Professor Marius Crous and Dr Muki Moeng, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Learning and Teaching
Marius Crous studied at the universities of Stellenbosch, South Africa and Cape Town. He completed his doctorate in Afrikaans literature at the University of Stellenbosch in 2003 and in 2013, a second doctorate in English literature at UCT.
He is the author of four collections of poetry in Afrikaans and some of his poems have also been translated into English and published in anthologies.
He is the editor of a collection of essays on the work of Marlene van Niekerk published as Die Tempteerbare Oog (The Tempting Eye) and has published extensively on various aspects of literature and literary analysis in academic journals.
Other activities include chairing the committee who appoints the Ingrid Jonker Prize for a debut collection of poetry (Afrikaans and English), serving as editor of STILET, the journal of the Afrikaans Literary Society (ALV) and is also a member of the literary commission of the SA Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns.
Before joining the Nelson Mandela University in 2009, he taught at the universities of KZN, Namibia and worked as a Hansard reporter for parliament.
Summary of the lecture
The title of the lecture is taken from Shakespeare’s Hamlet and the two key words read and words form the basis of this lecture.
In the academic context we are constantly busy with words, not only as literary scholars but even as scientists.
At first, I will comment on reading as a search for meaning, the notion of multiple interpretations and illustrate this briefly in the context of literary analysis.
Subsequently, I will focus on my interest in creative writing both as lecturer and poet and talk about the poet as reader.
Why does the poet read? What does he read? I will also refer to examples from my own four collections of Afrikaans poetry (in translated form) as illustrations.
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