Cover Art: Bretten-Anne Moolman,
Human Gestures No. 92

KwaNobuhle Overcast

Ayanda Billie

KwaNobuhle Overcast is a book of vivid observations of Billie’s community 20 years into South Africa’s democracy. It describes an inhospitable and sometimes callous KwaNobuhle, its spirit worn away by the harsh toll of survival and political betrayal. The poet remains rooted, borne up by love, family, jazz music, and a stubborn belief in humanity.

 

Date of publication: 2019

ISBN 978-0-9947104-3-7
60 pages
200 x 130mm

R120.00

 

Ayanda Billie 2015

Ayanda Billie was born in the township of KwaNobuhle, Uitenhage, Eastern Cape, where he still lives.
He has published three collections of poetry: Avenues of my Soul (2006), Umhlaba Umanzi (2016) and KwaNobuhle Overcast (2019). He was awarded the South African Literary Award (SALA) for Poetry in 2019 for his isiXhosa collection Umhlaba Umanzi, and again in 2021 for his English collection KwaNobuhle Overcast. 
His poetry has appeared in Numsanews, New Coin, New Contrast, Ityhini, Carapace, Kotaz, Timbila, Illuminations and in several online literary journals. He has translated Mak Manaka’s Flowers of a Broken Smile into isiXhosa. He is the co-founder, with Mxolisi Nyezwa, of the Mandela Bay Book Fair. He has also founded a book club in KwaNobuhle to develop a reading and writing culture, and has run creative writing workshops for young people.
Billie holds an MA in Creative Writing from Rhodes University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Labour Law from Nelson Mandela University. He works at the Volkswagen SA factory in Uitenhage as an operator.

Books published
Poetry
Avenues of my Soul (Swii Arts, 2006)
Umhlaba Umanzi (Imbizo Arts, 2016)
KwaNobuhle Overcast (Deep South, 2019)

 

Additional information

Weight 0.5 kg

Reviews of this book

Review by Vonani Bila of KwaNobuhle Overcast by Ayanda Billie    The Johannesburg Review of Books, 2020   text PDF

Review by Tony Voss of KwaNobuhle Overcast by Ayanda Billie    Stanzas, 2021    text PDF

Interviews & Articles

Tribute article by Ayanda Billie: "Yakhal' Inkomo....the sax wailed (To Winston Mankunku)"    Numsa News, 2009    text PDF

 

 

Reading by Ayanda Billie

Ayanda Billie reads his title poem "KwaNobuhle Overcast"    The JRB (Johannesburg Review of Books) on Soundcloud, 2020

Blog article on Ayanda Bille

Biographical article on Ayanda Billie on writing in his mother tongue    AVBOB Poetry Project, 2023

Article on KwaNobuhle Overcast by Ayanda Billie

Article by Siyabonga Sesant on KwaNobuhle Overcast by Ayanda Billie    Herald LIVE, 2019    text PDF

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