Diana is a writer, poet, performance poet and story-teller. Her work has been published in various collections and some serve as prescribed texts for high school learners. She worked for 25 years at the University of the Western Cape. She retired in 2016. She has completed a postgraduate degree in Women’s and Gender Studies.
Books published:
Ons Komvandaan – 2006 (Reading)
I’ve come to take you home – 2010
Die vrede kom later – 2019
In 2012 Diana received the inaugural Mbokodo Award for poetry.
Diana’s third book, “Die vrede kom later”was launched on 27 July 2019
In 2021 Diana worked with Ms Dudu Xaba on a national short story project in all 11 languages. She facilitated the writing workshop of 20 participants. The participants wrote short stories in Afrikaans. The book was later published.
Diana also works closely with the Pniel Museum, in Pniel, facilitating writing workshops and participating with her writers group the Mengelmoesdigters in the annual Adam Small Literature festival.
She also works in partnership with the Railtoun Foundation from Swellendam facilating writing workshops with youth and adults alike.
Diana attended the World Storytelling Festival in Noordwijk the Netherlands in 2018 in conjunction with Ms Martine Zeeman, theatre producer and actress where she narrated of the story of Sarah Baartman.
Diana continues to facilitate workshops and doing performances.
Diana is internationally known and acclaimed for the poem that she wrote for the indigenous South African woman Sarah Baartman who was taken away from her country under false pretences and paraded as a sexual freak in Europe. This poem touched the heart of the French Senate and upon hearing it they voted unanimously that her remains should come home. This poem is published in the French Law, a first in French history.