Edwin Hees

Edwin Hees (1946-) is a teacher, lecturer of English, Drama and Film, academic author, translator, critic and language editor.

Biography

Born in Benoni, South Africa, he studied at the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of South Arica, where he completed a masters and a doctorate.

Starting his professional career as a high school English teacher, he was soon appointed to the English Department at the University of South Africa, where he was studying part time. In 1979 he joined the English Department at Stellenbosch University, teaching among other things drama and film. For many years he has also been a visiting professor at the University of Salzburg under an exchange agreement between the Universities.

His contribution to South African Theatre, Film, Media and Performance

In 2005 he was appointed an Associate Professor and Postgraduate Coordinator at the Drama Department at Stellenbosch. He is on the editorial boards of a number of journals, including Critical Arts, an Assistant Editor of the South African Theatre Journal (SATJ) and a founding advisor to the Encyclopaedia of South African Theatre, Film, Media and Performance (ESAT).

His research specialisations include the history of theatre and film, in particular in South Africa, field in which he has published a number of works. One of his most influential publications has been The National Film Board of South Africa: A Short History. (University of Stellenbosch, 1991).

He retired in 2012, to continue with a freelance career in translation and language editing.