“Tasting
words on the tongue”: Voices from the University of the Western Cape’s Creative
Writing Masters Programme
Christopher ‘Voice’ Kudyahakudadirwe holds a MA in Creative Writing
from the University of the Western Cape, a BA (Honours) from University of the
Western Cape, a B.A. English and Communication Studies from Zimbabwe Open
University. Some of his poems were published in an anthology called Best ‘New’ African Poets 2015. At the
moment he is finalising his novel entitled: You
Are Not Alone which deals with cultural practices and the prevalence of HIV
in Zimbabwe. The opening chapters of the novel have been published as a short
story entitled ‘Voices of the Ancestors’ in New
Contrast magazine.
Ethne Mudge is completing her Masters in Creative Writing at the
University of the Western Cape while also teaching first year literature. Her
poetry has been published in UWC’s poetry anthology, Harvest and she is working on a creative non-fiction novella set in
1950’s Cape Town. Her interests are post-colonial feminist identities,
Afrikaans as identifier of place, and identification with the animal subject.
She is a Namibian farm girl living in the Bo Kaap with her dog, Strauss.
Jolyn Phillips was born and grew up in
Blompark, Gansbaai on the western Cape coast. She is currently working on her
PhD in Language Education at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and is a
2014 Mandela Rhodes Scholar. In 2013 she completed a Masters in Creative
Writing at UWC. Since 2012, she has participated in the Open Book and the
Franschoek Literary Festivals. Her writing has also been published in Aerodrome, an online literary website, an
anthology This Land I Call Home (UWC CREATES)
and Ghost Eater and Other Stories (Umuzi).
Tjieng Tjang Tjerries and Other Stories (Modjadji, 2016) is her first book.
Gahlia Phillips is an actor and poet. Having performed in Theatre
and Television since a very young age, she currently is an Agent in Film &
Television as well as In-House Acting Coach for Ice Artistes. She has a Masters
Cum Laude in Creative Writing (University of the Western Cape), a Bachelor of
Arts Theatre Performance majoring in English Literature (University of Cape Town)
and a Teachers’ Diploma (London Trinity College). As well as being a
Professional Actor she teaches privately in Performance and Movement and has
worked as a tutor at the University of the Western Cape in English Literature.
Gahlia’s Eastern European blood brings a great source of inspiration to all her
work, particularly to her collection, Gertrude, in which she takes women’s
stories out of ‘silence’ and into the public domain.
Sandra Hill is a Stellenbosch-based freelance writer, editor and
writing facilitator, working primarily with civil society organisations. Her début collection of short stories
UnSettled was published by Modjaji Books in 2015. Her poetry and prose has been
published by New Contrast, Aerodrome, Jacana and Umuzi. She was awarded a Masters
degree (cum laude) in Creative Writing from the University of the Western Cape
in 2013.
Hilda Wilson, the youngest of four, was born into a family divided by 'race' and the railway line in the year of the Rivonia Treason trial, when Neville Alexander, with whom she later worked at SACHED Trust, was imprisoned on Robben Island, and also when controversial Afropop singer Brenda Fassie entered this world. Hilda draws on her socio-political context in her poetry. She started writing prose two years ago for her MA in Creative Writing, which culminated in a collection titled, "Visklippie and other Cape Town stories". She has an M.Admin cum laude and works in higher education administration. She has two adult children and two dogs.
Hilda Wilson, the youngest of four, was born into a family divided by 'race' and the railway line in the year of the Rivonia Treason trial, when Neville Alexander, with whom she later worked at SACHED Trust, was imprisoned on Robben Island, and also when controversial Afropop singer Brenda Fassie entered this world. Hilda draws on her socio-political context in her poetry. She started writing prose two years ago for her MA in Creative Writing, which culminated in a collection titled, "Visklippie and other Cape Town stories". She has an M.Admin cum laude and works in higher education administration. She has two adult children and two dogs.
