Comparative Literature

Jolyn Phillips is a Postdoctoral Research Associate whose work spans creative writing, epic poetics, performance arts, and African literary traditions. Born and raised in Blompark, Gansbaai, South Africa, Phillips earned her Master's degree in Creative Writing and her Ph.D. in English, completing a dissertation titled Bientang's Cave: A Trans-disciplinary Study of Marginality in the Epic in Afrikaans.

An acclaimed author, poet, singer-songwriter, and stage performer, Phillips has published several landmark literary works:

• Tjieng Tjang Tjerries and Other Stories (2016) – Her debut short story collection won the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) Prize for Best Fiction and was shortlisted for the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Debut Prize.

• Radbraak (2017) – Her debut Afrikaans poetry collection won the UJ Prize for Best Debut and earned nominations for the Elizabeth Eybers Prize and the Ingrid Jonker Prize.

• Bientang: 'n !nau gedig (2020) – This poetry collection won the Eugene Marais Prize in 2021. With support from an NIHSS Working Group Grant, it was adapted for the stage and performed across major South African arts festivals, including the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees (KKNK), Suidoosterfees, and the Woordfees.

As an artist and scholar, Phillips blends written narrative forms with music and live performance, having released a self-titled music album alongside her theatrical adaptation research and creative scholarship focus on marginality, epic poetry, regional storytelling, and multidisciplinary adaptations of literature through performance and digital initiatives.