The Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Anthology
Volume IV
(SUBS: NO EDITOR IS NAMED ON THE BOOK)
ISBN: 978-1-4314-0985-3
REVIEW: Karin Schimke
The thorough selection process that results in this annual anthology means it has come to represent a “best of” collection showcasing some of South Africa’s most dedicated poets.
What I always admire about it is that it is so democratic. Well-known names and completely new names in poetry all live alphabetically alongside one another. This is because the winning poems are selected blind. The judges – Ingrid de Kock, Johann de Lange and Goodenough Mashego – do not see the names on the poems entered into the competition.
As always, the poetry is uneven: clichéd in theme and phrase in many places, but in other places rising like cut and polished precious stones on a rocky plain. In this issue, the poems by Thabo Jijana stood out for me because of their brevity, clarity and humour.
