On Friday February 14th the Poetavango Spoken Word Poetry in association with Cresta Riley’s Hotel in Maun will host a poetry show dubbed ‘Love is in the Mic: A Poetic Celebration of Love’ which will feature all Poetavango poets and a few other performers from around the country.
“Poetavango guarantees top-class performances that will engage and inspire those that will come through. Love is a very broad and deeply touching subject. We have all been touched by love one way or the other. Love is, in fact, the world’s one religion – a religion that transcends all,” said the show’s organizer Legodile Seganabeng.
Maun will celebrate Valentine’s Day in style with poets and storytellers for P160 for singles and P300 double tickets which also include dinner. There will also be other competitions during the show which include Best Dressed Couple Award, Best Poem Recite Award (a member of the audience will recite a poem to his/her valentine partner and stand a chance to win the award), and Valentine Quiz Winner Award (a set of question on the history of Valentine will be asked to the audience).
Poetavango has also launched a Facebook Love Poem Competition where the best poem will win a double entry ticket worth P300. “The rules are simple. You have to ‘like’ the page Poetavango Spoken Word Poetry (The Platform) and write a good sonnet love poem with all the characteristics of a sonnet. Only one entry is allowed per person. Post the poem on the Facebook page (the platfrom) and not on the Poetavango Facebook account,” Seganabeng said.
It has been evident throughout the years that poetry events in Maun are never a failure as the local community has grown to appreciate the art. Poetavango’s Public Relations Officer Juby Peacock emphasized the importance of poetry and storytelling saying, “People are now tired of the usual, redundant rhetoric that bombards them every day. People want to hear authentic stories with which they can easily identify with; stories that mirror their own personal stories. They cannot hear them from anyone else but from poets. This is a major reason why people favour poetry; it is more than mere entertainment. It is fundamental education.”