Abel Ndooka
Mangaliso Kabulika
THE fourth edition of Poetry Red Carpet Awards are set to be held on February 28.
They will run under the theme ‘A Poetic Love Affair’.
The aim of the awards is to recognise and uplift raw talent and celebrate the country’s linguistic and cultural diversity. It is also a platform where various poetry industry giants converge and discuss challenges that are affecting the poetry scene in the country and provide solutions.
Organiser of the event, Cynthia Mapando, said the awards will be graced by international acts for the first time.
“Unlike other editions, we will witness poets from South Africa, Mozambique and Botswana.
“This a milestone for us as we have always longed to penetrate the international scene so that Zimbabwean talent can be celebrated all over the world.
“This year we have 19 categories, compared to 18 we had the last time, such as Poet of the Year, Best Page Poet of Year, Best Spoken Word of the Year, Best Male and Female Poet of the Year, among others.
“Nominees are from various provinces across the country and this year we have witnessed a significant number of submissions from places such as Beitbridge, Kariba and Binga.
“Judgment of the work submitted will be determined through analysing depth, originality, relevance and the ability to capture emotion,” said Mapando.
Online Reporter
