Supplied by: Anathi Kom
Anathi Kom is a 21-year-old woman born and bred in Butterworth (eGcuwa). She is in her final year of study for her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (Animal Production) at the University of Forthare, Alice campus. Anathi is passionate about writing poems; she wrote her first poem at the age of 15 years and dedicated the poem to her former high school to show appreciation. Her teachers loved it, and it was published on the principal's office wall. Little did she know that it was her first publication.
Her high school teachers encouraged her to continue writing poems. When we asked her about her family background, she indicated that she is the first author in her family. Therefore, she did not inherit the skill from anyone she knows. Anathi prides herself on being the first person in the family to obtain a bachelor's pass in her matric. Again, her background did not limit her to aiming for the stars, as many think that if you are from a rural area, you have limited access to opportunities compared to people in urban areas. She says social media has everything a person needs; it is just how you utilize it and for what reasons. Therefore, she said everyone has an equal chance at opportunities regardless of geographical area.
Anathi formerly published her first anthology of poems book in 2022, the Tree of Life, written in English. Her passion for writing was fueled by Covid-19 depression and life transitions that were occurring at that time. Unlike other writers, she finds her strength in writing when she is in a dark hole. We asked her about her take on the current trend of indigenous language preservation and her contribution to it as a writer; she stated that she does take pride in her mother tongue language. Consequently, she wrote a poem in her mother tongue, isiXhosa, titled ‘’Mama”, for the Avbob poetry competition, which was published.
Furthermore, Kom has more plans to contribute to indigenous language preservation; she started a poetry contest at the university where students write poems and compete; for now, they write in English, but in 2025, she will introduce isiXhosa in the competition.
Accolades of Anathi Kom
She was awarded for her poetry book at the 6th Annual AfriCAN Honoree Author’s Awards in 2023. One of the achievements she treasures most is being one of the 66 poets from 50 countries who formed part of the international book titled Tranquility. In 2022, she won the 12th position in the Heritage Month poetry competition. One of the topics she finds joy in writing about is ‘family’’; as a result, her short story she collaborated with Mr. Sir Mpho, one of the best South African writers, won a publication.
In 2023, her short story was selected as part of the short story anthology book titled ‘’Spoiling the Broth’’. Kom also got featured in a book titled Botho-collection alongside 67 young African writers. Her dedication and love for poetry have awarded her with a certificate from K Mensual Magazine and a certificate for being a silver winner of the Healing Power Poetry competition. Again, in 2023, she was selected as a finalist for the Ntombhi Ya Mutsonga poetry festival. Kom has received many awards at a tender age; the last award to date is the local hero award winner from Youth Impact in 2023.
Kom epitomizes the future we hope to see for our Youth, particularly those from marginalized communities. In this generation where young people face one challenge and give up on everything, Anathi is a testament to resilience, hope, and determination.
Her book is available from her; she is reachable through her social media platforms: Facebook and Instagram, Anathi Kom.
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