ELLUBEDINE May, of Schauderville, describes herself as a bibliophile – taken with the wonder of reading and the profound escape it offers in a community ravaged by delinquency and gangsterism.
May, whose love for reading blossomed into a love for spoken word poetry, will on Sunday, December 15, launch her poetry book titled Diary of Love and Pain, at 15:00 at the Jehovah Nissi Church in Schauderville.
May wrote her first poem at the age of 13 while in Grade 7 and received her big break when she got the opportunity to perform at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda in July, and also later when she performed at the Bloemfontein Literature Festival, which was held from October 8-11 this year.
With few resources to make her book launch a reality, May reached out to Christopher Moss, from Schauder Productions, an NPO which undertakes projects to promote arts and culture in the crime-ridden community.
“I met with Schauder Productions in October as I needed support and sponsorship to make the printing and publishing of the book possible,” said May.
Schauder Productions is a budding non-profit organisation based in Schauderville and although having had only menial financial support and sponsorship, it has managed to bring the book’s release and launch to fruition, having engaged in live poetry sessions in previous weeks in an effort to raise funds.
According to Moss, the NPO believes that May’s story is one that could stand to inspire people throughout the city and quash narratives of hopelessness in the Bay’s northern areas in particular.
May draws her inspiration from events that prevail around her; from her daily experiences of gangsterism to various abuses.
“My aim is to help others through tough times, and to give them a sense of hope in whatever they’re going through,” she said.
Saturday’s launch will include a variety of live jazz and poetry performances by local artists at the Jehovah Nissi Church in Highfield Road.
For more information on the launch of the book, contact Ellubedine May on 073 774 2871.
