Recasting Slam Poetry: Busisiwe Mahlangu’s Début Poetry Collection Surviving Loss

Abstract

The debates on the interface between performance-centric and scripto-centric texts in Africa are far-reaching. Yet, a gap exists in this vast literature, with regards to the transition from slam stages to printed books. Unpacking the problems arising in the process of translating oral performances into written texts, Scheub (2021) argues that the translators must reconceptualise the original works into completely new ones, i.e. they must recast them. In line with this theoretical standpoint, this article examines Busisiwe Mahlangu’s evolution from slam champion to published poet, and examines her debut collection Surviving Loss.

Keywords

• slam poetry
• orality
• scriptotherapy
• bisisiwe mahlangu