Marlise Joubert was born in Elim (near Levubu), Northern Transvaal (now Limpopo Province). She grew up in Warmbaths (Bela Bela) and has degrees in Librarianship and a BA Honours in Philosophy from the University of Pretoria. After her studies, she worked as a journalist and a Librarian.
She and her husband, Louis Esterhuizen an Afrikaans poet, started the popular collective Afrikaans poetry website, Versindaba. The couple also has a son and a daughter. Joubert is the webmaster of Versindaba and editor of four volumes of poetry featuring work of the poets participating in the annual Versindaba poetry festivals in Stellenbosch.
Her first volume of poetry was published in 1970. Her seventh volume of poetry, splintervlerk, was published by Protea Book House in 2011. It was nominated for the SALA Poetry Prize in 2012. She is also the author of three novels, of which the first, Klipkus, (1978) was translated by Ena Jansen into Dutch as Rode granaat (Anthos, 1981). She has received several awards for her radio dramas.(See here http://ateljee.co.za)
Joubert, who lives in Stellenbosch, writes poems, short stories and also paints. Her poems and short stories have been published on the internet. She has made a name for herself as a painter and describes her paintings as a continuation of her poetry.
Publications/ Publikasies
’n Boot in die Woestyn, Perskor, 1971
Domus, Tafelberg, 1973
So ver en verder, Perskor, 1976
Klipkus, Tafelberg, 1978
Rode Granaat (Dutch translation of Klipkus), Anthos, Amsterdam, 1979
Ontruiming, Haum LiterÁªr, 1986
Oranje Meraai, Tafelberg, 1996
Lyfsange, Protea Boekhuis, 2001
Ateljee van Glas, Protea Boekhuis, 2004
Versindaba 2006, (compiler) Protea Boekhuis, 2006
passies en passasies, Protea Boekhuis, 2007
Versindaba 2007, (compiler) Protea Boekhuis, 2007
Versindaba 2008, (compiler) Protea Boekhuis, 2008
Versindaba 2009, (compiler) Protea Boekhuis, 2009
splintervlerk, Protea Boekhuis, 2011
In a burning sea. Contemporary Afrikaans poetry in Translation, (ed.) Protea Bookhouse, 2014)
bladspieël, Human & Rousseau Publishers, 2015
Ateljee.co.za (2007). ‘Marlise Jourbert’ from Ateljee [online]. Available at www.ateljee.co.za [Accessed 17 November 2011]|Stellenboschwriters.co.za (2010). ‘Marlise Joubert’ from Stellenbosch Writers [online]. Available at www.stellenboschwriters.com [Accessed 17 November 2011]| Joubert, Marlise”“ Email to SAHO dated 20 October 2014