JENKINS, Elwyn 1939-

PERSONAL:

Born October 3, 1939, in Vryheid, South Africa; son of Charles (a minister) and Annie (a teacher; maiden name, Harding) Jenkins. Education: University of Natal, B.A., 1958, diploma of education, 1959, B.A. (with honors), 1965; University of Leeds, diploma in curricular studies, 1967; University of the Witwatersrand, M.Ed. (cum laude), 1975; University of South Africa, D.Litt. et Phil., 1980. Hobbies and other interests: Archaeology, rock art.

ADDRESSES:

Home—P.O. Box 915-1157, Faerie Glen, Pretoria 0043, South Africa.

CAREER:

High school teacher, 1960-70; head of English department at a college of education, 1971; Transvaal Education Department, curriculum specialist, 1972-73; head of English departments at colleges of education, 1974-80; Vista University, Pretoria, South Africa, head of English department, 1981-83, principal of Mamelodi Campus, 1982-89, senior director of student development, 1991-97, professor of English emeritus, 1998—. University of Toronto, visiting scholar, 1996; University of South Africa, research fellow at children's literature research unit, 1998—; University of London, visiting fellow at School of Advanced Study, 1999. South African Geographical Names Council, member.

MEMBER:

International Research Society for Children's Literature, International Board on Books for Young People, English Academy of Southern Africa (past president; vice president, 1992—), South African Institute of Race Relations (honorary life member; past chair), South African Council for English Education (past chair), South African Scout Association (past national program commissioner).

AWARDS, HONORS:

Thomas Pringle Prize for best article on English in education, English Academy of Southern Africa, 1982; Centennial Award, South African Teachers Association, 1989; award from South African Institute for Librarianship and Information Science, 1995; distinguished service award, Pretoria College of Education, 1996; Order of the Silver Protea, South African Scout Association, 1999.

WRITINGS:

Children of the Sun: Selected Writers and Themes in South African Children's Literature, Ravan, 1993.

(With P. Raper and L. Möller) Changing Place Names, Indicator Press (Natal, South Africa), 1996.

South Africa in English-Language Children's Literature, 1814-1912, McFarland and Co. (Jefferson, NC), 2002.

Contributor to books, including The Cambridge Guide to Children's Books in English, edited by Victor Watson, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 2001; and Comedy, Fantasy, and Colonialism, edited by Graeme Harper, Continuum, 2002. Contributor to periodicals, including Lion and the Unicorn, Educational Review, Journal of Commonwealth Literature, Children's Literature in Education, Bookbird, Canadian Children's Literature, English Academy Review, Nomina Africana, English in Africa, and Current Writing.