AWARD COUNTRY DESCRIPTION YEARJoseph Jefferson USA For principal role in Have you Seen Zandile? 1987Edinburgh Festival: Fringe First Award UK Best Production for Have You Seen Zandile? 1987OBIE USA For outstanding achievement in off-broadway theatre 1987Honorary Doctorate UK The London Open University 1994Honorary Doctorate RSA University of KwaZulu-Natal 1998Gauteng Arts, Culture and Heritage Award RSA For Professional Heritage 1999Namibian Children’s Book Forum Namibia Literary Award for Nalohima the Deaf Tortoise 1999Durban Playhouse Company’s Traditional Arts Fest RSA Lifetime Achievement in Traditional Arts 2004Durban Dance Awards RSA Lungile, the Most Beautiful Girl in the Land Production 2007Honorary Doctorate RSA Fort Hare University 2008RAPPORT and CITY PRESS Prestige Award RSA Excellence in her field 2008Honorary Doctorate RSA University of Pretoria 2008Fools Awards RSA Smart Award: Lifetime Achievement in the Arts 2008PanSALB RSA IsiZulu Multilingual Awards 2010Ethekwini Living Legends Award RSA Lifetime Achievement 201016th Annual MTN Music Award RSA Best Kiddies award for Songs & Stories of Africa 2010South African Music Award RSA Songs and Stories of Africa CD 2010Honorary Doctorate RSA University of Johannesburg 2012Arts and Culture Trust: DALRO Award RSA Lifetime Achievement Award 2012Mzansi Magic Award RSA Icon of the month 2012Mbokodo Award RSA Storytelling 2012Honorary Doctorate RSA Rhodes University 2014Gauteng Provincial Government Recognition Award RSA Contribution to democracy & emancipation of women 2015SA Literature Award: Chairperson’s Award RSA Dedication to advancement of Literary Education 2016CEO Global: Africa’s most influential women RSA Lifetime Achievement 2017 in business and government

Biography GCINA’s AWARDSGCINA’s AWARDSNokugcina Mhlophe was born in Hammarsdale near Durban on 24 October 1958. In 1979 she matriculated at Mfundisweni High School in the then Transkei. She worked for a short time as a domestic worker before enrolling as a cadet journalist at Rhodes University.

Influenced by the stories told to her by her grandmother, Gcina Mhlophe became a storyteller, a multilingual actor, poet, playwright, composer and director. Her talent as a writer and performer has transported her from South Africa to South and North America to Europe, Greenland and Japan. Her books have been translated into many languages and are used in schools and universities around the world.

For her work in theatre, she received an OBIE Award in New York for her performance in Born in the RSA. Her autobiographical play, Have You Seen Zandile? would earn her the Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Festival, Sony Award for Radio Drama from BBC Africa, and the Joseph Jefferson Award in Chicago. In 1992 she founded and directed the Zanendaba storytelling company in Johannesburg. Dr Mhlophe has worked tirelessly for the past 16 years running Nozincwadi Mother of Books Literacy Campaign to help make South Africa a reading nation. Nozincwadi: Mother of Books, is available as a book which is accompanied by a CD that formed the joyful soundtrack of the roadshow.

She has received honorary doctorates from the London Open University (UK), the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pretoria University and Fort Hare, for a body of work that has contributed to Literature and helped to preserve the heritage of African storytelling. She has performed her stories in the Royal Albert Hall, and the Kennedy Centre in the US. In 1994 she collaborated with Ladysmith Black Mambazo on a children’s CD. She again worked with Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Francis Bebey quartet in a unique production, Africa at the Opera, which toured opera houses in Germany. In April 2012 she was awarded her fifth honorary doctorate by the University of Johannesburg.

She is currently the Executive Director of the Gcinamasiko Arts and Heritage Trust, which is the umbrella body under which all of her other projects such as the Spirit of Light Celebrations, the annual Nozincwadi Story & Book Festival and other creative writing workshops are hosted and produced. She was awarded her sixth honorary doctorate from Rhodes University in 2014. Mzansi Magic TV gave Gcina Mhlophe

the National ICON Award in 2012 and in 2015 she was chosen to feature in Adrian Stern’s highly anticipated book, 21 Icons, with the likes of Lillian Cingo, Bishop Tutu, Nadine Gordimer and Tata Mandela.

She has released several CDs including Songs & Stories of Africa which won a SAMA award and the isiZulu version of the same CD won the PanSALB Award for indigenous languages. Imilolozelo, a collaborative CD with Bheki Khoza, Ntakemazolo HP School and Umlazi JP School, was released in an effort to resuscitate the culture of African children’s rhymes and rhythms with jazz music. Her latest works include the recording of two CD’s, African Mother Christmas and Hope Song, both will help raise funds for the soon to be opened Memory House (Oral History Museum for ordinary South Africans).

Dr Mhlophe is due to receive the Kennedy Centre International Artists award as well as her seventh honorary doctorate from the Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth, in April 2018. September 2018 will see the 10th edition of the Nozincwadi Books and Storytelling Festival in Durban.

Dr Mhlophe is married to painter/artist and filmmaker Karl-Heinz Becker. Their daughter Nomakhwezi is a drama student.

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The wonderful works of Gcina

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Book Titles authored by Gcina Mhlophe

FICTION1-86839-522-7 A Mother’s Search for Stories 1995 Mike Jacklin/ Knowledge Unlimited1-86853-391-3 African Tales 2009 Barefoot Books0-636-04946-9 An African Mother Christmas 2002 Maskew Millar Longman0-521-77895-6 Fudukazi’s Magic 1999 Cambridge University Press978-0-7960-3021-4 Golden Windows 2007 Shuter & Shooter0-86486-234-2 Hi Zoleka! 1994 Shuter & Shooter0-636-05064-5 Horns Only 2002 Maskew Millar Longman978-1-920607-85-2 How Lion got His Roar 2014 PUO Publishing: Around the Fire88-87942-88-9 Le Storie di Mazanendaba 2004 Maurizio Corraini9-781415-007037 Mazanendaba and the Magical Story Shell 2006 Jacklin99916-0-164-9 Nalohima, the Deaf Tortoise 1999 Gamsberg Macmillan Namibia0-636-04862-4 Nozincwadi: Mother of Books 2001 Maskew Millar Longman978-1-86914-111-0 Our Story Magic 2006 UKZN Press0-636-06050-0 Queen of Imbira 2003 Maskew Millar Longman0-947479-39-2 Queen of the Tortoises 1990 Skotaville Publishers0-620-21868-1 Stories from Africa 1997 Joko Storytelling Project1-86914-035-4 Stories of Africa 2003 UKZN Press978-0-521-74558-1 The Magic Horns 2009 Cambridge University Press978-0-7960- 3497-7 The Singing Chameleon 2008 Shuter & Shooter0-947479-69-4 The Singing Dog 1992 Skotaville Publishers9966-46-570-7 The Singing Dog 1993 East African Educational Publishers0-947009-73-6 The Snake with Seven Heads 1989 Skotaville Publishers The Snake with Seven Heads East African Educational Publishers

NON-FICTION9-780796-029065 iThemba means Hope 2006 Shuter & Shooter

Collaborations with Gcina Mhlophe1-86853-391-3 African Story Theatre 1996 Heinemann0-06-025023-2 Somehow Tenderness Survives 1987 Harper and Row, USA0-86975-153-0 LIP SA Women Writing 1981 Ravan Press0-86358-198-6 Sometimes When it Rains 1987 Pandora Press, UK92-3-103413-8 The Lava of this Land 1997 Northwestern University Press0-636-04961-2 Thandeka’s Gift 2002 Maskew Miller Longman Reconstruction 1982 Skotaville Publishers

Plays 0-947009-47-7 Have You Seen Zandile? 1987 Skotaville Press1-86914-002-8 Have You Seen Zandile? 2002 UKZN Press0-636-05964-2 Lungile: A play 2003 Maskew Millar Longman African Story Plays

CDs An African Mother Christmas 2015 Gcina Mhlophe Storyworks Gift of the Tortoise 1994 Music for Little People Hope Song 2015 Gcina Mhlophe Storyworks Imilolozelo 2015 Gcina Mhlophe Storyworks Nozincwadi 2001 Gcina Mhlophe Storyworks1-86914-114-8 Songs & Stories of Africa 2006 UKZN PressACM-CD0060 Songs & Stories of Africa 2009 African Cream

Poetry1-86914-001-X Love Child 2002 UKZN Press0-86358-198-6 Sometimes When it Rains 1987 Pandora Press, UK92-3-103413-8 (pbk) The Lava of this Land 1997 Northwestern University Press Phenomenal Woman CD O Magazine

Film Kalushi 2017 Liyana 2017 Palesa 1988 Place of Weeping 1986 Prisoners of Hope 1995 Saudades: From the One who Loves you 2007 Songololo: Voices of Change 1992 Travelling Songs 1992

I truly believe that every living being has a story to tell, so I tell stories in order to wake up stories in other people...

1958 Birth at King Edward Hospital, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

1979 Matriculation at Mfundisweni High School in Eastern Cape. First publication, poetry in Staffrider Magazine.

1982/83 Writing for the Learn and Teach magazine. Part-time news reader for the Press Trust, BBC Radio, Africa Service.

1983 Lead actress in Umongikazi – The Nurse by Maishe Maponya.

1984/85 Actress in the workshop play The Black Dog – Injemnyama, directed by Barney Simon.

1985 Debut of autobiographical play Have You Seen Zandile? at the Market Theatre.

1986-89 Acting in the workshop play Born In The RSA, directed by Barney Simon. Visiting assistant director with Barney Simon at Boston’s Brandeis University, workshoping and staging the musical play Written By Hand. Have You Seen Zandile? is performed at the Edinburgh Festival. Resident director at the Chicago Theatre Co. and at Knoxville’s Carpet Bag Theatre in Tennessee for production of Have You Seen Zandile? Begins storytelling career and runs storytelling workshops locally. Plays lead role in the film, Place of Weeping.

1989/90 First black female resident Director at the Market Theatre, Johannesburg. Co-writing and sang in the musical Inyanga. Writing and directing Somdaka, touring Johannesburg’s Townships and Zimbabwe.

1990 Commences full-time storytelling career.

1992 Founding and directing the storytellers’ organisation Zanendaba, Johannesburg. Nominated into the ASHOKA International Fellowship, Innovators for the Public. Visiting lecturer at University of Natal at the PMB campus. Directed production of Have You Seen Zandile? with students. Visiting lecturer at Kyoto Sayka University in Japan. Ran poetry and storytelling workshops in Nagoya and Osaka.

1994 Receives first honorary doctorate from The London Open University, UK after working with the world-renowned Dr Denis Walder.

1995 Co-writing an adaptation of Brecht’s The Good Person Of Szechwan with Janet Suzman for BBC, London and the Market Theatre, Johannesburg.

1996 Marries German artist, Kalle Becker. Birth of only daughter, Heike Nomakhwezi Becker.

1998 Wrote and performed in the one woman show Love Child, by Mannie Manim Production. It travelled to Japan to the Solo Festival at the Subaru Theatre in Tokyo. Receives honorary doctorate from University of KwaZulu-Natal.

1999 Directs Mata Mata musical at the Durban Playhouse Theatre. The musical was written during her artist residency at Chivitella Ranieri Centre in Italy.

2000 Performed at the Hanover Expo in Geramany. Commenced Joko Radio Storytelling Programme on Umhlobo Wenene and Ukhozi FM for the next seven years. Wrote script and music with Bheki Khoza for the SA contrubution to Animated Tales of the World project.

2001 The birth of Nozincwadi Literacy Campaign, which toured schools all over South Africa, donating books and promoting reading. The launch of the Nozincwadi: Mother of Books CD.

2002 The print publication of Nozincwadi: Mother of Books. Fudukazi’s Magic short film in collaboration with Reel Time and Video Vision. Directed by Karl Becker and Rob Demesires, starring Mhlophe and daughter, Nomakhwezi. Fudukazi’s Magic, the book, was published by Cambridge University Press. Illustrated by Karl Becker.

2003 Toured Germany, France, Italy, Belgium and Austria. Mazanendaba is published in Italy with glass sculptures as illustrations. German recording of Fudukazi’s Magic CD with Francis Bebey, sponsored by Patmos in Badenbaden. Writer’s residency at the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum in Boston, USA.

2004 Visiting lecturer at University of Cape Town. Visiting schools and universities in Brazil on the invitation of the RSA High Commissioner, Sao Paulo. Touring the UK for the promotion of South African literature as part of the celebration of Ten Years of Democracy.

2006 Represented SA at the FIFA World Cup in Germany and performed at the South African World Cup Logo Reveal.

2008 Received honorary doctorates for Literature and Contribution to Africa’s Cultural Heritage from University of Pretoria and from Fort Hare University. Received the Prestige Award from CITY Press and RAPPORT newspapers for excellence in her field. The first Nozincwadi Storytelling Festival, celebrating Books and Stories at the Playhouse Theatre Durban as part of her 50th Birthday Celebration with 20 schools.

2009 Directs her African Mother Christmas musical at Playhouse with musical director, Barney Bophela.

2012 Queen of Imbira the book was published. Story was written to honour and celebrate Zimbabwean musician, Stella Chiweshe. First Spirit of Light Celebration hosted by Gcinamasiko Arts and Heritage Trust, honouring people who do positive things in society. Receives honorary doctorate from the University of Johannesburg.

2013 Writer’s residency at The Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum in Boston, USA. The storybook, Our Story Magic is published, illustrated by various artists.

2014 The Singing Chameleon is translated into all SA languages. Receives honorary doctorate from Rhodes University.

2015 Is selected to be one of the 21 ICONS in the Season 1 book by Adrian Steirn.

2016 Represents South Africa in Colombia at the Medellín International Poetry Festival.

2017 Her newest one-woman play, My Travelling Bag, is performed at Rhumbelow theatre in Durban and at the Fyn Fest in Hermanus Represents Southern Africa at the Qatar Ajyal Youth Film Festival for promotion of Swaziland movie, Liyana. Performs at the Sutherland Astronomy Centre. Plays supporting role in Solomon Mahlangu movie, Kalushi.

GCINA’s StoryGcina’s Story