By Chloe Carelse
A year following Adam Small’s death in 2016, a poetry and
literature festival was held in his honour. It was so well accepted that it has
now returned for its second year and it seems as if this festival will become
an annual event.
The weekend of the 23-25 of February hosted a long list of
aspiring and well established writers such as Breyten Breytenbach, Hemelbesem,
Jacques Pauw, and many others.
Politics was discussed, poetry was read but amongst all the
theme of identity stood out to me most prominently. For a long time, there was
only one correct way of speaking Afrikaans but the language has so many nuances
and variations that change was bound to happen.
Influencers and academics are now challenging the fact that
there is only one standard form of Afrikaans and dialects such as Kaaps and
Namaqua Afrikaans is being celebrated rather than shunned. A great part of what
made Smalls’ work so appealing was that he did this through his poetry before
it was even considered to be cool with works like Oppie Parara and Dankgabet
vannie skollie.
I couldn’t think of better way to remember the man who is now
considered a legend in the world of poetry. Nor could I think of a more beautiful
backdrop for such an artistic event to take place than at the foot of the
Simonsberg Mountains in the small town of Pniël.
There was time to mingle with the writers or have your book
signed. Honestly, I can’t say I’m surprised that the festival was such a
success and I look forward to see what the third running year of the Adam Small
Festival has to offer in 2019.
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