Durban poet, classicist and editor Sihle Ntuli was named the Caselberg Trust Margaret Egan Cities of Literature Writers Resident for 2025.
Dunedin Unesco City of Literature director Nicky Page said it was thrilling to receive 79 applications from 28 Cities of Literature around the world.
The judges said Ntuli’s submission stood out among the exceptional applications across a range of genres.
His poetry has appeared in leading international journals, and he previously held editorial roles at Wild Pine Poetry and New Contrast.
Ntuli’s third collection, Owele, which switches between English and Zulu, will be published in July.
During his stay in Dunedin, he will live and write at Caselberg House in Broad Bay on the Otago Peninsula for six weeks from October to mid-November.
Established in 2023, the residency is a partnership between the Caselberg Trust and Dunedin Unesco City of Literature.
The residency offers writers the opportunity to work on a substantial piece of creative writing, while also fostering connections with writers, readers and the wider community.
Ntuli said he planned to continue working towards his fourth full-length collection of poetry Blues for King Kong — a multilingual fusion of Afro-jazz and blues-inspired lyric poetry.
This year’s residency is also timed to coincide with the Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival in October.
— APL
