South African poetry since 2014

Nondwe Mpuma shortlisted for Best Poetry NIHSS Award

March 20, 2023

We’re happy to announce that Nondwe Mpuma’s debut collection Peach Country was shortlisted for the 2023 NIHSS Awards.

The book was shortlisted alongside books from Antjie Krog, Kelwyn Sole and Sarah Lubala – books from four different publishers; proof that poetry publishing in South Africa has been strong this past year!

Congratulations to Nondwe, as well as to Sarah Lubala, whose collection A History of Disappearance (published by Botsotso) took the winner’s prize.

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