TO BE COMPLETED AND EDITED

Geoffrey Haresnape (1939-) is an academic, researcher and poet.

Biography

Born in Durban in 1939 , he completed an MA in English Literature at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 1961) and a PhD at the University of Sheffield, UK, in 1982 with studies of four South African writers, Pauline Smith (MA), Roy Campbell, William Plomer and Laurens van der Post (PhD). Began his teaching career at Rhodes University (1961) then at Wits (1963–1968). In 1969 he returned to UCT in 1969 as a Senior Lecturer in English Literature, remaining there until his retirement in 2005 with the title of Emeritus Professor.

He met his wife, Lesley Deeble, in 1957, when they were both UCT undergraduates.

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

He published literary criticism, poems and novels throughout his career, including African Tales from Shakespeare (Juta-Gariep, 1999) and numerous literary essays in journals. In 2017 he received a Thomas Pringle Award from the English Academy of Southern Africa for Ad hoc Reviews and Review articles.

He was deeply involved with editorial work for over sixty years, beginning in the 1950s with his editorial role at the UCT the student literary magazine. From 1980 to 1989, he was editor of ‘’Contrast’’, South Africa’s leading English literary magazine. Later he was also a Creative Writing editor for the ‘’English Academy Review’’.