Crossword puzzles on African heritage

Prof Euvrard launches a book on African Crossword
Prof Euvrard launches a book on African Crossword

Rhodes University’s Professor George Euvrard, psychologist and educator, will launch a ground-breaking book, JDE: The Original South African Cryptic Crossword, a collection of crossword puzzles inspired by African heritage.

The launch event will feature two guest Speakers; Sandy Balfour - an international crossword aficionado and best-selling author along with Professor Russell Kaschula who is the NRF SARChI Chair: Intellectualisation of African Languages, Multilingualism & Education at Rhodes University.

Euvrard launched the pilot to the series of crossword puzzles with Grocott’s Mail in 2015 and so far, he has created 100 crossword puzzles for Grocott’s Mail and the Mail & Guardian.

According to him, every major English newspaper in South Africa has a regular cryptic crossword, but they are syndicated from the United Kingdom and are London-centric in identity, culture, and worldview.

“Over the past few years, I have been researching and developing a uniquely South Africanised cryptic crossword that is in the classic English genre but with a proudly local identity and outlook in terms of people, heritage, and language,” Euvrard said.

Euvrard is also the co-founder of the Polar Plunge, a Grahamstown mid-winter swim across Grey Dam – and the Indlela yoBuntu pilgrimage from Grahamstown to Cape Town.