Where and when did you matriculate?
In 1974 from South Peninsula, a high school in Cape Town.
Who was your favourite teacher?
Mr Murphy, my English teacher, was my favourite, because he made special effort in presenting the language.
He used to bring a portable record player to the classroom and this made the lesson livelier.
What influenced you to become a writer?
I didn’t choose journalism; it chose me. While I was studying for a general BA, I decided to become a clinical psychologist. In my second year during holidays I worked for The Argus as a reporter and never looked back.
How long have you been writing?
I have been a writer/journalist for the past 24 years.
What inspires you as a writer?
The ability to express what others can feel. I believe writing is a learnt skill.
My passion is to express what I see around so that people can share and enjoy it.
Do you think the culture of reading is dying or has died in South Africa?
No, I have just written a book, Our Generation. It is about what happened during the 1970s and 1980s, and the way people reacted to it shows that there is a desire to read. But TV and the Internet may impact seriously on this.
What do you think can be done to promote the culture of reading?
Parents must encourage their children to take an interest in reading early in their lives. They must teach them to listen and to always be keen to seek information. The recent launch of the South African Writers Association should also help develop and engender this culture.
Zubeida Jaffer is an established journalist and is currently a programmes manager: media at the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation. She has recently published her memoir; Our Generation, which has been shortlisted for this year’s Alan Paton Annual Awards. The book has also been prescribed for some schools.