The confessio of an academic Ahab: or, how I sank my own disciplinary ship
Date
2012-11
Authors
De Kock, Leon
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
Leon de Kock matriculated at Mayfair High School,
Johannesburg, in 1973. In 1974 he enrolled at the former
Rand Afrikaans University, now the University of Johannesburg,
to read for a BA in law, completing a BA Honours in English
in 1978. After six years full time in journalism, he re-joined
academia when a British Council scholarship enabled him to
read Commonwealth, American and African Literature at the
University of Leeds. Upon his return to South Africa from
Leeds in 1984, he was appointed as lecturer in the department
of English at the University of South Africa (UNISA), where
he eventually became a full professor. In 2007/2008, he was
appointed – after 22 years of service at UNISA – as Head of
the School of Literature and Language Studies at the University
of the Witwatersrand, assuming the position of personal
professor. At Wits he also convened and expanded the creative
writing programme. In 2010 he accepted a chair in English at Stellenbosch
University. He has published widely, producing 37 accredited scholarly
articles to date, with more in the pipeline, as well as 10 accredited book
chapters, a monograph, several book-length works of literary translation, a
novel, and three volumes of poetry. He has also edited literary works. His
awards include the Pringle Prize (for poetry, 1995, and for best scholarly
article, 2011), the SA Translators’ Institute for Outstanding Translation (for
Triomf, 2000), the SA Literary Awards (SALA) prize for literary translation,
the Chancellor’s Prize for Research, UNISA (twice), and the Council of
Editors of Learned Journals’ (CELJ, affiliated to the MLA) award for Best
Special Issue of a journal, for Poetics Today 22 (2) 2001, South Africa in the
Global Imaginary.
Description
Inaugural lecture delivered on 19 November 2012.
Keywords
English literature -- Study and teaching
Citation
De Kock, L. 2012. The confession of an academic Ahab: or, how I sank my own disciplinary ship. Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, South Africa.