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10 September 2020 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Mlungisi Louw
Dr Francois Smith wants his new book, Die kleinste ramp denkbaar, to be a journey to uncover the real disaster.
The new book by Dr Francois Smith from the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French, Die kleinste ramp denkbaar, is a compelling story about a medical doctor in a typical Free State town. Writing is second nature for Dr Smith, if not first – as evidenced by the success of his debut novel, Kamphoer.

“The success of my previous novel, Kamphoer, greatly contributed to the fact that I was able to get a job at the UFS, especially to teach creative writing,” says Dr Smith, who is currently a Lecturer in Afrikaans and Creative Writing at the University of the Free State (UFS). He does not want to divulge too much about the new book, but says “the story is about a medical doctor in a typical Free State town in whose consulting room a policeman is lying all but senseless from a high fever one morning.” 

The title of the book implies that we all have some kind of disaster fantasy and that the disaster mentioned in the book exists largely in the imagination of the main character – the doctor; that it is something he wants to see. “I am not going to reveal it completely, because in a sense the book is a search for what the disaster is really about,” says Dr Smith. 

For any author, the takeaway message of a book is important. It should touch the lifestyle of the reader in some way. Dr Smith wants Die kleinste ramp denkbaar to say something meaningful about life here in South Africa – “about what makes life here meaningful, or what it is that makes it possible for us to live in the midst of what we experience as a total disaster.” 


Creative Writing a UFS success story

Creative Writing, presented by the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French, is one of the many success stories that the department is proud of. Dr Smith is part of the formidable team driving the course; also part of the team is Prof Henning Pieterse, a Hertzog Prize-winning poet. 

The success of the course is not only evident from the number of applications, but also from the stream of publications from their stable.  “There will be three this year; in addition to mine, there was also the collection of short stories, Luistervink, by Madré Marais, and later this year Anton Roodt’s novel, Weerlose meganika, will be published,” says Dr Smith.



Die kleinste ramp denkbaar was published by Tafelberg Publishers and is part of the many success stories of the department’s Creative Writing course. 

Watch short video clip below:


News Archive

Increase in external research funding is proof of confidence in UFS
2014-12-09

The university’s sourcing of research funding from external organisations has received a significant boost this year. The growth in financing received from the National Research Foundation (NRF) alone increased from R24 million in 2013 to over R50 million in 2014.

“Because tertiary institutions can no longer survive on state subsidies alone, they are increasingly looking at alternative ways of supplementing their income. Income from these sources is utilised for various programmes and projects, with strong emphasis on research,” says Dr Glen Taylor, Senior Director: Research Development at the University of the Free State (UFS).

A source which provided considerable income for the UFS was the presentation of short learning programmes. The growth in income for the learning programmes this year was more than 30% compared to the income in 2012. “Income from short learning programmes is used to support the core business of the UFS,” says Dr Taylor.

A number of major research contracts were entered into during the course of the year. The UFS, for example, serves as an agency for a research contract of USD$10.5 million awarded by the World Bank to the Southern African Development Corporation (SADC). The contract is managed by the Institute for Groundwater Studies (IGS) and involves research on the management and formation of policies on underground water sources across boundaries.

Another substantial grant is the financing received from the Water Research Commission. The money is used to conduct research on the sustainable utilisation of water, as well as ways for the better utilisation thereof for the development of communities. The grant to the UFS for successful projects amounts to R5.5 million on average per year.

The UFS also has contracts with national and international partners. We conduct research of more than R30 million on the behalf of several mining companies, such as Anglo American, BHP Billiton, Exxaro and Goldfields Ltd. “Furthermore, we also have research funding from the National Institute of Health (NIH) in the USA, the European Union and several bilateral research agreements with countries such as Brazil, China and India, as well as contracts with Sasol and the Agricultural Research Council (ARC),” says Dr Taylor.

“We have tremendous interest from several companies wishing to finance the programmes, projects and intellectual property of the UFS, which is proof that our research is recognised and makes a difference,” he says.

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