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uHlanga

South African poetry since 2014
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gardini-matric-launch-poster

Join us for the launch of Matric Rage!

October 13, 2015

uHlanga – South Africa's progressive poetry press – invites you to the Cape Town launch of Matric Rage, the debut collection by one of South Africa's most exciting young poets, Genna Gardini.

The eagerly-awaited debut from one of the country’s most exciting young poets, Matric Rage is Genna Gardini’s reckoning with youth, womanhood and mortality. With hyper-literate, humourous and often heartbreaking poems, Gardini signals a wind change in South African poetry – where the personal is not just political, but polemical, too. In sickness and sex, misogyny and manners, this is a collection that, above all, showcases a powerful writer coming unapologetically into her own.

Join us at 1730 (for 1800), for a discussion with – and readings from – Genna, as well as delicious Leopard's Leap wine and snacks, courtesy of the Book Lounge.

Books will be on sale, and Genna may deign to sign them and chat with you.

DJ iPod will be on the decks with a sweet playlist of the phattest hits from MATRIC RAGE BALLITO/UMHLANGA circa 2004/5.

This printing of this book was made possible partially by a grant from the Arts & Culture Trust and Nedbank Arts Affinity.

Matric Rage is available from all good bookstores from November.

Join the event on Facebook here.

← Listen and look: Port Elizabeth launch of Failing Maths and My Other Crimes by Thabo JijanauHlanga distributes with Xavier Nagel Agencies →

About uHlanga

uHlanga is a small South African poetry press run by Nick Mulgrew.

Our books are available to order from all retail bookstores in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. From 1 October 2025, all of our books are represented to the trade by Blue Weaver and distributed by Booksite.

Outside of South Africa, many of our books are available print-on-demand through the African Books Collective.


On social media

A moment worth celebrating! A copy of ‘Poésie de l’Afrique au sud du Sahara’ landed in the uHlanga postbox, featuring French translations of poems by our very own uHlanga poet, Athambile Masola.

Congrats, @athambile_m 🎉

#u
A moment worth celebrating! A copy of ‘Poésie de l’Afrique au sud du Sahara’ landed in the uHlanga postbox, featuring French translations of poems by our very own uHlanga poet, Athambile Masola. Congrats, @athambile_m 🎉 #uHlanga #poetry #poems #AthambileMasola
This year, uHlanga turned ten 🕯️. What began in 2014 as a small poetry operation from KwaZulu-Natal has become a home for some of our country’s most resonant voices. 

So stay close! 

Sign up for our newsletter to hear about new releases, new
This year, uHlanga turned ten 🕯️. What began in 2014 as a small poetry operation from KwaZulu-Natal has become a home for some of our country’s most resonant voices. So stay close! Sign up for our newsletter to hear about new releases, news from our authors and poetry events near you. You can subscribe at our link in bio 🌊 #uHlanga #poetry #poemspoemspoems #newsletter
“But sickness, like the toilet, swallows sweepingly,
with little to no carre when I whinge that it’s just so unfair
as if this was the only time loss and living would meet;
as if worse things weren’t happening mere metres
down the s
“But sickness, like the toilet, swallows sweepingly, with little to no carre when I whinge that it’s just so unfair as if this was the only time loss and living would meet; as if worse things weren’t happening mere metres down the street.” – Genna Gardini ‘Matric Rage’ is Genna Gardini’s reckoning with youth, womanhood and mortality. With hyper-literate, humorous and often heartbreaking poems, Gardini signalled a wind change in South African poetry – where the personal is not just political, but polemical, too. In sickness and sex, misogyny and manners, this is a collection that, above all, showcased – when it was published in 2015 – and still showcases, a powerful writer coming unapologetically into her own. ⚘ Commended for the 2016 Ingrid Jonker Prize 📗 Make it yours at our link in bio. #uHlanga #poetry #poemspoemspoems #GennaGardini #poet #MatricRagePoems

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