“Writing is my acceptance”

“To define is to limit and that’s not what I aim for as a poet, this according to Katleho Khaola. She is a writer, singer and an aspiring art fanatic. Katleho was born in Welkom in the Free State.  She added that poetry as she grew and evolved became therapeutic for her.

She started writing at the age of 19, at first, Katleho was just scribbling and putting ideas together. It was in October 2017 when she realised that her writing was some form of divine intervention. Katleho considers her ability to write as a God given talent. Therefore, the publication of her anthology ‘’Black is the brightest’’ was a testimony of the hand of God in her life.

The title of the anthology was inspired by an American poet called Silence is the Noise. Black is the brightest serves as a celebration of black identity. It was published on the 6^th of November 2019 by Katleho Khaola. ‘’I have struggled with my identity as a black individual,’’ she said. Consequently, this anthology serves as a personal letter of acceptance and that is why the word black is bright on the cover.

Katleho believes life serves as her biggest inspiration. This is evident in some of her poems as she writes about pain, failures, dreams and goals. ’’This book served as my 21^st birthday present,’’ Katleho said. She committed to publishing the Anthology at the age of 21 as she had been sitting on it for over a year. Katlego’s writing is also inspired by other poets including Maya Angelou, Rupi Kaur and Rudi Francisco. She sees them as some of the simplest and realest wordsmiths that have ever lived.

Katlego’s anthology can be found as an e-book on Amazon. Part of her dream is to acquire a larger platform where she can distribute her work. #BlackIsTheBrightest