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Author Bio
Adiela Akoo, a recipient of the prestigious Dux Award (Valedictorian), is a South African poet, author, and all round creative, with a background in banking and comprehensive healing.
She has served in various positions including as Provincial Coordinator for an International holistic healing association. As an ambassador of literacy, she also volunteered her time in the position of vice chair of the Literacy Association of South Africa, Litasa, KZN. But her passion has always been towards her creative side.
She attributes the inculcation of her
love for the written word to her mother,
who encouraged her at an early age.
Her poems and essays first appeared in print in the quarterly literary journal, The Moving Finger, for which she was one of the three co-founders. She has since been published in a variety of magazines, journals and anthologies across the world, including Fidelities, Different Horizons, Sincerely Yours, Emotional Journey's', Renaissance, Sufi, Nature 2018-2019, Grey Thoughts, 25 Years of Freedom, Tales for Love, Best of Africa, Universul Culturii, Best Emerging Poets of 2019, Best New African Poets of 2020 to 2024, The Penmen Review, The Poet Magazine, Last Stanza, Our Poetry Archive, I Wish I'd Said Vol 3, ILA Magazine, and others listed here (with links when available)
She won the Poetry in my Mind August 2019 Poem Contest with her poem "As You Perceive" and again in April 2020 with her poem "VIRUS". "Redolent" was a runner up in a contest by Rui M Publishing, "Pre Natal" was nominated Poem of the Day on the popular poetry site PoemHunter and "A Scent on a Breeze" was picked up for publishing by Nightingale & Sparrow. "Whiplash" was quoted in the House of Parliament.
Her activies on the literary scene include participation in public readings of her work, live and on air; being a guest of honour at the opening address of the MSA of the University of KwaZulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg campus, where she had the pleasure of interacting with promising young poets; being a judge at the Zee TV Miss India South Africa International Pageant; a guest speaker at The Alan Paton Literary Festival; and the Madibaland World Literary Festival. Adiela's poetry was featured at Versopolis. She has represented the Durban UNESCO City of Literature, on various occasions, in collaborations with other cities of literature. She is also the founder and editor of The Quilled Ink Review international literary journal.
Adiela was nominated as one of the Top 7 'Most Promising Literary Influencers' at the Global Book Community Awards 2020. She has also received The Silver Star Award from the Global Literary Society for 'excellent contribution to world literature'. Her debut collection, Lost in a Quatrain, was First Runner Up in the poetry category at the South African Independent Publisher (SAIP) Awards 2021 and has been subsequently translated into several languages.
Lost in a Quatrain is an easy, yet deep, soul stirring read with each poem telling a story that pieces together the puzzle of this crazy, not always romantic, experience we call life. It is a thought-provoking read on a journey to becoming, a journey of hope and healing.
Adiela is the Founder and CEO of Quilled Ink Press. She has also created a line of beautiful bookish merchandise based on her writing and other inspirations.
You may find a more indepth cronical of her journey in press.
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