That's Write Selwyn Milborrow

MasterClass Writer and Poet, Rozetta Whitting talks about the Christmas season.

South African authors, Selwyn Milborrow and Bevan Boggenpoel released a new book Madiba’s Quotes & Anecdotes: Reflections and Conversations. It honours Nelson Mandela through his quotes, anecdotes, and commentary. The authors use Madiba’s 27 quotes to reflect on his 27 years on Robben Island and beyond. The idea for the book came about during the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. Boggenpoel shared his vision for the book with Milborrow, and they immediately started sharing their poetry and commentaries. They looked at 27 quotes shared by Nelson Mandela, as a political prisoner, freedom fighter, leader, president, and peacemaker during his lifetime. Madiba’s quotes and his unique leadership style have always inspired them. It comes through very strongly in the book. The poetry in the book is linked to the quotes of Madiba. Commentaries in the book tie in with Madiba’s quotes, and the authors’ own experiences during apartheid.

“This book comes at a time when true leadership has become a scarce resource around the world. The authors honour Madiba’s legacy through beautiful poetry and commentary. If this book touches only one life, then Boggenpoel and Milborrow have done their duty.” - Luthando Lucas, author of I AM.

South African authors, Selwyn Milborrow and Bevan Boggenpoel released a new book Madiba’s Quotes & Anecdotes: Reflections and Conversations. It honours Nelson Mandela through his quotes, anecdotes, and commentary. The authors use Madiba’s 27 quotes to reflect on his 27 years on Robben Island and beyond. The idea for the book came about during the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. Boggenpoel shared his vision for the book with Milborrow, and they immediately started sharing their poetry and commentaries. They looked at 27 quotes shared by Nelson Mandela, as a political prisoner, freedom fighter, leader, president, and peacemaker during his lifetime. Madiba’s quotes and his unique leadership style have always inspired them. It comes through very strongly in the book. The poetry in the book is linked to the quotes of Madiba. Commentaries in the book tie in with Madiba’s quotes, and the authors’ own experiences during apartheid.

“This book comes at a time when true leadership has become a scarce resource around the world. The authors honour Madiba’s legacy through beautiful poetry and commentary. If this book touches only one life, then Boggenpoel and Milborrow have done their duty.” - Luthando Lucas, author of I AM.

gedicht voor veerle, els, en anne-sophie

onthoud je nog?

weet je nog hoe we samen

hand in hand uit de schoolpoort kwamen

onafscheidelijke vrienden voor altijd?

niet?

wacht, ik weet dat je luistert

ook al is de verbinding verbroken

weet ik dat de pen genadig zal zijn

om de keel haar stilte te breken

en ‘n gedicht voor de dag vannacht

in het zuiden van afrika wegzakt

op een blad papier om te geven

aan drie belgische dichtersvrienden…

© Selwyn Milborrow, 2021

Port Elizabeth poet and children's author, Chantal Sam Moodaley reads her poem 'Love at first fight'.

I would like to make a case for the repatriation of the remains of Arthur Nortje, a poet from Port Elizabeth buried in Wolvercote Cemetery, Oxford, United Kingdom. He died of a suspected barbiturate overdose on 11 December 1970. Dennis Brutus, Nortje’s mentor, claimed that he had died from an overdose of forty-five barbiturate tablets while other sources vary in the details of his death. The coroner, however, declared an open verdict because he believed that his death could not have been accidental.

Cecilia Potgieter, a Coloured domestic worker, gave birth to Arthur Kenneth Nortje on 16 December 1942. The father was “a young Jewish man named Arthur Kaplan who was thought to be the son of Cecilia’s employer” (McLuckie & Tyner, 1999). Nortje spent most of his childhood years in Korsten and Gelvandale, two areas in Port Elizabeth he wrote about fondly in his poetry.

The discriminatory apartheid system under which Nortje lived, had a devastating impact on him. Sadly “Nortje found himself between two opposing forces of Black and White while Coloureds were reduced. Coloureds were disenfranchised by apartheid laws and distanced from all others”.

Nortje took a one-way exit permit in 1965 after receiving a scholarship to attend Jesus College at Oxford. It was during those years of isolation that his poetry started showing signs of deep psychological insight as he searched for meaning to his existence. Arthur Nortje was a complex character and tragic figure. He used his sharp powers of observation to write about life. In 2004, Dirk Klopper wrote that “Many studies of Arthur Nortje's poetry have commented on the prevalence in his work of images of alienation, seeing this as a function either of political conditions in South Africa in his lifetime or of Nortje's exile from his home country.”

Introducing my new poem "Child of Africa" read by Angelique Angie Simons from Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Astonishing poetry performance!

My poem was inspired by an image by German Artist, Andrea Braun.

The fear of writing and a free-writing exercise

I had the honour of collaborating with the talented watercolour artist, Andrea Braun from Germany on her painting of a loving elderly couple that instantly captivated me. I immediately felt a new poem 'A love so beautiful' forming at the exact moment I saw Andrea's watercolour painting. In fact, I not only saw the words of the poem forming in my heart, but I felt it in every fibre of my soul. The poem's heartfelt words were meant to come together at that moment. Now it is forever embedded into this painting. Thank you, Andrea, for the honour of collaborating with you.

A lot of people struggle to give themselves permission to be creative. It is understandable because all of us are a little bit suspicious of our own talent. And you know what? That could be the beginning or the root cause of procrastination, but that for another day.

I have come to the realisation that my experience of doubting my own talent is not unique; it is something that I share with millions of people. However, in my thirties, I realised that life is too short and how we spend it is extremely important. It was then that I decided to just write and share my work with the world.

That decision changed my life for the better. I was offered a freelance-journalism job at one of the country’s top Afrikaans newspapers. And here comes the shocker; I did not even have the academic qualification for the job. Yes, it was just my writing talent and a decision I made to give myself permission to be creative that opened that door.

Allow me to share with you a few facts that will be a practical guide on how to give yourself permission to be creative: nobody can concentrate or focus when there is a lot of noise around them. In that same manner, your creativity will suffocate and suffer if it is plagued with noises from the outside. What noises am I talking about?

The noises could be self-doubt, negative inner-dialogue, and excessive self-criticism.

According to brain scientists, that this kind of noise activates the amygdala. The amygdala is often referred to as the fear centre of the brain. When the amygdala is sending that fear signals, it interrupts learning and decision-making, and sabotages the flow of creativity. 

Friends, I hope this piece of advice will help you as you continue your writing journey.