Ba re e ne re Director Lineo Segoete
Mohalenyane Phakela
LOCAL literary group, Ba re e ne re is participating at the South African Vrystaat Literature Festival which began on Tuesday and ends on Saturday at the University of Free State.
Poets, Relebohile Manosa, Mathobatsi Sekoere, Thabelo Monyaka and Mpho Manare are representing Ba re e ne re in writing workshops, a poetry slam and sessions with their peers from Bloemfontein and Cape Town in South Africa.
Ba re e ne re Director, Lineo Segoete said they were invited after hosting representatives of the Free State festival at last year’s Ba re e ne re Literature Festival.
“Last year we invited Ace Moloi, an alumni of the University of Free State as well as a university student, Thuthukani Ndlovu,” Segoete told the Weekender this week.
“After witnessing some of the talent we have, he (Ndlovu) proposed our participation in the Vrystaat Literature Festival. We then collaborated on a proposal to secure UNESCO funding for this festival.
“To me it means that the world is ours. I spent some time living outside Lesotho and I can guarantee that people are eager to hear from us.
“They are curious to know what Basotho have to offer beyond what is usually reported in the media (political instability and a high HIV prevalence). I have also noticed that artistes and performers are growing bolder and impatient which are great qualities for art,” she said.
Segoete also lauded the four poets representing them at the festival for supporting the Ba re e ne re initiative despite having many personal commitments.
She said it had not been easy to get artistes to participate, adding that some had turned them down due to personal reasons and parental objections.
“We still have to convince our elders that pursuing art is a viable passion and that it is actually good for nation building.”
She said this year’s edition of the Ba re e ne re festival will be bigger, adding it would also be something “unusual and called the UN-Festival”.
