Itumeleng Qhali

Itumeleng Qhali is a South African bilingual writer, editor, sustainable development practitioner and social justice activist. She is a 2022 Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity and the founder of Loss-iLahleko which has produced South Africa's first multilingual book series on gender-based violence. Qhali holds a master’s degree in creative writing, obtained with distinction, from Rhodes University and she holds qualifications in public policy, development studies and economics. Her work has appeared in literary magazines and journals including The Red Wheelbarrow, Agbowo Magazine, The Kalahari Review, and The New Contrast Literary Journal. She currently heads up research and development at Qhama Social Housing Institute and the Steve Biko Precinct in the Eastern Cape Province, a living memorial development combining housing, art and heritage preservation. She is the creator of the precincts’ book series titled, My Story-Your Heritage, created to archive the untold stories of the fallen and living freedom fighters from the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Her debut poetry collection, Crying in my mother tongue: Ukulila, is set to be released in 2024 under the APFB Chapbook series. Qhali is a mother of two and currently lives between the Eastern Cape province where she was born and Johannesburg.