Dumisani Sibiys

Edward Dumisani Muziwokuphila Sibiya was born on 29 April 1976 in the Emhlangeni area near Nquthu, in Northern KwaZulu- Natal. He matriculated with exemption at Celumusa High School, Nquthu, in 1994.

He obtained a BA degree with majors IsiZulu, African Literature and Drama and Film Studies from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in 1999, and an honours (joint) in African Languages and African Literature from the same university in 2000.

In 2001 he obtained an MA in Publishing Studies, and he is currently studying for his doctorate, with Radio and Literature as his field of research. He obtained both his honours and his MA degree with distinction.

He was awarded several certificates of merit in his undergraduate years and received the following distinguished awards from the university: Post-graduate Merit Award (1999), the Kagiso Publishers - Isaac Moephuli Memorial Award (1998), the ISMA-Maurice Flior Award (1998), and the Vilakazi Memorial Award (1999) for an outstanding research contribution to the field of African Languages and Literature. He also received several bursaries and prestigious scholarships.

In 2000 he was selected to participate in a writing development project of the Centre for the Book in Cape Town. Called Books for Africa, the project consisted of two series of creative writing workshops presented by Dr Dorian Haarhoff in Cape Town and Johannesburg. This was where the novel which ultimately became Kungasa Ngifile originated. In 2002 this novel won the Sanlam Silver Award for Youth Literature (Nguni Languages)

Dumisani contributed a short story and a poem to Lives in Transit, a compilation by Martin Rollo and Renos Spanoudes, published by the Wits Writing Centre in 2002. Imikhizo and Amancoko, two compilations of short stories and essays from his pen, have been accepted for publication by Bard Publishers. He is also the scriptwriter of the theatre production Welcome to Johannesburg. Currently he is compiling an anthology of short stories entitled "Izinjobo".

He is an associate lecturer in the African Literature discipline in the School of Literature and Language Studies at Wits and lives in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. His hobbies and interests are athletics, playing the piano and singing, writing, reading and debating.