Biography

Dr Lorato Mokwena is an academic that holds a PhD in Linguistics. She is the founder of Dit is ‘n Noord-Kaap ding (It is a Northern Cape) thing colloquium – an annual gathering that focuses on the Northern Cape – her people, their environment and their socio-cultural practices.

She is a 2022 recipient of the Community Engagement Excellence Award at the University of the Western Cape, Achievers’ Awards.

She is the producer of the Broken String – a documentary film that offers a somber reflection of past and current injustices endured by the Bushman in South Africa. Check out the film’s trailer here.

She is a co-editor of The Routledge Handbook of Language and the Global South/s and currently serves as a Linguistics’ lecturer at the University of the Western Cape. As a researcher, her publication profile includes book chapters and journal articles in various international and national peer-reviewed journals.

Lorato is the author of ‘Giving birth to death’ – a series that narrates the experience of giving birth to a stillborn child. It provides readers with a personal account of how a grieving mother grappled with the loss of her son. Part One of the series is available here.

Lorato periodically shares some of her research findings in local newspapers in a bid to ensure that her research is accessible beyond the academic corridors. Additionally, she occasionally pens opinion pieces that argue for alternative perspectives on certain societal matters. A collection of this material is available under the Newspaper tab.