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03 January 2023
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Photo Evert Kleynhans
Dr Dolf van Niekerk.
The University of the Free State (UFS) would like to express its condolences to the family and friends of South African author, Dr Dolf van Niekerk, on his passing.
Dr Van Niekerk, the recipient of an
honorary doctorate from the UFS, passed away on 31 December 2022. The UFS awarded a Doctor of Letters to Dr Dolf van Niekerk during its April 2021 graduation ceremony.
Dr Van Niekerk was a celebrated author who also achieved fame as a dramatist and radio presenter. An alumnus of the UFS, he received a BA degree from the university cum laude in 1949. He also played a role in academia and was an emeritus professor at the University of Pretoria until his retirement in 1994. His work includes 27 books in philosophy, poetry, fiction, drama, and memoirs, for which he has received numerous awards. These include the
Eugene Marais Prize, the MER Prize, and the Scheepers Award for Youth Literature.
“Dr van Niekerk is a Kovsie alumnus with a deep connection to the Free State. He played a significant role in the country’s literary history, and it was an honour for the university to award him with an honorary degree. A wordsmith of note, Dr van Niekerk’s contributions to South African literature, radio, and stage will live on," says
Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor.
Academic takes Afrikaans to community
2009-09-11
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Ms Corlietha Swart, lecturer in Linguistics in the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French at the University of the Free State, expresses her passion for Afrikaans through her involvement with various community projects like the Bloemfonteinse Skrywersvereniging, of which she is the chairperson. This project has approximately 145 members countrywide. Annually this vibrant society, which turns 40 next year, organises a national writing competition which has grown into the largest of its kind with approximately 1 054 entries this year, including those from overseas. A workshop for budding writers is also presented annually and is attended free of charge by the prize winners of the writing competition as part of their prizes. During this year’s event, the publication Inkvars 2009, which contains the winning contributions of the winners of the national writing competition, was launched. Ms Swart compiled the publication’s volume of creative contributions which also contains the adjudicators’ reports and is a handy guide for teachers of creative writing classes. Pictured at the workshop from the left, front, are: Ms Swart (Chairperson: BSV), Prof. Hans du Plessis (Presenter), Mrs Cecilia van der Linde (Vice-Chairperson: BSV). Back, from the left, are: Mr Kassie Joubert (Committee Member: BSV), Mrs Christa Jonker-Jordaan (Committee Member: BSV) and Ms Magda Janse van Rensburg (Treasurer: BSV).
Photo: Supplied |