Hey! My name is Zodwa Mtirara. I am a Mthatha-born, Vaal raised singer/songwriter, writer, and poet. \r\n\r\nI am a bilingual (IsiXhosa & English) Poet and Writer. I hold a Master of Arts degree in Creative Writing from Rhodes University (2020). My MA thesis (Ingqumbo Yomthondo Kukuzika Kohlanga/Thorn of the Rose) is a contribution to literature by women for women. It questions the role of religion and IsiXhosa culture in the exacerbation of Gender Based Violence. It also highlights the mental and emotional scars left by these institutions on the feminine autonomyrnwhich then result in sexual rebellion. I am published in a number of anthologies and online poetry series which include Tyhini 2019 (ISEA, Makhanda), New Coin 2020 and 2021 (Makhanda), A Plague of Poems (Scotland), Reddits Poetry (Makhanda).