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.