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Louise Smit

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Name
  
Louise Smit



Louise Smit (née Louise Sophia Bekker on 2 January 1940) is a South African writer of children's books and of children's television programmes.

Contents

Biography

Smit studied teaching at Teachers College in Paarl, and Drama at the University of Stellenbosch and the Academy of Drama and Art. She then did charitable work in Malawi and performed indigenous folktales with the participation of the local children in the rural areas. This led to weekly children's radio programmes in the Chicewa language.

Returning to South Africa, she joined the Civic Theatre in Johannesburg as a puppeteer before accepting the position as programme director and creator at the South African Broadcasting Corporation, TV division. Her first programmes, Haas Das se Nuuskas (featuring a rabbit news anchor wearing flashy ties) and Wielie Walie, were national hits. Louise is the sole creator of Wielie Walie, confirmed by Mr Fil Heckroodt, the lawyer at the SABC (she wrote the first 200 programs) and Haas Das se Nuuskas (she wrote 150 episodes) and Pumpkin Patch (500 episodes) and Kideo (1000 episodes) and Mina Moo (150 episodes). All in all she produced 6000 programs in 7 languages and according to research she created the most characters in the world! Louise Smit is a well-known writer and published up to date 25 books. She also created and directed programmes in isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sotho, Pedi, SetTswana and English. Louise Smit is the Director of Liewe Heksie (the first 26 episodes) created by Verna Vels. All the popular and well-loved characters created by Louise Smit are registered under her name: LOUISE SMIT. At the moment 4 of her children's productions are touring the country: Haas Das se Nuuskas, Wielie Wielie Walie, Wielie Walie Boogie Boing-Boing, Prof Fossi and the Dinosours by EnterActive Productions.

In 1980 she built her own television studio. Kinnor Studios - Red Pepper bought it from her in 1998.

She lives in Sea-Point. Her only child and daughter Corneli Smit is a classical pianist in Europe.

Shows

  • Haas Das se Nuuskas — Haas Das and Piet Muis, Koning Leeu, etc. (in Afrikaans). Rabbit with flashy ties reading news from Animal Land.
  • Pumpkin Patch — Woofles the security dog, the twins Speckles and Freckles etc. (in English). All the adventures of a community in a little town.
  • Mina Moo & Co. — Mina Moo (a loveable cow), Bac and Teria (the naughty guys), King Mick, Micka etc. (in Afrikaans and English).
  • Professor Fossi en die Dinosaurusse — The German Palaeontologist visiting the Dinosours (in Afrikaans).
  • Kideo — Timothy Traddle (a tortoise), Mr. Chinwag (a donkey). A playroom programme (in English).
  • Wielie Walie — Karel Kraai, Sarel Seemonster, Bytjie, Bennie Boekwurm, Wagga Wagga Kwag, Meend die Eend (in Afrikaans). A playroom series (running 18 years).

    • They are currently redoing most of the shows. Haas Das, in "Haas Das hou konsert" (2007) and Wielie Walie (2009) are some of them. The shows-Haas Das se Nuuskas, Wielie Wielie Walie, and Prof. Fossi en die Dinosaurs, are currently live shows and touring South Africa. See Enteractive Productions.

    She also wrote and directed some episodes of Liewe Heksie and Casimir.

    Books

    Many of Louise Smit's books are based on the characters of her television programmes.

  • Die Bybel vir Kinders/ The Bible for Children (1982/2002)
  • Professor Fossilus en die dinosaurs (2004), illustrated by Marjorie van Heerden
  • Haas Das se Nuuskas (2006), illustrated by Fred Mouton
  • Haas Das raak weg! (2007), illustrated by Tanja Joubert
  • Wielie Wielie Walie (2010), illustrated by Sean Verster

    • Other

    One of her stories also appeared in "Stippe Stappe Stories" (1996). She wrote "Die klein-klein boompie" or "The Little-little tree"

    References

    Louise Smit Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA