The new Masters degree in creative writing offered at the Institute for the Study of English in Africa was officially opened by Rhodes Vice Chancellor, Saleem Badat, at St Peter’s Campus last Friday.
The new Masters degree in creative writing offered at the Institute for the Study of English in Africa was officially opened by Rhodes Vice Chancellor, Saleem Badat, at St Peter’s Campus last Friday.
The programme is only the second dedicated Masters programme in creative writing to be accredited in South Africa. Eight candidates were selected from 22 applications. In addition to completing a book-length work, the students will participate in an intensive coursework programme taught by 10 Eastern Cape writers, undertake intensive reading of books of their own choice, and maintain a reflective journal in which they chart their progress and engage theoretical aspects of the writing process.
“The reason I am here tonight,” Badat said in his welcome to the students, “is because of a question I asked. I asked Professor (Laurence) Wright, ‘How will the R100 000 we put into this course benefit the University?’” Wright promptly invited him to open the course and see for himself.
Also present at the cocktail function were Rhodes Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Dr Sizwe Mabizela and Dr Peter Clayton. Wright, who is programme coordinator for the course, added that demand for the degree had been vigorous, and that next year, when the MA would also be offered part-time, the competition for places would be even stronger.
“Creative writing is growing in universities across the world,” he said. “People feel a need to explore the complexity and richness of their lives and societies in different ways.” Encouraging creative writing at tertiary level was vitally important for literary culture, said course co-ordinator Robert Berold.
“This programme will extend the emotional range of the university towards the emotional and intuitive end of the scale, and will add a valuable new dimension to artistic and intellectual life at Rhodes,” he said. He said the students' and teachers’ interaction would grow into a new literary community – something writers always needed.
