WELCOME

ORIGIN

The English Academy of Southern Africa was founded in 1961. It is an association dedicated to promoting the effective use of English as a dynamic language in Southern Africa. Membership is open to all persons and organizations identifying with the Academy's mission and sharing its vision.

 

Prof Stanley Ridge

2011 marks the Golden Jubilee of the English Academy. It is a time for celebration. It is also a time to take stock. As we enjoy the achievement of fifty years of useful activity, it is important that we keep finding our relevance in a rapidly changing environment. The strong growth in Academy membership, particularly of younger professionals, is a response to the excitement of that challenge. We invite new members on the basis of what we are doing and contributing.

ACHIEVEMENTS
Our half century has seen many achievements. The Academy was founded to engage with those in power and with the general public about the role and significance of English. It has done so vigorously, with dignity and in a positive spirit. Regular submissions have been made to state departments on language issues, regular conferences and lectures have been held, seasonal schools have been run for teachers, first-rate journals have been published, and a growing range of prestige prizes has been established to recognise outstanding work in English.  As circumstances have changed, the Academy has become more nuanced in its approach, recognising the complex linguistic ecology of our region, and happily accepting the challenges of our democratic order. English is vital to southern Africa.

LITERACY
A lead theme for this Golden Jubilee year is the challenge of literacy. Seasonal schools for teachers are being run in several regions, and literacy issues feature strongly in the programme for the major international conference in September. Our new, on-line journal, Teaching English Today, provides a forum for lively discussion of the issues and for sharing innovative classroom practice. And the English Academy Review will be carrying some of the best papers from the conference. Our contribution is the stronger for literacy not being seen in isolation. Literacy of the kind that empowers people to make sense of their world is nurtured by really interesting and challenging reading and cultural engagement. The Academy’s Olive Schreiner, Thomas Pringle and Percy FitzPatrick prizes draw attention to the best of new literature and to the most reflective reviews and articles on education. The importance of moving across cultural boundaries is honoured in the Sol Plaatje prize for translation into English. The Percy Baneshik lecture brings the world of the arts into focus. And the Commemorative Lecture this year is on the late Eskia Mphahlele, pioneer in the development of African writing in South Africa, remarkable critic, visionary scholar and cultural leader.

Stanley Ridge