Riana Scheepers

Riana Scheepers (born 1957) [1]. Afrikaans author.

Biography

Born in Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal on 9 December 1957, she matriculated as head girl from the Vryheid High School in 1975. She won several prizes in poetry, writing, and debating competitions. She participated in various sports and acquired Northern Natal colours for athletics, swimming, and decorative diving.

She obtained a BA in Communication Studies, BA Hons in Afrikaans, and MA in Afrikaans (all cum laude) at the University of the Free State (UFS). During her years at university, she excelled in various fields. Among others, she was editor of the student magazine, Irawa, and in 1979 she was elected to the Central Student Representative Council.

From January 1985 to March 1988, she worked as academic assistant in the Department of Afrikaans-Dutch at the UFS. After this, she accepted a post as lecturer at the University of Zululand, and later as lecturer in Afrikaans and Dutch at the University of Cape Town. From 1992, she was a part-time radio reporter for Die Burger, and in 1995 she joined Tafelberg Publishers as liaison editor. She continued her studies, obtaining a doctorate in Afrikaans and Dutch at the University of Cape Town in 1997.

In 1999, she accepted a teaching post at Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch, where she started the Stellenbosch School of Writing and Creative Thinking. She resigned in 2001 to devote more time to her creative writing.

After marrying her second husband in September 2002, she worked as farm manager in the Wellington district and with the women in the vineyards, presented literacy classes for adults in the farming community, as well as an annual course in Writing and Creative Thinking. In 2015, she and her husband moved to Wildernis near George.

As an author and editors whe has over the years been Huisgenoot’s social adviser for the column Vra vir dr Adri (since 2002), managed several columns and wrote stories and sketches for, among numerous newspapers and journals. She has been a speaker at schools, reading circles, and study groups on numerous occasions and on occasion undertook lecture tours on her own work and on Afrikaans literature in countries like the Netherlands, Friesland, and Poland.In 2000, she became a member of the South African Academy for Science and Arts.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

A translation by her of a musical, poetic drama into Afrikaans, entitled Ondanks die Reën, was produced at the Klein Libertas Teater in 2001.

A dramatised version of her children's book Die avonture van Wilde Wildemientjie was produced during the KKNK 2006 and was awarded as best production for children.

In 2003 a production of Hex, based on Feeks (short stories written by Riana), directed by Heike Gehring, starring Bongiwe Ngxoli was presented at the KKNK. It was subsequently staged in Johannesburg. Gehring directed Hex in 2010 in a production by the Rhodes University Drama Department.

She also created a trilogy musical pieces, in association with Niël Rademan, namely Clara (the story of Clara Schumann, 2023), Hoe mooi val die lig and Vivaldi en die vondeling ("Vivaldi and the foundling", 2026)