Thandiwe Nqanda

Thandiwe Nqanda is an author and performance poet from South Africa. Her debut poetry collection, titled No, Time To Mourn (2023), marks a significant milestone in her literary career.
She has actively engaged in local and international initiatives, including the 16DaysOfActivism16Poets project and she performed her poem "Energy" on Totally Radio in Brighton, UK, in 2021. In 2022, she represented the People's Voice as the Guest Poet for the State of the Nation Address (SONA). Most recently, her poem "the mourners" was published in the esteemed South African journal, New contrast - Issue 207 (2024). Her work has afforded her to be part of well-renounced festivals such as Openbook festival, Folklore Festival, National Arts Festival and plenty more.

In addition to her poetry, Nqanda co-wrote the theatrical production Grieve, That Is How You Survive, which premiered at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda in 2023. She also has a unique gift of merging her poetry with jazz, exemplified by her creation of IT IS TIME, a musical poetry show. Throughout her career, she has furthermore collaborated with renowned jazz musicians, including Kujenga and the Guftahs, among others.