Writing Course leads to five new books Back (left to right): Etienne van Heerden, Willemien Brümmer and Michael Rands. Front: Ingrid Wolfaardt, Quintus van der Merwe and Nanette van Rooyen. Photo: Monday Paper

As Hofmeyr Professor at the School of Languages and Literatures at the University of Cape Town, Etienne van Heerden deals mostly with postgraduate students. His research interests in literature include literary theory, Afrikaans prose since the early 1980s, and specific areas such as historiography and fiction, postmodernism and engagement, and Afrikaans and Dutch literature from South Africa and the former Dutch colonies in the Caribbean and the East. He also teaches internet and web theory. His Creative Writing master classes has led to the publication of several of his students’ literary products with leading South African publishers. These include novels and short story collections by Sonja Loots, Tom Dreyer, Nini Bennet, Jaco Botha, Rachelle Greeff and Izak de Vries, leading writers of the younger generation.

Authors whose manuscripts were supervised by Etienne van Heerden and subsequently published in book form include:

	Wilna Adriaanse ’n Klein lewe Novel Tafelberg		Website http://www.wilnaadriaanse.co.za/ Reviews • Dineke Volschenk: Net 'n gewone lewe, smag sy • Elbie Adendorff: ’n Klein lewe allesbehalwe klein • Corina van der Spoel: Oor menswees tussen ander •Saartjie Botha: ’n Reis na begrip
	Terry Westby-Nunn The Sea of Wise Insects Jacana		Website http://www.terrywestbynunn.com
	Nicole Jaekel Strauss Maal Short story collection Queillerie		Reviews • Marius Crous: Debuut maak jou lus vir meer • Thys Human: ’n Bundel waarin jy jou tande kan slaan
	Toast Coetzer Naweek Novel Tafelberg		Reviews • JB Roux: Naweek hard, maar tog subtiel • Izak de Vries: Toast Coetzer se Naweek bitter maar lekker
	Nanette van Rooyen Chinchilla Novel Human & Rousseau		Ingrid Wolfaardt Heartfruit Novel Tafelberg
	Quintus van der Merwe Die blou van ons hemel Novel Tafelberg		Michael Rands Praise Routine Number Four Novel Tafelberg
	Willemien Brümmer Die dag toe ek my hare losgemaak het Short story collection Human & Rousseau		Chanette Paul-Hughes Leila word lig Novel Human & Rousseau Photo: Francois Bloemhof
	Sonja Loots Spoor Novel Tafelberg		Tom Dreyer Stinkafrikaners Novel Tafelberg Winner of the Eugene Marais Prize
	Nini Bennett Stoornis Short stories Tafelberg		Jaco Botha Sweisbril Short stories Human & Rousseau
	Izak de Vries Kom slag ’n bees Short stories Tafelberg		Rachelle Greeff Hanna Novel Tafelberg Photo: Melt Myburgh

Compilations

Together with his students and other writers Etienne van Heerden created Die Rooi Roman as an online interactive novel. This collective effort – a first for Afrikaans – was eventually published in book form by Human & Rousseau. It was co-edited by Jaco Botha, a senior student at the time and now a well-established short story writer.

Van Heerden challenged his students to create two “unconventional” love stories each. The result was the collection Die mooiste liefde is verby, published by Tafelberg.