Award-winning South African poet and academic Athambile Masola has released “Inheritance”, the English self-translation of her acclaimed isiXhosa poetry collection “Ilifa”.
Originally published by uHlanga Press in 2021, “Ilifa” went on to win the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences Award for Poetry in 2022.
Now published internationally through Batis Books, “Inheritance” arrives as a dual language isiXhosa and English edition, opening Masola’s work to readers across the world while preserving the original language and rhythm of the poems.
The collection explores the lives of Black South African women through themes of ancestry, memory, love, healing and identity.
It reflects on the meaning of freedom in post apartheid South Africa while also honouring the resilience of women navigating daily struggles.
In a statement on the release, Batis Books described the collection as “a window into the lives of Black women in South Africa right now.”
The publisher added: “A deft dance between self care and recrimination, between free love and social safety, and between the shadows of the past and the dim light of a just as complicated present.”
One of the defining aspects of the collection is its use of contemporary spoken isiXhosa.
Rather than relying on rigid traditional structures, Masola writes in the living language heard in urban spaces and everyday conversations.
The poems also pay tribute to Black female writers who have historically been overlooked, including Noni Jabavu and Nontsizi Mgqwetho.
Structured across three sections titled Umyalelo Wentombi, Uthando and Apha, the 148-page collection mirrors the exact flow of the original award-winning publication.
The poems move between love, ancestral memory, womanhood and self-reflection.
Speaking about the release, Masola shared her excitement with readers online.
“One thing about books… they’ve turned me into a bit of a vlogger ndingacinganga (without thinking) but just thought I’d say hi because Inheritance is out in the world,” she said.
The Johannesburg launch of “Inheritance” will take place on Saturday, June 6, at Book Circle Capital in Melville.
A Gugulethu homecoming launch will follow on Saturday, June 13, at Lumkile’s Book Joint, where Masola will be in conversation with Nondwe Mpuma.
