And the rains came down – a review of alan finlay's pushing from the riverbank, by Goodenough Mashego

I am a fan of Alan Finlay. So the moment his latest instalment of poetry, pushing from the riverbank popped in my mailbox, just six days after publisher Gary Cummiskey shipped it i had that foreplay anticipation that increases your breath and heartbeat. You know those seconds before you are deflowered...read more here

New Coin June 2014, edited by Gary Cummiskey

New Coin June 2014 is now out and contains poems by Kelwyn Sole, Alan Finlay, Kobus Moolman, Sinclair Beiles, Lucas Zulu, Arja Salafranca, Moira Lovell, Eva Jackson, Dawn Garisch, Goodenough Mashego, Kyle Allan, Haidee Kruger, Yannis Livadas, Gerard Rudolf, Khulile Nxumalo, Mangaliso Buzani, Mxolisi Nyezwa, Immanuel Suttner, Hans Pienaar, Catfish McDaris, Anton Krueger, Diana Bloem, John Carse, Mick Raubenheimer, Louise Anne Buchler, Lionel Murcott, Gail Dendy, Jim Pascual Agustin, Angifi Dladla, Carol Leff, Mzi Mahola, Allan Kolski Horwitz, Vonani Bila and Stephen Symons. Reviews by Kelwyn Sole, Rustum Kozain and Tlhalo Sam Raditlhalo.

New Coin is published by the Institute for the Study of English in Africa (ISEA) and is available on subscription. Subscription for 2013 is R170 for two issues.  You can also subscribe now for the two 2014 issues, for R180. 

For subscription details, contact New Coin secretary Nomangesi Kelemi on 046 603 8565 or at

isea@ru.ac.za.

Poets and events at the Grahamstown arts festival 2014

Alan Finlay and Paul Wessels

Mishka Hoosen

Lesego Rampolokeng

Napo Masheane

Robert Berold

David wa Maahlamela

Lesego Rampolokeng

Mafika Gwala, Gary Cummiskey, Lesego Rampolokeng

Vonani Bila, David wa Maahlamelah, Mafika Gwala, Lesego Rampolokeng

Lesego Rampolokeng

The writing on the wall by Alan Finlay

Gary Cummiskey, bored, had a moment of inspiration

Joan Meterlekamp and Mishka Hoosen

Alan Finlay

Robert Berold and Crystal Warren

Chris Mann

Paul Wessels, Kobus Moolman and Marike Beyers

Kobus Moolman

Deep South publications and issues of New Coin on display

Denis Hirson, centre

Ari Sitas

Alan Finlay

Gary Cummiskey

Gary Cummiskey

Kobus Moolman

Catalogue for the 50th anniversary of New Coin exhibition

Compiled by poet Alan Finlay

Review of Off-ramp in City Press

Dance of the bird and the tree-woman

Exhibition celebrating New Coin's 50th anniversary

The '50 years of New Coin’ exhibition, presented by the National English Literary Museum (NELM) and the Institute for the Study of English in Africa (ISEA), will be running during the National Arts Festival July 2014, at Eden Grove in Grahamstown.  The opening is 10.30am on Sunday 6 July.  

The above image of New Coin covers is available as an A2-sized poster printed on card for R100 + postage. Email isea@ru.ac.za for order details.

The Blessing

I've lost my only eye to the moon!

Dancing light over the landscape

She who comes to the shore

Review of Off-ramp in Cape Times, by Karen Jeynes

Off-ramp is the debut collection of short stories by Joburg-based poet Gary Cummiskey.

The stories read a little like dreams come to life. As with dreams, they are disturbing and disjointed at times, soft and poetic at others. Some meander slowly, others fly past. The stories juxtapose violence, erotica, and a constant sense of fear and foreboding.

And yet the style is simple, clean, and often detached. This adds to the surreal nature of the world that Cummiskey’s characters occupy: it is like ours, and has echoes of the old South Africa in some stories, but it certainly is not ours.

Described as (featuring)“individuals who are slowly being devoured by paranoia and absurdity”, this is an unrelenting read, and one is left at the end of each story feeling uneasy and a little adrift from reality. – Karen Jeynes

(Published in Cape Times)

Reality betrays the image

Totem poles

By night I came to an open womb

This girl can't be blamed for her beauty