Winter morning

This is the morning just before. The concert will kick off today 10.06.2010 and tomorrow the celebration of nations together will start. It is hard to keep the tears at bay when I see my compatriots rooting for their team dressed in the colours. This is the time when we all look the same, South Africans loving their country and their sports heroes. We have problems, who has not, but the World Cup is one major challenge that we overcame. I have noted concerns some of my compatriots have with FIFA but I want to urge them to become part of the excitement, it is really true when the positive energy is shared by millions like now, it is bound to have an effect - feel it, it is here!

KUDO'S TO FIFA FOR PRESENTING STATESMAN, GENTLEMAN, LEADER PAR EXCELLENCE THABO MBEKI WITH AN AWARD FOR THE ROLE HE PLAYED IN SECURING THE WC FOR SOUTH AFRICA, FOR AFRICA. THABO DEDICATED THE CUP TO AFRICANS - Thank you Thabo, we the Africans of all colours are grateful!

I have just learned how to use my blog again. Everything is being made so easy these days. Thanks to all out there who makes this possible.
Well now I can share my day with readers. Today 9.6.2010 at 12 noon we blew the vuvuzela's and what a spectacle it was. Everywhere people were dressed in colours of the flag or colours of the soccer team (Bafana Bafana). I wanted to cry all the time, it is emotional, we, a small country at the tip of the African continent, we are hosting the World Cup Soccer tournament. There are hundreds of visitors, there is a hype last seen in 1994 when we went to vote for the first time. Above all, it gives us the chance to be South Africans, proud South Africans and of course Africans, proud Africans. Let us not forget former president Thabo Mbeki who drove the African agenda, who reminded us of our Africanness... irrespective of what colour we are... Thank you Thabo for that speech! Let us hope Bafana Bafana will do well... Let us brace ourselves also for disappointments! Have a wonderful World Cup!

POET, PERFORMER, WRITER, ACTIVIST

Born in Worcester on the 29 August, 1953, the third born of six children and the daughter of Ann and Jacobus Ferrus.
Worcester is a town +- 100 km from Cape Town, wellknown for its vineyards and wine.
Completed BA degree with Industrial Psychology and Sociology as majors in 1993. Started BA Honours (Women’s and Gender Studies) in 1997 and completed in 1999. Currently completing Masters in Women’s and Gender Studies. Thesis topic: “Black Afrikaans women writers: the joy and frustration of the writing process”
Diana belongs to a women’s writers group called WEAVE (Women’s Education & Artistic Voice Expression) and in 2002 their book ink@boilingpoint was published. Her short story, “Sarah will be home, a story of restoration” and her poem, “I’ve come to take you home”, a tribute to Sarah Baartman is included. Diana Ferrus writes in both English and Afrikaans. She is also a founder member of “Bush Poets”, an all women poet group from the University of the Western Cape. “Bush” was the derogatory name given to the institution in the early sixties. Diana proudly adds: "We coined the term!"
Founder member of the Afrikaans Writers Association (Afrikaanse Skrywersvereniging).
Founder member of women’s writers association, “Women in X-chains”.

SAARTJIE BAARTMAN

Click here to read the article about Diana Ferrus's involvement in bringing Saartjie Baartman back to South Africa.
http://www.litnet.co.za/seminaar/saartjie1.asp

Click here to read her poem "I've come to take you home"

Lees Jason Lloyd se artikel oor Saartjie "Sarah Bartmann is vergete"
http://www.litnet.co.za/oopbek/jason04.asp

WOMAN OF THE YEAR FINALIST

ARTS & CULTURE FINALISTS: Mimi Coertse, Diana Ferrus & Tembi Mbobo

ARTICLES & REVIEWS

REVIEWS
Deborah Steinmair skryf die volgende oor Diana Ferrus wat by die Stellenbosch Woordfees 2005 opgetree het:
“Ek kon my boude nie op die gras hou toe Diana Ferrus teen sononder op die verhoog verskyn nie! In my oë is sy so groot soos Maya Angelou, soos Toni Morrison, Mercedes Soza, Cezaria Evora. Sy is geflank deur haar band, tromme, 'n saks, 'n horing. Sy dans en chant haar towerwoorde, sy sing plek-plek. The bones of our ancestors (oor oa Saartjie Baartman) - die bene roep, die bene roep. Mama, check my hoendervleis!”

KLIK HIER OM DIE VOLLE RESENSIE TE LEES
http://www.litnet.co.za/fratsgolf/deborah20.asp

ARTICLES
Zandra Bezuidenhout skryf die volgende oor Diana Ferrus na afloop van die derde Swart Afrikaanse Skrywersimposium:
"Die wortels se “komvandaan” (dankie Diane Ferrus) is ver en wyd, en dis 'n hartstaal wat wragtag nie gaan vrek nie – hy't hopeloos te veel skop. Maar ons moet die ding klein bietjie wyn gee, en al sy sprekers toelaat om dronk te word in die taal, om te kruis en te teel, want so aards en so basies is dit. Elkeen moet “bemagtig” raak, soos hulle van die platforms af sê. Elkeen moet haar stories kan vertel, sing en versies maak, vir almal om te hoor en lees, sonder agter-die-bakhand-giggel oor mekaar se giere en maniere en baie soorte giere. Terg ja, speel ja, maar nie verneder en uitsmyt nie."

KLIK HIER OM ZANDRA BEZUIDENHOUT SE ARTIKEL TE LEES
http://www.litnet.co.za/taaldebat/afrikaans_zandra.asp

KLIK HIER OM OP BOEKINDABA TE LEES OOR AFRIKAANSE SWART SKRYWERSIMPOSIUM
http://www.litnet.co.za/indaba/nelleke_swartskrywers.asp

Joan Hambidge praat oor 'n show wat sy en Diana Ferrus vir besoekende Amerikaanse studente elke jaar hou:
"En, "Die professor en die prikkelpop", wat natuurlik verwys na daardie ou Afrikaanse rolprent, is ’n show wat ek, Diana Ferrus en Dido elke jaar hou vir Amerikaanse besoekende studente wat SA per boot besoek. Die gekose titel is dus nie net ’n lukrake keuse nie, maar stuur alreeds die onderhoud of vertoning met ’n skrywer."

KLIK HIER OM JOAN HAMBIDGE SE ARTIKEL TE LEES
http://www.litnet.co.za/senet/senet.asp?id=28410

DIANA WITH GRADE 12's (ComArt) ELSIESRIVER AREA

In 2004 Diana and these learners worked together to write up stories of senior citizens from the Elsiesriver area. This culminated in the stories being read at a Heritage day celebration at the Elsiesriver Civic centre. Diana assisted by running workshops with
these children on interviewing-and-writing skills.

SHORT STORIES

"Five Down", die trein wat met die donker kom - LitNet 2005.

“Die kind” (The child) - in “Die Suid-Afrikaan”, Dec’94; “Taxi Staanplek Stories:” JL van Schaik Publishers (1996), “Die Stukke wat ons Sny” (1999): Kwela Books.

“Writing”; “Women of the Struggle”; “Creative Writing”; (poems) in “New Letters”, Quarterly Literary Journal of the University of Missouri (1998)

“The cold” (short story)
“The visit to Brazil” (poem) in “Women writing to create the future”: Vivlia Books

“Double Trouble” (short story) in “Veertig is g’n vloekwoord”: Quellerie Books

“Vrou in die rivier” (woman in the river) (short story) in “Van oor die kontreie heen” - Human & Rousseau publishers, (2000).

“Om huis toe te gaan (going home) short story “in the rapids” and “stroomversnellings” Kwela Books – August, 2001



CLICK HERE TO READ MY SHORT STORY "Five Down" on LITNET
http://www.litnet.co.za/fiksie/ferrus02.asp

CLICK HERE TO READ MY SHORT STORY "Om huis toe te gaan" on LITNET
http://www.litnet.co.za/fiksie/ferrus.asp

POEMS

Diana Ferrus's poems inspires people to write. Her poem about Sarah Baartman was one of the reasons why the remains of Sarah was returned to South Afica. Many established writers were influenced by Diana's poems and stories. Writers like Gabeba Baderoon, Selwyn Milborrow, Jason Lloyd, Vincent Oliphant, Willem Fransman jnr, Jethro Louw & many other emerging women writers speaks very highly of Diana Ferrus.

Her Afrikaans collection of poetry, “Ons Komvandaan” (We come from there) will be launched in June 2005.
My English collection, “I’ve come to take you home” will be launched in November 2005. Diana Ferrus Productions are the publishers. An anthology called “Convergences” written by herself, Sipho Mathathi and Wendy Woodward (Bush Poets) should be published by end 2005.
READ MY POETRY ON LITNET WEBSITE: http://www.litnet.co.za/poesie/ferrus03.asp
The poem "Vree volle vree" is in honour of Beyers Naude
READ MY WAR POEMS ON: http://www.litnet.co.za/war/ferrus_in.asp
The poem "Aachen" is about my father's experiences in Achen, a German town during WW2

POETRY READINGS

Diana Ferrus is a performance poet and receives invitations to Poetry festivals and related festivals. She performs regularly with a band.

8 August 2005: Peace Poetry Festival, Seoul, University of Seoul

PROFILE: DIANA FERRUS

Diana Ferrus is a poet & writer from Cape Town, South Africa.

I was born in Worcester on the 29.08.53., the third born of six children and the daughter of Ann and Jacobus Ferrus Worcester is a town +- 100 km from Cape Town, wellknown for its vineyards and wine.

School career: Dutch Reformed Mission School; High School: Esselen Park High School
Matriculated in 1972 and then went on to the University of the Western Cape in 1973. As a result of protests the university was closed in June 1973. It reopened but I could not rejoin because of financial constraints. Went to work and resumed parttime studies in 1988.

Started to work as an administrator in the Dept of Industrial Psychology in 1991.
Completed BA degree with Industrial Psychology and Sociology as majors in 1993. Started BA Honours (Women’s and Gender Studies) in 1997 and completed in 1999. Currently completing Masters in Women’s and Gender Studies. Thesis topic: “Black Afrikaans women writers: the joy and frustration of the writing process”

Wrote poetry since the age of 14 years. I write about personal, political, historical, social themes. I belong to a women’s writers group called WEAVE (Women’s Education & Artistic Voice Expression) and in 2002 our book ink@boilingpoint was published. My short story, “Sarah will be home, a story of restoration” is included as well as my poem, “I’ve come to take you home”, a tribute to Sarah Baartman.

My Afrikaans collection of poetry, “Ons Komvandaan” (We come from there) will be launched in June 2005.
My English collection, “I’ve come to take you home” will be launched in November 2005. Diana Ferrus Productions are the publishers.
An anthology called “Convergences” written by myself, Sipho Mathathi and Wendy Woodward (Bush Poets) should be published this year as well. Then another publication in Afrikaans called, “Kyk, dis my pa”, (Look, this is my father) will be published this year. It is a collection of short stories on fathers and daughters – a project by white and black women..

I am Afrikaans-speaking but write in both English and Afrikaans. I am also a founder member of “Bush Poets”, an all women poet group from the University of the Western Cape. “Bush” was the derogatory name given to the institution in the early sixties. We coined the term!

Founder member of the Afrikaans Writers Association (Afrikaanse Skrywersvereniging). I have read at various public occassions, community celebrations and rallies.

Founder member of women’s writers association, “Women in X-chains”. We are working on our own publication.