As you open the pages of this, the third Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award anthology, an open-throated choir greets you in celebration. Those reclaiming the tongue that has been lost, refusing to be silenced, are defiant and triumphant. They sing on behalf of the voiceless. Rich, powerful South African voices are speaking in our different languages to articulate their experiences, the private and political, the contemporary and historic. This book brings South African poetry lovers, those who read and those who write, a portal to the richest of our talent. These outpourings have been prompted by the banalities and catastrophes of daily existence, great and small. The words enable South Africans to digest what happens here and grant foreigners a compelling insight into the country’s diverse people. The Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award is supported by the European Union and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.