Roché Kester is a dynamic figure in South Africa’s literary and performance art landscape. An award-winning poet, cultural curator, and activist, she uses her voice—and stage—to foster visibility, justice, and healing. Her work bridges personal narrative and collective struggle, making space for diverse identities and voices.

Roché is a poet, writer & performer who leads a powerful creative voice through both written and spoken word. She is an event curator who founded and hosted Grounding Sessions, a weekly poetry showcase in Cape Town for three years. She also co-curated #CoCreatePoetica at the Open Book Festival in 2016, and has curated events at both the Franschhoek Literary Festival and the McGregor Poetry Festival. Her poetry appears in This is my land (UWC Creates, 2012), and her prose in Sisterhood (Powa’s Women’s Writing, 2012). She most recently featured in Touch (2021). As an Anthology Contributor, she has featured in the Cape Cultural Collective’s Beyond Truth’s Edge (2022) anthology alongside 14 other prominent South African poets.

Roché is a performance & festival highlights includes Poetry Africa Festival where she performed at the 2022 festival during the opening event “What’s a Woman’s Worth?” inspired by themes of empowerment and non-conformity. She also performed at Poem Themes where she showcased her works tackling intersectional identity, trauma, mental health, gender, sexuality, and social justice, showcasing both vulnerability and strength.

Roché activism & values includes Art as Resistance where she advocates for literature and art as tools for dismantling oppressive structures and amplifying marginalized voices. As a Queer & Feminist voice, she has strong presence in queer and feminist circles, using poetry to challenge societal norms and advocate for equity and visibility.