Dalene Matthee

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Dalene Matthee (October 13, 1938 - 20 February 2005) was a South African author who wrote mainly in Afrikaans, although her books were translated into fourteen other languages, including English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Hebrew and Icelandic.

A descendant of Sir Walter Scott, she was born Dalene Scott in Riversdal in the (then) Cape Province. After matriculating from the local high school in 1957, she studied music at a conservatorium in Oudtshoorn as well as at the Holy Cross Covent in Graaff-Reinet.

Her first book was a children's novel, Die twaalfuurstokkie (The twelve-o'-clock stick) (1970). In 1982 a collection of short stories called Die Judasbok (The Judas Goat) was also published.

Before gaining fame and wide acclaim for her first "forest novel", she also wrote stories for magazines as well as two popular novels - ’n Huis vir Nadia (A House for Nadia) (1982) and Petronella van Aarde, burgemeester (Petronella van Aarde, Mayor) (1983).

Kringe in ’n bos (Circles in a forest) (1984), a novel about the extermination of the elephants and the exploitation of the woodcutters of the Knysna forest, was an international success. Two other highly successful "forest novels" followed: Fiela se kind (Fiela's Child) in 1985 and Moerbeibos (The Mulberry Forest) in 1987.

Brug van die esels (Bridge of the mules) was published in 1993, followed by Susters van Eva (Sisters of Eve) in 1995, Pieternella van die Kaap (Pieternella from the Cape) in 2000 and Toorbos (Dream Forest) (2003).

Fiela's Child and Circles in a forest were filmed. She also won numerous literary prizes for her works.

After a short sickbed caused by heart failure, she died in Mossel Bay, South Africa. She was survived by her three daughters; her husband, Larius, died in 2003.