J.P. Smuts

J.P. Smuts (1934 – 2015) was an academic and literary critic.

Biography

Born Johannes Pieter Smuts, he studied at the University of Stellenbosch completing BA (1955), BA (Hons) in History (1957), BEd (1959), BA (Hons) in Afrikaans and Dutch (1960), an MA (cum laude) (1968), D.Litt (1975).

He spent number of years as a teacher of Afrikaans, working for the Woordeboek van die Afrikaanse Taal and the Faculty of Education at the University of Stellenbosch, before being appointed as a lecturer in the Departement Afrikaans en Nederlands ("Department of Afrikaans and Dutch department at the university in 1971. In 1986 he was made professor, serving as chair of the Department from 1989 to 1991, and retiring in 1994. He played an important role as a member and, for a while chairman, of the literary commission of the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns (1990 to 2007) and as a reader for a number of publishing houses.

In 2003 he was the recipient of the Gustav Preller-prize for literature and literary criticism from the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns ("The South African Academy for Science and Arts").

Contribution to South African drama, theatre and performance

An avid researcher, he wrote extensively on Afrikaans prose and drama. Of particular importance for theatre studies have been his many "dramakronieke" ("drama chronicles") in the Tydskrif vir Geesteswetenskappe (The Journal of Humanities) and a contribution on the Afrikaans drama in Die Afrikaanse literatuur sedert sestig (1980), a literary history edited by T.T. Cloete.

His academic articles on dramas and radio plays during the period 1977-2006 appeared in prominent academic journals like Standpunte, Tydskrif vir Letterkunde, Tydskrif vir Geesteswetenskappe and the South African Theatre Journal. A substantial number of reviews of new Afrikaans drama texts were published in Die Burger and broadcast in the radio programme Skrywers en Boeke.

A selection of his many reviews were also published in the book Burgerband (1985).

His publications also include the following books and sections of books on drama:

The section on drama in Die Afrikaanse literatuur sedert sestig (edited by T.T. Cloete, 1980);

Triptiek: Tekste vir die verhoog, radio en televisie, a collection of texts selected, edited and introduced by Smuts (1986);

"Verby die woord: Nagspel as videodrama" in Spel en Spieël (edited by Charles Malan) 1985;

"Chris Barnard", in Perspektief en Profiel Vol. 1 (edited by H.P. van Coller) 1999.

With his wife and colleague, Ria Smuts, he also published a number of collections of short stories and dramas for school use.

For a further listing of his writing, see J.P. Smuts in the ESAT Bibliography.

Contribution to South African Theatre, Film, Media and Performance

His area of specialization was drama and he and his wife Ria Smuts (Ria Lessing) over the years reviewed, wrote on and compiled collections of plays for use by universities and schools. These include Triptiek: Tekste vir die verhoog, radio en televisie published in 1986.