The Life Righting Collective runs courses to encourage self-exploration through life writing, raises funds for course fees and brings people together to share their stories and grow community.
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Author Biographies

BIO - DENISE ZINN

Denise is a semi-retired academic and was a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Learning and Teaching, as well as Education Dean, at Nelson Mandela University and Fort Hare. Her research has focused on […]
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BIO - GWENDOLYN MEYER

I was born in 1963 and grew up in Cape Town and Johannesburg.  When I was 21 years old, I left South Africa to join a Kibbutz in Israel and, […]
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BIO - MARC J SOLOMON

Marc is a very part time writer and mostly, these days, a birder. His passion is birds; finding them, watching them and learning about them. Now and then he tries to […]
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BIO - NOTUKELA MAKOHLISO

Human rights activist, Businesswoman, Writer, Storyteller.   Notukela was involved in a traumatic motor vehicle accident which left her hemiplegic. Consequently, she utilises a wheelchair to mobilise, her right arm has […]
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BIO - RENÉ PAUL GOSSELIN

Born on 2nd April 1951 in The Bailiwick of Jersey, René studied in local schools, before leaving for the English Mainland, Japan, France and eventually South Africa. He worked in Transport, […]
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BIO – ALLAN LANGE

Allan Lange was born in Bredasdorp and spent his childhood in small towns like Graaff-Reinet, Oudtshoorn and Bedford where his father followed the career of a country bank accountant/manager. He […]
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BIO – AMILIA KISHUNLAL

If I am not contemplating the great vast space conundrum, ghosting about the Hogwarts Express or planting away in my garden, then you can usually find me in some comfortable […]
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BIO – ANNA NAKAMURA

Anna Nakamura (a nom de plume) wrote Altered States in an attempt to bring coherence to an experience of trauma and chaos. She chose to publish under a pseudonym to […]
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BIO – ANNEMARIE HENDRIKZ

Annemarie Hendrikz is she who is the widow of Anne Schuster; she who has written the biography ‘Sheena Duncan’, the biographical sketch ‘Dear One, A Tribute to Lucille Gillwald’ (limited […]
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BIO – ANNETTE SNYCKERS

Annette Snyckers is a visual artist and published poet, who grew up in Pretoria and has lived in Cape Town for many years. She studied English, French and German Literature […]
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BIO – ARONA DISON

Arona Dison is Coordinator of the Writing Centre at the University of the Western Cape. She lives in Observatory, Cape Town with her child, husband and dog. She says ” […]
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BIO – AZIZA BROWN

I was born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa and spent my childhood trying and failing to write a novel about my life (I never knew how it was […]
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BIO – BEAUTY BOKWANI

Beauty Bokwani was born in 1966 in Sutherland, South Africa, where she grew up. Later she moved to Cape Town to study, working in hotels, at Woolworths. but mostly as […]
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BIO – BUSISIWE MAPHANGA

Busisiwe was born in 1993 and grew up in Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga. She enjoys diving into a good mystery novel, YA and literature by African authors. She is a medical […]
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BIO – CARRI KUHN

Carri Kuhn was born in 1972, Cape Town, South Africa. She has lived in Cape Town all her life, and currently resides in Stellenbosch. She is moved by beauty, by […]
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BIO – CATHY PARK KELLY

Cathy Park Kelly is a writer based in Cape Town, South Africa. Her first book, Inside Outside, a memoir of teaching juvenile offenders in Johannesburg, was quoted extensively by the […]
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BIO – CHARLOTTE MANDE ILUNGA

Charlotte Mande Ilunga was born in 1960 in Kamina, DRC. Charlotte grew up in DRC. She is a survivor of war. She became a mother to her siblings at a […]
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BIO – CHRISTINE BAYLY

Christine Bayly was born in 1967 in Johannesburg. She worked in advertising until she came to her senses and went freelance. Soon after that, she and her partner started a […]
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BIO – DELA GWALA

Dela Gwala was born in 1990, Johannesburg, and is a full-time feminist, activist writer, reluctant spiritualist and hard truths enthusiast. She is currently completing an MA in Creative Writing at […]
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BIO – DESIREE-ANNE MARTIN

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1976, Desiree-Anne Martin is an author, poet and general word junkie. She is also a counsellor, wife, full-time mother, part-time warrior woman. A […]
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BIO – DINAH EPPEL

Dinah Eppel was born in 1949 in Johannesburg. Her studies in African Languages at the University of Cape Town changed her path. In Johannesburg, she worked for multiracial theatre, legal […]
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BIO – DUGAL HARRIS

I was born in 1975 in Johannesburg where I lived until moving to Cape Town as an adult. Having slowly extracted myself from the mainstream, I now live in Rheenendal, […]
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BIO – EMILY BUCHANAN

Emily Buchanan was born in California and has lived in the Eastern Cape for more than thirty years. She has an MA from UCT in Creative Writing and is a […]
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BIO – EPIPHANIE MUKASANO

Epiphanie Mukasano was born in 1961 in Rwanda and raised there. There, she mainly worked as a secondary school teacher. She fled her home country in 1994, and has spent […]
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BIO – ESME GOLDBLATT

I was born and raised in Johannesburg but spent the most valuable years of my life in the very rural Eastern Cape Karoo. I have always written – poetry, plays, […]
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BIO – FLORA DLODLO

Flora Dlodlo was born in 1955 in Matopo, Zimbabwe. She has worked for many years coordinating the work of the Brethren in Christ Hospitals and for the Ministry of Health […]
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BIO – FLOSS MITCHELL

Floss M. Jay was born Felicity Mitchell in 1948 and grew up in the green and lovely farming district of Dargle in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal. She grew through boarding […]
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BIO – GEORGE DAVIS

George Davis was born in 1947, in Cape Town.There he grew up, schooled, and studied until leaving South Africa in the mid-70s, landing up in western Canada for 8 years. […]
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BIO – GERTRUDE FESTER-WICOMB

Cape Town-born Gertrude has a PhD from the London School of Economics, and was active in anti-apartheid struggles, focusing on women’s and national liberation. She participated in establishing various women’s […]
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BIO – GILES GRIFFIN

Giles Griffin, born in 1962, Kent, England, UK. Giles is a gay white male who likes food, wine and books. He was brought up mostly in the Midlands of England, […]
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BIO – HANI DU TOIT

As a Muslim woman, Hani is inspired by the possibility of breaking invisible barriers and increasing human to human connection. She carries this love into her work as a Conversation […]
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BIO – HEIDI VAN ROOYEN

Professor Heidi van Rooyen is the Group Executive of the Impact Centre at the Human Sciences Research Council in South Africa. She is currently the acting Deputy CEO for Research […]
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BIO – HELENA WAGENER

My life has been about coming home to myself and my body. I was a fearful child and loved nothing more than reading under any available bed. In my adolescence, […]
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BIO – IAN BELL

Ian Bell is a musician, educator, author, radio broadcaster and doctor who has just recently completed a memoir on his adventures working in the Emergency Units of many hospitals, both […]
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BIO – JACQUELINE JORGENSEN

Jacqueline Jorgensen is an artist and designer living in the Wilderness with her two cats. She hopes to complete a memoir by the end of 2018 and is working on […]
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BIO – JANET GIDDY

Janet Giddy was born in 1959 in Barkly East, South Africa. She is a mother of four adult children, and is a medical doctor who spent many years in KwaZulu-Natal […]
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BIO – JANICE BEHR

Retirement has given me time to be me, be still and be creative with gardening, cooking, crafts and oil painting. Previously I spoke many words and wrote short reports, today […]
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BIO – JASMINA GASNOLAR

Business Masters, after 30 years in Corporate South Africa decided in 2017 to take a sabbatical for further exploration and growth. Now, a freelance consultant, writer and social entrepreneur.
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BIO – JENNIFER WOODHULL

Jennifer Woodhull was born 1950 in Johannesburg, South Africa She grew up in Cape Town, where she published her first poem in the school newsletter at the age of 6. […]
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BIO – JESSICA BREAKEY

Jessica Breakey is currently an Associate Lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand where she teaches a multidisciplinary course between Sociology and Electrical Engineering. She holds an MA from Wits […]
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BIO – JOHN CARTWRIGHT

I was born and grew up in Glencairn, Cape Town on the False Bay coast, when it was still quiet and remote, travelling by train to the other worlds of […]
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BIO – JUDY BEKKER

Born in 1951, I grew up in Cape Town. My working life began as a journalist where I woke to the complexities of life in this country. I am now […]
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BIO – KARIN ANDERSEN

Karin Andersen was born in 1960, in Marondera, Zimbabwe. She has lived in France, England, Tunisia and Cape Town but now calls the small village of Suurbraak home, and hopes […]
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BIO – KAT YASSIM

I am a vibrant, passionate voyeur of the human experience. As a teacher educator hailing from the canefields of KwaZulu Natal, I have an immense passion for the arts. Life […]
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BIO – KERRY HAMMERTON

Kerry Hammerton currently lives in Cape Town but has also lived in Johannesburg and London. Reading is her first passion although writing poetry is a close second. Her poetic voice […]
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BIO – LARA FAIRALL

Lara Fairall is a doctor by training, a scientist by choice and a writer at heart. She was born in Cape Town and consequently has no sense of direction whatsoever […]
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BIO – LAURA CAMPBELL

Laura Campbell was born into a large Catholic family in Northern Ireland. She studied Medicine in Aberdeen, Scotland and travelled the world as a physician. She met her wonderful husband […]
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BIO – LEONORA LEWIS

My name is Leonora Lewis. I have always written my thoughts on paper, yet it never occurred to me it was poetry until i was challenged to write a poem […]
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BIO – LERATO LEHLEBATHE

My name is Lerato Annie Lehlabathe. I grew up in a small town of Mohales’ Hoek in Lesotho. I studied at St Stephen’s High School and furthered my studies at […]
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BIO – LINDA KAOMA

Linda Kaoma is a poet, writer, projects and events manager in the arts. She is a Salzburg Global Seminars Fellow and a CNN-featured project manager with over eight years of […]
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BIO – LISE DAY

I was born in England in 1944 and came to South Africa at the age of ten when my father became part of the pioneering team (1954) who made petrol […]
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BIO – LUCY ALEXANDER

Lucy Alexander was born in 1954 in Port Elizabeth. She grew up in Johannesburg but moved to Cape Town in her adult years. Having worked for 10 years in art […]
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BIO – MADODA NDLAKUSE

Madoda Ndlakuse is a Mdantsane-born, Port Elizabeth-bred storyteller, poet, writer, literacy promotion and reading initiatives activist. He is also passionate about reading for enjoyment and spends a lot of time […]
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BIO – MANDY RUSSELL

This is Mandy’s first piece of LifeRighting memoir writing; although she’s been passionate about people dealing powerfully with loss for over 2 decades. Her fellow LifeRighter and dear friend Hani […]
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BIO – MARIAN WILLIAMS

Marian Williams is a pen name. Anaḯs Nin wrote, “The role of a writer is not to say what we can all say, but what we are unable to say”. […]
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BIO – MARILYN PIGOTT

Marilyn Pigott was born in 1951 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. She was brought up in the Eastern Cape after starting school in Zambia, and later moved to Cape Town […]
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BIO – MATTHEW ALAN CARETTI

The Snapshot Press eChapbook Award is an annual international prize for unpublished small collections of haiku, tanka, and other short poetry. Winning collections are free to read and are available […]
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BIO – NATHAN FESTUS

Nathan Arthur Festus was born in 1965 in Cape Town. Raised in Cape Town by his parents, Nathan has two sisters and grew up in a society separated along racial […]
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BIO – NINA GERAGHTY

Nina Geraghty is a copywriter specialising in writing articles, web copy, newsletters and blogs for eco-businesses. She lives in Cape Town and is the mother of two young adults. She […]
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BIO – NOBESUTHU TOM

My name is Nobesuthu Tom. I am on a journey to realise my lifelong dream – a life of learning and writing. I am currently a fulltime student at the […]
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BIO – NORMAN SKILLEN

Norman Skillen was born in Belfast in 1950, and grew up in the nearby town of Holywood. He has a degree in ecology, but has mostly been involved in the […]
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BIO – NORTON TENNILLE

Norton was born in North Carolina in 1940 and educated there and in the UK. He practiced environmental law for many years in Washington D.C. before moving to Cape Town […]
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BIO – PATRICIA DE VILLIERS

Patricia de Villiers was born in Cape Town and was raised in various places across South Africa and Europe. After studying painting in Johannesburg, she fled the horror of being […]
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BIO – PETER SURTEES

Peter Surtees is a Chartered Accountant (SA), born in Bloemfontein in 1941, and lived and practised there until 1980 when he joined the academic staff of Rhodes University. After early […]
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BIO – PHILOMÈNE LUYINDULA LASOEN

Philomène is a French teacher and translator because she is in love with words. She writes poetry and short stories and published The Widening of The Womb and Other Stories, […]
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BIO – REINI ADELBERT

Reini Adelbert was born in 1951 in Castrop-Rauxel, Germany. He was raised in Africa, and has worked as a lawyer and corporate soldier in various international locations while at the […]
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BIO – RENÉ PAUL GOSSELIN

After working in international commerce for nearly 30 years, René Paul Gosselin returned to his childhood love of photography, kindled by the headmaster of St Luke’s Preparatory School on the […]
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BIO – ROBERT HAMBLIN

Robert Hamblin (1969) is an artist, father and a gender activist. His fine art work is concerned with issues of masculinity and transgender activism. A narrative that he continues to […]
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BIO – RONÉLLE HART

Ronélle Hart was born in 1961 in Pretoria but grew up in Nigel. She completed her BA in English and Psychology at the University of Johannesburg and has worked as […]
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BIO – ROSE JACKSON

Rose Jackson was born in 1942 in Johannesburg and has also lived in the Eastern Cape and in Cape Town. She taught English language, literature, and literacy at schools, universities, […]
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BIO – ROZ HOEK

Just like “Miss Hybrid Mealie, Late Maturity”, I am a late maturing writer as well as a late maturing artist. Writing and painting give me so much joy, ease so […]
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BIO – SANDY RIVERA

Am beginning to catch up with lost time – after decades of reading, rearing, standing and stirring. I hike and sing and scribble, and startle my family with unexpected memoir […]
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BIO – SASHA VAN DYK

Sasha Van Dyk is a pseudonym, Sasha’s passions revolve around all that life gives at its fullest, ripest moments. She has journeyed from naive little girl to woman in the […]
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BIO – SHAMILLAH WILSON

Shamillah Wilson is a feminist and a coach to social justice leaders. She is obsessed about wellbeing and sees herself as a journeying companion, and a curious explorer of life. […]
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BIO – SHANNON ELS

Shannon Els is an entrepreneur who was born in Johannesburg. It was the only time she was ever thinner than her mother. During childhood, pocket money was spent on books […]
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BIO – STEPHANIE SAFARI

Stephanie Safari was born in 1969 in Kwa-Zulu Natal. After studying psychology and law, Stephanie decided her temperament was better suited to advertising. She worked in the UK for many […]
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BIO – SUE STEEL

Sue Steel has worked in the film industry for a number of years as a production designer. Production design is a creative position and includes both set and costume design. […]
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BIO – THOBEKA NZIMANDE

Thobeka Nzimande is a young upcoming writer and a creative based in Capricorn (Vrygrond), a small Cape town township. After attending a number of Follow-up writing gatherings, she then completed […]
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BIO – TRACY BAILEY SMITH

Tracy Bailey Smith was born in the Eastern Cape in the 1960’s. Her grandmothers, sister and Grade One teacher were influential in shaping her formative years. A true child of […]
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BIO – VONNI ROMANO

Born an isolated farm girl in Grabouw district, I’ve lived in South Africa my entire life. My real education only started after I’d produced four children in six years, after […]
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BIO – YVONNE O’CONNOR

Yvonne O’Connor was born in 1946 in Cape Town, where she has lived all of her life. On leaving school she worked in the travel industry which fed her appetite […]
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KIRSTIE NEL

Kirstie Nel is a registered art therapist based in Bellville, Cape Town. She loves green spaces and has a small art therapy studio named "Kamma" which is borrowed from the Khoe […]
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The Life Righting Collective runs courses to encourage self-exploration through life writing, raises funds for course fees and brings people together to share their stories and grow community.
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