Personal
I was born under Southern stars and grew up in a medium-sized town in the North-Western part of the country, renouned for its many huge acorn trees. The seasons, manifesting as July-bareness, blossoming into startling September-green, followed by abundant deep green December-leaves that mellowed into orange and brown in April and crumbled beneath our feet as we walked to school, are forever imprinted in my mind.
I have been a fanatic reader since early childhood. I was fascinated to discover people in books who lived in far away countries – countries that I had to search for on maps, but these characters were just like me: they were also sometimes lonely, sometimes frustrated, sometimes weary, they laughed and they cried but they battled on and dealt with whatever they had to face. The stories gave me perspective.
We are the inhabitants of the blue planet, a mere dot in the universe. I hope that in some small way I can make this world a better place by writing down and sharing the stories that come to me.
Education
1966: Matriculated: Hoërskool Gimnasium, Potchefstroom
1969: BA: Potchefstroom University: English III (cum laude) Latin III (cum laude)
1970: University Education Diploma: Potchefstroom University (cum laude)
1988-1990: Psychology I, II and III: UNISA (cum laude)
1991: Psychology Honours: Rand Afrikaans University (cum laude)
Teaching experience
1971-1972: English and Latin – Hoërskool Gimnasium, Potchefstroom
1973: English and Latin – Hoërskool Fakkel, Johannesburg
Writing courses
Correspondence Writing Course
I conceptualised a writing course for aspiring writers in February 2000. The course focused on the making of a story nucleus which can be adapted to fit the requirements of whichever genre the student aspires to attempt, e.g. picture books, youth novels, TV scripts or magazine stories.
This Correspondence Writing Course (via e-mail, fax or snail mail) consisted of various modules, which the students could complete at their own pace. Personal feedback and encouragement were given at the completion of assignments.
It was extremely practical and aimed to get and to keep someone in front of the word processor. The course also provided an opportunity for self-development as well as for the exploration of the therapeutic value of creative writing.
One or Two Day Workshops on the Making of a Story Nucleus
From 2000 to 2004, I presented several personal and interactive workshops on the making of a story nucleus for Afrikaans and English aspirant writers over the whole of South Africa. These workshops concentrated on the essence of the contents of the Correspondence Course, namely that the writer is the source of his/her own stories, thus it also provided ample opportunity for the acquiring of self-knowledge and the exploration of the therapeutic value of creative writing.
The people who did the course and attended the workshops were overwhelmingly positive about the effect it had on them and on their writing.
My experience as a writer and presenter of writing workshops culminated in the publication of Eendag was daar ‘n storie – ‘n praktiese storiemaakkursus (Tafelberg 2003)(One Day There Was a Story – A Practical Story-Making Guide)
I published Die land van stories – ‘n praktiese storiemaakkursus - Vir almal met ‘n liefde vir stories in 2009 (The Land of Stories – A Practical Story-Making Guide – for everyone who loves stories) which is the totally reworked version of the previous story-making guide.
Publications
1992: Jy en die draakakkedis (J.L. van Schaik)
1992: You and the Dinosaur (J.L. van Schaik)
1993: Jy en Hercules (J.L. van Schaik)
1994: The Friendly Elephant (Hodder & Stoughton)
1994: Daar’s ‘n spook in my kas (Human & Rousseau)
1994: Nicola B. – Streng Privaat (Tafelberg)
1994: Jy en Toetenkat (J.L. van Schaik)
1994: Anderkantland (Tafelberg)
1994: Van die banke op die planke (Kagiso) (one play)
1995: ‘n Haas moet doen wat ‘n haas moet doen (Human & Rousseau)
1996: Tersia Thom 1- Vriend of Vyand (Tafelberg)
1996: Tersia Thom 2- Die Donkerhoek-Driehoek (Tafelberg)
1996: Tersia Thom 3- Skerwe in drome (Tafelberg)
1996: My naam is Alexander en wat daarvan? (Kagiso)
1996: In die tyd van die Esob (Tafelberg)
1997: Op die spoor van die Leseavanger (Juta)
1997: Droomvangers (Human & Rousseau)
1998: Tersia Thom 4 – Bloed is die kleur van ivoor (Tafelberg)
1998: Maar my magtig, Moesoek (Tafelberg)
1999: Perfectly Me (Cambridge University Press)
1999: Vonkfiksie (Human & Rousseau) (Two stories)
2000: Die Balkieboek (Human & Rousseau)
2000: Babelela (LAPA)
2000: Anderekantland (Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen)
2001: Lisa het ‘n plan (LAPA)
2003: Ek is Simon (Tafelberg)
2003: I am Simon (Tafelberg)
2003: Eendag was daar ‘n storie – ‘n praktiese storiemaakkursus (Tafelberg)
2003: Tortoise without a head (Nasou-Via Afrika)
2003: The Lonely Dragon (Nasou-Via Afrika)
2003: Skilpad sonder ‘n dop (Nasou-Via Afrika)
2003: Die eensame draak (Nasou-Via Afrika)
2003: Daar’s ‘n spook in my kas (Nasou-Via Afrika)
2003: Jamie en Sebastiaan (LAPA)
2004: Balkie en die Kleurdief (Human & Rousseau)
2004: Die Hart van Zeebak (Tafelberg)
2004: Diep, diep in ‘n donker bos (LAPA) .
2004: Afrika Vertel (Nasou-Via Afrika)
2004/2005: Balkie en die son se slaapplek (Best Books)
2004/2005: Balkie and the Sun’s Resting Place (Best Books)
2004/2005: Balkie en die woeste virus (Best Books)
2004/2005: Balkie and the Vicious Virus (Best Books)
2004/2005: Balkie en die lugrowers (Best Books)
2004/2005: Balkie and the Pirates of the Sky (Best Books)
2007: Jy en die dinosourus (LAPA)
2007: Jy en Hercules (LAPA)
2007: Jy en Toetenkat (LAPA)
2008: Jamie en Sebastiaan en die storiemol (LAPA) co-written with Martie Kruger
2008: Lisa het ‘n plan (LAPA)
2009: Loebi-leesreeks/Loebi Reading Series (www.kinderwerf.co.za)
2009: Vandag is nie gister nie – an adult novel
2009: Die land van stories – ‘n praktiese storiemaakkursus – Vir almal met ‘n liefde vir stories
Various stories and essays for radio and magazines.
TV-scripts
3-UP (e-tv) (links and some of the material)
Thysie Kwadraat (SABC2)
A Child of Africa (Sonneblom Films)
Regular Children’s stories in magazines
Monthly children’s story (Balkie) in rooirose (January 1993 – December 2005)
Weekly children’s story (Jamie en … Sebastiaan) in vrouekeur (2000 – 2004)
Monthly story (Kanja die Derde) in rooirose (January 2006 – April 2008)
Awards
1994: Silver Sanlam Award for Youth Literature for Anderkantland
1996: ATKV Children’s Book Award for Daar’s ‘n spook in my kas
1996: ATKV Children’s Book Award for Jy en Toetenkat
1996: C.P. Hoogenhout Medal for Anderkantland
1996: Sanlam Award for Youth Literature for In die tyd van die Esob
1998: In die tyd van die Esob is added to the Honours Role of IBBY
1999: Runner-up in competition for short fiction (De Kat & Human & Rousseau)
2001: Alba Bouwer Award for Children’s Books for Die Balkieboek
2002: ATKV Children’s Book Award for Die Balkieboek
2003: Tienie Holloway Medal for Babalela and Lisa het ‘n plan
2004: M.E.R Award for Children’s Literature for Ek is Simon
2006: Tienie Holloway Medal for Diep, diep in ‘n donker bos
