Bhekiziziwe Peterson
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Bhekiziziwe Peterson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 April 1961 Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Died | 15 June 2021 (aged 60) |
| Occupations | film writer and producer |
Bhekizizwe Peterson (7 April 1961 – 15 June 2021)[1] was a prominent African intellectual born in Alexandra Township in Johannesburg, South Africa.[2][3][4][5][6] Until his passing, he was a Professor of African Literature at University of the Witwatersrand.[7][8] Peterson was also an internationally renowned film writer and producer. He co-founded Natives at Large, a black owned and controlled South African full service Film & Television production company.[9] He co - founded Natives at Large with film-maker Ramadan Suleman.[10][11]
Peterson started his academic career as a Junior Lecturer at University of the Witwatersrand in 1988, and progressed through the ranks to Full Professor (2012 - 2021). Peterson formerly served as Head of the African Literature Department twice. He held degrees from University of the Witwatersrand (BA and PhD), University of York (MA).
Politics and education
Peterson was a leading practitioner of working class theatre. He was known for being a generous mentor to young black South Africans.[12] His prolific academic research was informed by an unyielding interest in the value of marginalised forms of cultural knowledge in South Africa and the larger African world.[13][14] It spanned areas such as youth culture, popular music forms, the visual arts, Black intellectual history, and autobiography. More recently he served as co-leader of an international research group called Narrative Enquiry for Social Transformation (NEST). Besides his contributions to literary scholarship, Peterson, also used film as a medium for critical engagement with the social and political life of his homeland, South Africa.