Lesson Ndlovu - Junior Category

Born on 25th August 2005, Shurugwi District in Midlands, Lesson Dumoluhle Ndlovu has already set the poetry world on fire. The young Poet has shaken the arts industry with his flawless performances. Lesson started making public performances at the tender age of 9 years and has since graced big occasions including, the National Heroes Acre, International Book Fairs, Midlands Agricultural Show, Independence celebrations, Gweru International Book festivals, among others. 

Born in a family of professional artists, Lesson attended Dorset Performing Arts rehearsals during weekends from the age of seven when his talent was identified. It is his unique and emotive poetry showcasing skills that aim to explore human action towards the restoration of social order. 

Despite only being born in 2005, Lesson is not just a promising young poet, but ‘literary’ an accomplished one. The energetic teen has won several Performance Poetry competitions including the Gweru International Festival of Arts and the 2018 Special Needs Primary School Performance Poetry courtesy of MashMo Land Investment. 

The Shurugwi based grade 7 Dorset Primary school pupil, Lesson whose five Ndebele literary works are featured in a yet to be published book entitled “Enkundleni ye Mbongi” is bold and does not balk from the sight of huge crowds when he belt a chain of multi lingual praise and critic poetry. 

Lesson likes compliments, appreciation and acknowledgement and dislikes being bullied. 

The youngster’s role model is his father, Dumisani Ndlovu, who is an anthologized poet and published author, the Zimbabwean and South African’s internationally renowned Dub poets, Albert Nyathi and Mzwakhe Mbuli. He likes the poets because of their cutting edge poems, which have remained at the forefront of contemporary African poetry, setting the tone through repeated engagement with the issues surrounding African-European cultures and integration.