Toni Stuart

• Name — Toni Stuart • Born — 21 January 1983 • Birthplace — Cape Town, South Africa • Occupation — Writer, poet, performer • Language — English, Afrikaans • Education — Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Stuart started writing poetry from the age of 15. She grew up in Athlone, a suburb of Cape Town. Even from a young age her work has shown a consistent interest in dealing with issues of social inequality. After finishing high school, she studied Journalism at CPUT from 2001 until 2003. In 2002 she was one of a chosen few to take part in the African/European Relations exchange programme with Fonty's Hogescholen Joernalistiek in Tilburg, The Netherlands. Initially, Toni worked as a journalist and as a developer of the youth in the NGO sector. She now follows her passion for poetry full-time.

Toni Stuart is also known as a workshop facilitator. She has worked with a number of schools, NGOs and the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation.

Stuart's work has been published by STE Publishers, Jacana Media, Quickfox Publishing, Africa Sun Press and Deep South Publishing. • Looking Back, Going Forward: Young Voices on Freedom (British Council, STE Publishers, 2004) • The Ground's Ear (QuickFox Publishing, 2011) • The Sol Plaatje EU Poetry Prize Anthology (Jacana Media, 2013) • In the Heat of Shadows, South African Poetry 1996–2013 (Deep South Publishing, 2014) • The McGregor Poetry Festival Anthology 2013 (Africa Sun Press, 2013)

• The Agenda Journal on Teenage Fertility and Desire (Unisa Press and Routledge, 2011) • Facing Feelings in Faith Communities, William Kondrath (Alban, 2013)

• The Silence that Words Come From • Arts Aweh Ambassadors

• Innocent Wisdom • Ma ek ko huis toe