This year the department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematic's own wordsmith and math magician, Dr Harry Wiggins, delighted the audiance at the anual Mathematics Midwinter Morning.

The title of the talk was: Scrabble, a simple, but oh so complicated word game! Dr Wiggins gave a highly educational and delightful insight into the history of this popular board game that is played across the world and in many different languages. He discussed why he enjoys this game and how it compares as a competition sport with the family fun we know it for.

Harry was recently crowned as South Africa’s Scrabble champion for 2019 and will be representing South Africa at the World English-Speaking Scrabble Players Association Championships in Goa, India in October. He also previously regularly achieved a top 10 position in the South African Mathematics Olympiad and represented South Africa in 2001 and 2002 as member of the International Mathematics Olympiad.  On a lighter note, he participated in season 4 of Survivor in the Maldives in 2011. Believe it or not, his Scrabble skills came in handy.

Photos by Marietjie Ohlhoff