Gideon Palm Tree

Genre : Spoken Word
City : Lilongwe
Country : Malawi

Biography

Lilongwe-based poet Gideon Makondetsa Thole, stage name Gideon Palm Tree, is emerging in Malawi's Poetry industry with his captivating wordplay and performances. The 27-year-old writer, spoken word artist and primary school teacher's journey into poetry was inspired by his love for literature. His commitment to the craft bore fruits in 2018 when he published his first book of poems titled Sparks of Reality when he was in Form Four at Mitundu Secondary School in Lilongwe. Transitioning from written poetry to spoken word, Thole released his debut album, Down the Rivers in 2020 under Legacy Music Inc. Exploring themes of societal rights, climate action and relationships, his poetry is a combination of passion, creativity and actisim since he doesn't just write spoken word poetry that only resonate with the audience, but also strives to ignite conversations, fostering love and inspire positive change within communities. In 2024, he performed at the Deft Poetry Festival alongside renowned poets such as Hudson Chamasowa, Raphael Sitima and Q Malewezi. In 2025, he performed at Nasfest International Youth Cultural Festival. He also serves as secretary for the Central Region Chapter of the Poetry Association of Malawi. Thole's discography includes albums such as Moments and down the rivers, Palms and Trees EP and singles such as Growing up, Tataya Mzati, Apongozi and Reflections written by motivational speaker and portfolio investor Benedicto Bena Nkhoma.

Thole plans to publish more works that advocate for mental health, social justice and climate action as he aims to collaborate with fellow poets, musicians and filmmakers to show the essence of poetry in changing lives despite how much it is overlooked these days.