes

Last on

Sun 10 Apr 2016 00:32GMT

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  • Mon 4 Apr 2016 02:32GMT
  • Mon 4 Apr 2016 04:32GMT
  • Mon 4 Apr 2016 05:32GMT
  • Mon 4 Apr 2016 06:32GMT
  • Mon 4 Apr 2016 12:32GMT
  • Mon 4 Apr 2016 18:32GMT
  • Mon 4 Apr 2016 19:32GMT
  • Sat 9 Apr 2016 23:32GMT
  • Sun 10 Apr 2016 00:32GMT

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