Johannesburg poet Zama Madinana is celebrating his new chapbook with a special signing while raising funds to perform at an international poetry festival in Slovakia.
Braamfontein, South Africa (26 August 2026) – Johannesburg poet Zamokuhle “Zama” Madinana is inviting poetry lovers to join him for a special book signing in Braamfontein this week, celebrating the release of his new poetry chapbook, Freedom Songs & Interludes.
The signing will take place at Dibukafé on Juta Street on Tuesday, 01 September, and there is an added reason to pick up a copy. The event will help Zama raise funds for his upcoming trip to Slovakia, where he will attend the Arts Poetica International Poetry Festival in Bratislava in November 2026.
It is a fitting place for the celebration.
Dibukafé has already played an important role in Zama’s poetry journey. It was at the French Institute of South Africa’s living library that he first began hosting poetry sessions, creating an intimate space where poets, artists, academics and members of the public could come together.
His first performance there was Freedom Songs and Interludes, a live reading from the chapbook that explores Africa, its beauty and its burdens, while touching on themes including freedom, hope, inequality, war, immigration and the ongoing fight for complete freedom.
The response was so positive that the performances became monthly poetry gatherings. In a previous interview, he shared his hopes to make poetry more accessible.
“I am trying to make poetry more accessible in the city, especially to young people. Where young people can express themselves and tell their story. I am also trying to create a platform where artists can collaborate because the show not only attracts poets or poetry lovers but also people and artists from different backgrounds. Filmmakers, visual artists and even academics.”
Now, that work is making its way into readers’ hands.
Zama is no stranger to recognition. He was a finalist for the Sol Plaatje EU Poetry Award, received a Pushcart Prize nomination in 2022 and his 2023 collection, ’94, was longlisted for the South African Literary Award in 2024.
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For Zama, poetry is about far more than words on a page. It is a way of making sense of the world and creating space for people to engage with it.
“These spaces were created for us, creatives, thinkers and street academics. These spaces were created for us to engage with the public through art. Therefore, we should use them.”
Now, he is asking his community to help him take those words a little further.
The Freedom Songs & Interludes special book signing takes place at Dibukafé, 70 Juta Street, Braamfontein, on Tuesday, 01 September, from 17:00 to 18:00. Entry is free, and signed copies are available for R200, with proceeds helping to fund Zama’s upcoming trip to Bratislava.
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