University of Johannesburg Prize
4 appearances
-
Edition 27 (2012) Winner
-
Edition 18 (2016) Winner
Craig Higginson
クレイグ・ヒギンソン
Kureigu Higinson
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1971-10-29 （Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe)）
- Nationality
- South Africa
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Harare, Zimbabwe → Johannesburg, South Africa → KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa → England → KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, playwright, theatre director, theatre critic, lecturer
- Active Years
- 1998-2024
- Affiliations
- Market Theatre (Literary Manager), University of the Witwatersrand (lecturer)
- Influenced By
- Barney Simon, Nadine Gordimer, André Brink
- Influenced
- Young South African writers
- Nominations
- Naledi Award Best South African Play (Dream of the Dog, 2008), Fleur du Cap Awards (The Girl in the Yellow Dress, 2011), Sunday Times Barry Ronge Fiction Award (The Dream House, 2016)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of the Witwatersrand | Fine Art | English and European Literature | BA (Honors) | 1990頃 | South Africa |
| University of the Witwatersrand | — | Creative Writing | PhD | — | South Africa |
University of the Witwatersrand
Fine Art
/ English and European Literature
Degree:
BA (Honors)
Period:
1990頃
Year of Graduation:
1994
Country:
South Africa
Transferred from Fine Art to English and European Literature
University of the Witwatersrand
Creative Writing
Degree:
PhD
Country:
South Africa
PhD in Creative Writing
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | UJ Award | The Landscape Painter | South African Literature in English | University of Johannesburg | winner |
| 2016 | UJ Award | The Dream House | South African Literature in English | University of Johannesburg | winner |
| 2011 | Naledi Theatre Award | The Girl in the Yellow Dress | Best New South African Play | — | winner |
| 2004 | Sony Radio Academy Gold Award | Laughter in the Dark | — | Sony Radio Academy | winner |
| 2024 | Humanities and Social Sciences Award | The Ghost of Sam Webster | Best Fiction | — | winner |
UJ Award
2012
Work:
The Landscape Painter
Category:
South African Literature in English
Organization:
University of Johannesburg
Result:
winner
UJ Award
2016
Work:
The Dream House
Category:
South African Literature in English
Organization:
University of Johannesburg
Result:
winner
Naledi Theatre Award
2011
Work:
The Girl in the Yellow Dress
Category:
Best New South African Play
Result:
winner
Sony Radio Academy Gold Award
2004
Work:
Laughter in the Dark
Organization:
Sony Radio Academy
Result:
winner
Humanities and Social Sciences Award
2024
Work:
The Ghost of Sam Webster
Category:
Best Fiction
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Dream House
2015 novelA story exploring race and identity on a post-apartheid South African farm.
Ambiguity of truthRacial relationsAfrican literature
Translations
- Maison de rêve (French)
- The Dream House (Arabic)
- The Dream House (Turkish)
The Landscape Painter
2011 novelExplores human interior through art and landscape.
ArtLandscapeIdentity
Dream of the Dog
2007 playA play about loss and secrets.
LossSecrets
The Girl in the Yellow Dress
2010 playDramatises dialogue between Africa and Europe.
Africa-Europe dialogueThird World-First World
Bibliography
- Embodied Laughter
- The Hill
- Last Summer
- The Landscape Painter
- The Dream House
- The White Room
- The Book of Gifts
- The Ghost of Sam Webster
- Truth in Translation
- Dream of the Dog
- The Girl in the Yellow Dress
- Little Foot
- The Imagined Land
Translations of Works
- Maison de rêve (The Dream House, French)
- L’été dernier (Last Summer, French)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Theatrical techniques in fictionMultiple perspectivesDramatic irony
- Recurring Motifs
- Exploration of truthPost-apartheid societyDialogue between Africa and the West
Legacy
Acclaimed South African novelist and playwright, winner of multiple UJ Awards, praised by Nadine Gordimer and André Brink. Key voice in post-apartheid literature, works used as school set texts.
In Popular Culture
- Works prescribed as IEB Matric set works in South African schools
Quotes
-
The Dream House is an open and frank exploration of human life that resonates beyond race.
Source: Nadine Gordimer (2014) -
Craig Higginson is in the vanguard of the latest and most exciting novelists in South Africa.
Source: André Brink
Trivia
- Moved to South Africa during Rhodesian Bush War
- Married to actress Leila Henriques
- Assisted Barney Simon at Market Theatre