The University of the Western Cape (UWC) has announced the passing of Professor Zoë Charlotte Wicomb, the celebrated novelist and short-story writer whose work examined the lasting effects of apartheid and colonialism, reports Cape {town} Etc.
The university paid tribute to her long connection with the campus and her influence on generations of students. (UWC)
Wicomb was born in Namaqualand in 1948 and studied at UWC before leaving South Africa in the 1970s to continue postgraduate work in the UK. She returned to teach at UWC after the end of apartheid and later held a professorship at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, where she lived for many years.
Her semi-autobiographical short story collection You Can't Get Lost in Cape Town (1987) brought her early renown and remains widely read.
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Her novels, including David's Story, Playing in the Light, October and Still Life, as well as her essays won international recognition. In 2013 she received the Windham-Campbell Literature Prize, one of the most prestigious international awards for writers. (Beinecke Library)
Professor Robert Balfour, UWC's vice-chancellor, described Wicomb's conversation and writing as marked by 'nuance, skill and wit' and said her commitment to equality and inclusion left a lasting impression on the university community.
The university awarded her an honorary doctorate in 2022 in recognition of her academic and creative contributions. Wicomb's work gave voice to histories that were often left unspoken and challenged simple narratives about South Africa's past and present.
Colleagues, students and readers across the world have expressed deep sadness at her passing; her writing and teaching will continue to shape scholarship and public life.
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