Awareness Publishing Writers

	Our writers \| Lynn Barnes \| Megan Emmett \| Dr Clive Evian \| Dr Bridget Farham \| Donvé Lee \| Barbara Ludman \| Cecile Mather \| \| Debbie Nafte \| \| Emilia Potenza \| Terry-Ann Selikow \| Immanuel Suttner \| Jacqui van der Merwe (Shepherd) \| Chris van Wyk \| Ruth Versfeld \| Trevor Waller \|
	Lynn Barnes Lynn Barnes was born and brought up in England. She gained an honours degree in Spanish studies at Manchester University and then a post-graduate Certificate of Education from Leicester University. She left the UK in 1974 to teach on contract in Zambia and moved to South Africa in 1980. She became a freelance editor and proofreader in 1991, working mainly on educational material and textbooks for various different publishers. Lynn joined Awareness Publishing in August 2001 and has been involved in the production of all the Awareness books. She still works as an editor and proofreader but has gradually become more involved in the writing of material as well.

	Megan Emmett Megan is a naturalist with a creative bent and literary inclinations. With a conservation degree and years of guiding and training field guides in her background, she has a solid grounding in all topics natural. But her eclectic career has also involved, amongst other things, creative expression through both written and visual media. Currently, Megan is the Senior Producer on the 30-year old SABC 2 environmental TV programme 50\|50, and her book Game Ranger in Your Backpack has been printed four times since its release in 2010. Megan’s passions include trees, birds, teaching and writing. She’s most at home behind her binoculars stalking an LBJ or snapping a macro shot of something obscure. When she’s not gallivanting in the bush, she is probably enjoying a glass of Sauvignon Blanc in the company of good friends or encouraging the keys of her Yamaha concert piano to produce a tune.

	Dr Clive Evian Dr Clive Evian is a public health doctor and has been involved in community health projects in South Africa for over 25 years. He has a long history working in the HIV field, in both the clinical and epidemiological areas as well as being involved in numerous educational and training initiatives. He has written on a wide variety of HIV-related issues for the scientific and public domain and is the author of a widely used book Primary HIV/AIDS Care. Dr Evian has been an HIV/AIDS consultant and advisor for the popular ‘Soul City’ TV series since its inception, and has presented papers at local and international conferences. He has been on the radio and appeared on television speaking about the HIV epidemic, and also been involved various media projects. He has also been elected as an Associate of Public Health Medicine, of South Africa (College of Medicine of South Africa).

	Dr Bridget Farham Dr Bridget Farham was a seabird biologist and medical doctor in previous lives. She is now a full time freelance editor and writer, editor of three major medical publications, author of numerous medical and other articles, and copy editor of educational and academic books. She is a keen road cyclist and lives in Cape Town with Craig and six cats.

	Donvé Lee Donvé Lee is an author, artist and illustrator of numerous children's story books. She is deeply committed to encouraging creativity in children and adults, believing that art-making and art awareness should play a much greater role in our lives and in our schools. Her adult publications include The Unfolding Man - the life and art of Dan Rakgoathe, An intimate War, and Syd Kitchen: Scars that Shine. Her work as an Awareness author brings together three of her greatest passions - writing, creativity and education. Donvé has an Honours degree in Art History and a Masters degree in Creative Writing, and lives in Noordhoek in the Cape Peninsula.

	Barbara Ludman Barbara Ludman, a former journalist, is the author of several youth novels, including The Day of the Kugel, The Changing Times and Take One, Max. She is also co-editor of a series of reference books titled The A-Z of South African Politics and winner of a Vodacom Lifetime Achiever Award for her "invaluable contribution to South Africa journalism".

	Cecile Mather Cecile Mather was born in Johannesburg in 1962. She graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand with BA Honours and received her doctorate from Queens University in Canada. She writes educational material, children's books and poetry.

	Debbie Nafte Debbie completed a BA, majoring in English and Drama & Film at the University of Witwatersrand. After completing her studies she lived and worked in the USA, Australia and Israel. In Australia, Debbie worked in multi-media film production, creating educational CD-ROMs for children. During her stay in Israel, she studied open education (OBE). Since returning to South Africa in 2002, Debbie has been the full-time mother of 3 full-time children and in her spare time works as a writer in the development of educational material.

	Emilia Potenza Emilia is a curriculum and materials developer. She is the author of several ground-breaking textbooks. She has been associated with Curriculum 2005 since its inception, first at a national level and then at a provincial and district level. She has been involved in teacher development in a range of contexts. More recently, she was a member of the Ministerial Committee that reviewed Curriculum 2005, as well as a member of the Social Sciences Working Group that streamlined Curriculum 2005 for Grades R to 9. Until recently, she wrote a regular column on curriculum issues for both the Sunday Times and The Teacher. Emilia Potenza is currently the head of the curatorial and education programming at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg.

	Terry-Ann Selikow Terry-Ann is a South African writer who is currently on a Commonwealth scholarship completing her PhD on HIV and AIDS at the University of Alberta in Canada. She completed her honours, higher diploma for adult educators and masters in Sociology at the University of the Witwatersrand. Terry-Ann has written textbooks in the area of health and is a skilled materials developer. She has been involved in a number of volunteer activities and currently volunteers at HIV Edmonton. Terry-Ann is committed to building a world where all individuals can fulfill their dreams. When not working or volunteering, she enjoys being with children and writing poetry.

	Immanuel Suttner Immanuel was born in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, in 1964. He was educated in Johannesburg, and then lived in Israel for ten years, where he completed a degree in English and Hebrew literature. Suttner returned to South Africa in 1991. Since then he has worked for NGOs, written and directed for broadcast television (Isidingo, Soul City, Jozi Streets, Kagiso Educational Television) and published fiction, non-fiction, and – most recently – a collection of poetry called "Hidden and Revealed".

	Jacqui van der Merwe (Shepherd) Jacqui van der Merwe (Shepherd) grew up in Transkei, Swaziland and South Africa. She inherited her talent for storytelling from her father and first began creating her own stories to amuse her four children, who are very close together in age. She now lives in Mokopane in Limpopo, with her husband, Stephan.

	Chris van Wyk Chris was born in Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Soweto in 1957. He was educated at Riverlea High School in Riverlea, Johannesburg, where he continued to live. There he wrote children’s books, novels and poetry. He became one of South Africa’s most well-loved writers, and often visited schools to talk to children about the importance of learning to read and write. Chris died in October 2014.

	Ruth Versfeld Ruth Versfeld is a teacher and writer. She grew up in Cape Town where she completed a BA degree followed by a teaching diploma. After some years of teaching both in South Africa and in the United Kingdom she returned to Cape Town to complete an MPhil in Education. Since then she has worked in teacher education, mostly with an NGO on the Cape Flats. Ruth’s work in curriculum development includes serving as a lead author of the CAPS Social Sciences curriculum for the Intermediate and Senior Phases. She has written numerous school textbooks and information books, including a Geography of South Africa series for Awareness Publishers. She is currently developing a History series for Awareness.

	Trevor Waller Trevor studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where he completed a BA degree in English Literature and Education in 1990. He also attained his Teaching Diploma in Open Experimental Education (now known as OBE) in Israel in 1991. He was the co-founder of The Foundation School in Johannesburg which operated as a bridging school for previously disadvantaged learners from 1993 to 1995. Since then he has taught at schools in South Africa, London and Australia. Trevor worked as the Learnerships Advisor at the Wholesale and Retail SETA (Sector Education & Training Authority) before turning his attention to full-time educational writing. He writes material for teacher guides, text books, corporate training and non-fiction books.