Tjawangwa Dema
TJ Dema is a performance poet, creative writer, columnist and voice over artist. She is on the executive committee of the national arts bodies Lentswe La Basadi ba Botswana (LLBB). She is also a member of The Writers Association of Botswana(WABO) for which she was Publicity Secreatry(2005/07), The Livepoets and a founding member of both the recently established Society of Women in Performance Arts (SWIPA) and the acclaimed Exoduslivepoetry! collective (ELP), who have coordinated and financed Botswana's only annual poetry festival for four consecutive years as well as managing a collaborative effort with Yarona fm hosting a weekly poetry platform on radio; a first initiative of its kind in Botswana. She has participated in and performed at "a million" workshops, art exhibitions and corporate events including the 2005 SADC Gender conference, Bua! on Constitution Hill, Debswana Paste'08 week in Kasane,Oprah Tea Party, Miss Botswana 2005 and 2007, the monthly ELP shows, a number of British Council and American Embassy occasions and Live Poets open mic sessions. TJ is a 2005/06 participant in the British Council's Crossing Borders project.
Throughout her journey she has been blessed with spaces that have allowed her to share the stage with wordsmiths such as Zena Edwards, Jacob Sam La Rose, Lebo Mashile, Kojo, Andreattah Chuma, Napo, Kabomo, Myesha Jenkins, Kgafela oa Magogodi, Barolong Seboni, Toni Blackman and Adisa. TJ has been nominated and shortlisted for numerous poetry awards including Poet of the Year 2008, she is a 2002 International Poet of Merit award holder, 2007 International Society of Poets Poetry Ambassador and 2007 Bessie Head Literature award first runner up.
"From the day I was born I have been chasing the perfect way to communicate thus I am perpetually talking, writing, drawing, performing, modeling or presenting shows on radio; like the Bambara I am a firm believer in preserving knowledge and enabling it to travel through time by entrusting it to children". TJ Dema is currently the mentor for the 2007/08 Botswana national champions of the Power in the Voice finals.
TJ's work is available on the 2005 Infinite Word Festival dvd, the Lounge Cafe I cd, Mahube Writer's Journal 2006, Mahube Launch DVD and has postings on poetry.com. Her work has been featured in numerous international anthologies, within the continent her appearances and interviews include various youth radio stations, televison shows including Yarona fm,Btv, the BBC, Mnet Studio 53 and Mnet Africa.
