South African poetry since 2014

Book launches at Poetry in McGregor 2022

October 14, 2022

We’re having two book launches this year at Poetry in McGregor, deep in the (not-so-warm) bosom of the Western Cape. Come see Douglas Reid Skinner and Nondwe Mpuma read on the morning of Saturday 19 November. More information here.

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 🎉 #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, 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 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