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20 February 2023 | Story Gerda-Marié van Rooyen | Photo Supplied
Nthabiseng (JahRose) Jafta, a Publishing Coordinator at the University of the Free State (UFS), recently received the Silver Medal Award and other accolades at the Eurasian Literary Festival held in Egypt. She says writing is a way of life for her and she writes anywhere and anytime.

Nthabiseng (JahRose) Jafta, a Publishing Coordinator at African Languages Press in the Library and Information Services at the University of the Free State (UFS), recently received the Silver Medal Award and other accolades at the Eurasian Literary Festival held in Egypt. Jafta, an MA scholar (Creative Writing) at Rhodes University, describes herself as an international performing poet, artpreneur, teacher, festival curator, content developer, and creative strategist born in the Free State.

Being an introvert, she says her love for writing gives her a voice. “I can echo my thoughts and colour my grey sky,” she explains poetically. She feels writing is as natural to her as breathing. She is comfortable writing anywhere and anytime. “There’s no physical area needed. We type on WhatsApp in the taxi. We catch brainwaves whenever they appear.” Jafta's creative juices seem to be overflowing, as she confessed to even getting an idea while contemplating her love for writing. “Life throws you prompts from all spheres, but you have to be present to recognise its call. And sometimes the piece decides if it wants to be happy, erotic, or sad.”
 
Her literacy cap serves Jafta's career as a publisher and her creative writing when time allows. “I read and write. Publish what I read or write. I also happen to recite, read, and sing what I write. It’s all in alignment.” This Deputy President of the National Writers Association of South Africa and founder of the Poetic Blues Virtual Festival writes in her mother tongue, Sesotho, and English. She also has additional experience in the poetry industry, as she was previously the Curator of the Macufe Poetry Festival. She also attended the International Writing Centre at Beijing Normal University part time. Her poems have also been translated into Mandarin and published in Chinese literary magazines.

Jafta says besides the growing catalogue of more than 40 publications, she also has an upcoming multilingual poetry compilation featuring Spanish, Danish, Mandarin, Arabic, KiSwahili, IsiZulu, and Sesotho translations from English. This poet believes poetry is a gift that feeds lyrics to melodies. “And that song carries us to humanity's highs and lows. Prose is how we navigate that gift daily. They are rainbows on melting clouds, events plants rejoice on their rhythmic drops.”

News Archive

Inaugural lecture: Microbial interaction in foods
2005-09-06

Prof Bennie Viljoen from the Department of Microbial- Biochemical and Food Biotechnology at the University of the Free State (UFS) will deliver his inaugural lecture on Wednesday, 7 September 2005 at 19:00 in the CR Swart Auditorium on campus.  

The topic of the lecture is “Microbial interaction in foods:  Emphasis on yeasts”.

Prof Viljoen was appointed as lecturer in the Department of Food Science at the UFS in 1989.  He was promoted to senior lecturer (1994), associate professor (1997) and professor (2004) in the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology.

Prof Viljoen is a NRF B-evaluated scientist, author or co-author of 63 papers in accredited professional journals and seven chapters in scientific books. He contributed to 31 international congresses; four as keynote speaker and eight on invitation, as well as 84 national conference papers. He successfully guided eight Ph D and 20 M Sc students and currently supervises for six Ph D and four M Sc students.  He serves on the International Dairy Federation, the International Commission of Food Mycology and the editorial board of international journals. His research focuses on food microbiology, specialising on yeasts.

For any enquiries, please contact Ms Joan Nel at (051) 401-9301.

Media release
Issued by:  Lacea Loader
   Media Representative
   Tel:  (051) 401-2584
   Cell:  083 645 2454
   E-mail:  loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
5 September 2005
 

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