Litnet

Chris Redmond (UK)

Chris Redmond is a writer, performer and musician. His spoken word has been featured on BBC Radio One, BBC Radio Four, XFM and Sky Arts. He’s performed at London Word Festival, Bristol Poetry Festival, Bridport Poetry Festival, Kosmpopolis literature festival in Barcelona, and music festivals; Latitude, Glastonbury, The Big Chill and Bestival. http://www.chrisredmond.co.uk

Luka Lesson (Australia)

Luke Haralampou, aka Luka Lesson, is a spoken word and Hip-hop artist of Greek heritage from Australia. With two years of international touring, 11 Writers’ Festivals, 7 years of workshop experience and almost ten years of writing under his belt, Luka has written commissions and performed for the likes of The Nuyorican Poets’ Cafe (NYC), The National Gallery of Victoria, Trinity International Hip-hop Festival, Greece’s pioneer hip hop group Active Member and China’s most celebrated living poet Xi Chuan in Beijing. He is also the Australian Poetry Slam champion of 2011 and Melbourne Overload Poetry Festival slam champion of 2010. http://www.lukalesson.com.au

Mutle Mothibe

Mutle Mothibe is widely acknowledged as one of the pioneering artists of the current generation of South African spoken word. He is a founding member of the group Inaudible which released the acclaimed album “Definition”; as well as Brake Seshions which produced the play “Estar”. In his own right, this multi-faceted author has released the album “In_Sense” and has performed on most major poetry stages in South Africa and has performed in Cardiff, Scotland. 2014 will see his star continue to rise with shows in North-America being planned.

Vuyelwa Maluleke

Vuyelwa Maluleke is a Johannesburg based playwright, poet and performer. She is one half of the group Purple Jupiter, with whom she has written and performed such riveting poems as “17 seconds”. To paraphrase Vuyelwa herself, at the core of her work are issues that affect women, and she wishes to use her poetry as a medium to tell their stories. She has twice been a member of the Word N Sound top10, as well as being a two time Word N Sound Award nominee; and her eclectic mix of passion and poise will be sure to captivate her audience.

Jitsvinger

Born Quintin Goliath, Jitsvinger is one of the fastest rising Cape Afrikaans hip hop artists. He derives his stage name from Afrikaans and Kaaps. Initially rapping in English, he decided on Afrikaans as the language to express himself in terms if music. He released his debut album Skeletsleutel in 2006. He has since collaborated with Swiss-based producer Loris Ramondi, and toured extensively in Holland with the popular theatre production "Afrikaaps". 

Thabiso Nkoana

Thabiso Nkoana, occassionally known as Little Winter, Smalls or Thabs grew up in Diepkloof, Soweto.  He has been writing poetry since high school and started performing at poetry sessions in and around Gauteng; Horror Cafe, Xara Books, Es’kiaMphahlela Library, TsaAfrika, to name but a few. He describes his style as confrontational, uncomplicated and lyrical street poetry.

Khadija Heeger

Born in Hanover Park on the Cape Flats, she has a keen interest in history and its’ interpretations through art. With interests ranging from video production, performance and writing, she is a firm believer in the power of words. As an original member of the “And the Word was Woman” ensemble, she’s performed at events that include the Cape Town Festival, Mother City Book Festival and Parliament.

Arthur Lea

Arthur Lea has been hammering honky tonks since his hands could first reach the keys. He sings a retro brand of rhythm n blues, irregular riffs, and southern soul. In and out of London with his own music and other bands, he gigs greatly, writes constantly, promotes events, records, produces, teaches, and generally likes to play. As an integral part of Tongue Fu since 2008, this eclectic musician and improviser provides the soundtrack to the mosaic that is Tongue Fu.

Malika Ndlovu

Durban born poet Malika Ndlovu is also a playwright and arts project manager writer who has performed on stages both local and abroad, going as far afield as Austria, Holland, USA and the Phillipines. She enjoys collaborative work and has been published in a number of local and international journals. Her motto is “healing through creativity” and it is this philosophy that her work seeks to be in line with.

Tanneman Gam (Jethrow Louw),

Born on the banks of the Leeu Gamka river in the Karoo, Tanneman Gam is a storyteller; poet, indeginous music improviser, crafter, activist, community worker and tour guide. He composes his work in English, Afrikaans and Afrikaaps (Cape Flats creole). He is a facilitator of workshops, and as a performer often shares the stage with Jitsvinger. He is part of the award winning cast of Afrikaaps.

Koleka Putuma

Born in P.E., Koleka is Cape Town based and is a performer and a theatre-maker. She’s a facilitator who shares her skill, hosting writing and dialogue workshops at schools, community projects and interfaith programmes in and around Cape Town. She is a resident poet of Lingua Franca and has some of her work featured on the Badilisha Poetry X-change. Her writing serves the purpose of questioning the status quo.  

Mike Schreiber

Mike Schreiber is a self-taught New York Photographer with a degree in anthropology from the University of Connecticut. His work has been featured in Esquire Magazine, Rolling Stone, TACE, VIBE and XXL. His work captures variety of subjects with a humanistic approach to life reflected in his mostly black and white gallery. He is well-known for his "True Hip Hop" series.