Honouring Professor Zoë Charlotte Wicomb: a tribute to a literary icon
The University of the Western Cape (UWC) is in mourning following the death of Professor Zoë Charlotte Wicomb, one of the most significant literary figures in late-apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa. As the most accomplished novelist and short-story writer to have emerged from UWC, her legacy is indelibly etched in the hearts and minds of those she inspired.
Born in 1948 in Namaqualand, Wicomb represented the pioneering spirit of UWC’s first generation of students, sharing her class with the university’s former Rector, the late Professor Brian O’Connell. Her seminal work, the short story collection You Can’t Get Lost in Cape Town (1987), provided a semi-autobiographical account of her formative years at the institution, capturing the essence of a young woman navigating the complexities of apartheid South Africa.
In the 1970s, the political upheaval in South Africa prompted Wicomb to seek postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom, where she ultimately earned her PhD. Following the end of apartheid, she returned to UWC as a lecturer in the English Department. However, her commitment to academia led her back to the UK, where she served as a Professor at the University of Strathclyde until her retirement.
Wicomb’s literary path extended beyond borders, yet her writings remained deeply connected to the socio-political landscape of South Africa. Her work interrogated the lingering impacts of colonialism and apartheid, delivering poignant critiques of post-apartheid nationalism. Her narratives illuminated both the intimate and expansive aspects of life, giving voice to histories often left unspoken and challenging simplifications of South Africa’s multifaceted realities.
In addition to her acclaimed short story collection, Wicomb penned several novels, including David’s Story (2000), Playing in the Light (2006), October (2014), and most recently, Still Life (2023). Her dedication to her craft brought her numerous accolades, most notably the prestigious Donald Windham–Sandy M. Campbell Literature Prize from Yale University in 2013, which affirmed her impact on the global literary community.
UWC’s connection with Wicomb was characterised by mutual respect and admiration. In honour of her remarkable contributions to literature and her ties to the university, she was bestowed with an honorary doctorate in 2022, recognising her principled engagement with the social and cultural fabric of South Africa.
Professor Robert Balfour, Vice-Chancellor of UWC, expressed his heartfelt sadness at her passing: “I had the opportunity to meet with Zoe when she visited for a Time of the Writer Festival in the early 2000s. Her lively interest in South Africa and her deep concern with equality, inclusion, and diversity featured with such nuance, skill, and wit in her writing and conversation, and remain powerful in memory.”
“As UWC honours Professor Wicomb’s remarkable life, her influence will resonate through the corridors of the university and beyond. Her profound storytelling will continue to enlighten and inspire generations of students, scholars, and readers worldwide. We extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends, colleagues, and the broader literary community. Professor Wicomb’s legacy will endure in the pages she wrote, the minds she shaped, and the truths she courageously told,” UWC said in a statement.